BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has admitted that he has “little idea of what to expect” from Manchester United’s forthcoming clash against Tottenham on Sunday.
The Red Devils’ last outing in the Premier League ended with a convincing 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford earlier this month.
However, Ruben Amorim’s men bounced back last week with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City side in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Manchester United have struggled to build a consistent run of form and results in the Premier League this season, with the club languishing in 13th place in the table.
The Red Devils have only won eight of their 24 Premier League matches in the 2024-25 campaign and United are 12 points adrift from the relegation zone.
Ruben Amorim’s hopes of securing a top-four finish are all but over, with United 14 points behind fourth-place Chelsea in the Premier League table.
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Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United on the side line after the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester United and Leicester Ci...
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Sutton talks Man Utd and Amorim
Despite Manchester United’s own struggles this season, Tottenham have faced an equally bad – if not worse – campaign under Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.
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Spurs are 14th in the Premier League table and are two points behind 13th-place United, with Tottenham losing four of their last five league matches.
Ange Postecoglou oversaw a rough time last week with Tottenham after their exit from the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, with the Spurs boss under huge pressure.
Speaking in his BBC Sport column, Chris Sutton compared United’s upcoming Premier League match with Tottenham to rolling a poker dice.
“Trying to call this is a bit like a game I used to play with my kids, poker dice, where you roll five dice and it is completely random what you end up with,” he said.
“This is the first time I have so little idea of what to expect from both sides that I actually think I need to make two predictions, rather than one.
“I can guarantee you this, though. Whatever result I go for, it will end up being the opposite of what actually happens.”
Sutton also offered his two cents on Ruben Amorim’s situation at United and the off-field issues at Old Trafford under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos regime.
“As for Manchester United, well I’ve been reading reports this week that some of their players are unhappy with Ruben Amorim’s style of play,” he added.
“There is lots going on off the pitch too, with stories that more redundancies are planned at the club, following controversy over a rise in ticket prices.
“Who would have thought when Ineos completed their deal to take a stake in United 12 months ago that, within a year, they could possibly be as unpopular with fans as co-owners the Glazers are.”
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Sutton’s Tottenham vs Man Utd predictions
Sutton has revealed that his main prediction is United could edge out a result at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and walk away with a 2-1 win on Sunday.
However, he also suggested that he could see Tottenham turn up amid the pressure they face and beat United 4-0 at home in the Premier League.
“In regards to Amorim, I just think he needs time,” Sutton continued.
“He arrived in mid-season, he has his way of playing and United will have to give him the players who fit that system, so it might take a window or two before we see him with the team he wants.
“There needs to be patience there, but we also know football fans are impatient. They want to see some improvement in the short term, and it is hard to argue they have made any progress since Amorim took charge.
“I still have a sneaky feeling they might edge this game but I cannot really tell you what I am basing that on.
“This is a big game for Ange too, now his side are out of both domestic cups, but I am going with United, just.”