A place in the League Cup semi-finals is up for grabs as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United go head-to-head in a heavyweight quarter-final tie in North London.
Fresh off pulling off a memorable comeback in Sunday’s 2-1 away victory against reigning Premier League holders Manchester City, Ruben Amorim’s men head into proceedings with confidence sky high.
Ivorian phenom Amad Diallo, who orchestrated a last-gasp turnaround at the Etihad Stadium, is on the verge of penning a new contract at Old Trafford.
According to ESPN, only ‘final details’ are missing before the official announcement, with Amorim keen to reward the 22-year-old for his meteoric rise with a bumper new deal.
Diallo first drew a penalty before netting a 90th-minute winner to reignite United’s top-four ambitions in the Premier League, setting them up nicely for the upcoming trip to the capital.
Masters of unpredictability
Like the Red Devils, Tottenham players will enter Thursday’s clash in a buoyant mood following a 5-0 away victory against basement boys Southampton.
Spurs sensationally netted all five goals before half-time to emphatically halt a dismal five-game winless streak.
However, their hopes of lifting the Premier League title are long gone, meaning Ange Postecoglou’s best chance of ending the club’s 16-year title drought lies in cup competitions.
Tottenham’s form oscillations are well-documented, but they can take heart from eliminating Man City in the previous League Cup round, not to mention demolishing United 3-0 at Old Trafford in September.
Revenge-poised clash
Since a 2-0 home league win in October 2022, the Red Devils have gone winless in four subsequent meetings with the Lilywhites, conceding at least twice on each occasion.
However, Amorim’s troops have fared well against Spurs in London, avoiding defeat on five consecutive visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before a 2-0 loss in August 2023.
In search of good omens, the Portuguese boss’ predecessor, Erik ten Hag, won the League Cup title in his first season at the Theatre of Dreams, and the same goes for Jose Mourinho.
Memories of September’s humiliation on home turf are still fresh, yet Amorim can erase them by guiding Man Utd to a third consecutive win for the first time in 2024/25.