They managed to avoid conceding from another in the 3-1 win over Brentford last weekend, but Manchester United will aim to exploit that weakness this weekend.
Like Spurs, Manchester United have also had more than their fair share of struggles from set pieces. However, some summer acquisitions have made them more of a force in the opposition box and that could play a part at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United vs Tottenham Market
Odds
Matthijs De Ligt To Score
9.00
Odds courtesy of Parimatch. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Since the start of last season, Tottenham have conceded 18 goals from set pieces. Only Nottingham Forest, who have let in 23 goals as a direct result of set pieces, have conceded more goals in such situations. Surprisingly, the average height of the Spurs’ starting 11 last season was 1.85m, the fourth-highest in the Premier League.
Despite having the physical capabilities to do well in the air, the data will be a huge concern for Ange Postecoglou. So far in 2024, Tottenham have conceded 13 goals when defending corners, which is the second-most in the league. They have faced a total of 83 shots as a direct result of corners. That accounts for 31.55% of their total shots faced.
Tottenham’s inability to win aerial duels is the main contributing factor in their inability to adequately deal with deliveries from set pieces. Their average of 10.45 aerial duels won per 90 minutes means they rank 18th in the league in that regard this calendar year.
Although Manchester United have endured a difficult start to the season, they have created plenty of chances. They come into this clash on the back of a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, but Erik Ten Hag’s side squandered several big opportunities in the first half. In fact, the Red Devils are credited with missing 17 big chances so far, five more than Aston Villa, who rank second on this metric. However, we are focusing on set piece opportunities here.
Ten Hag’s team have won the third-most corners in the Premier League, with an average of 6.8 per game. They weren’t able to make the most of these opportunities last season, scoring just nine goals from set pieces. However, the arrival of Andreas Georgson, a former set piece coach at Arsenal, appears to have made them more dangerous.
Matthijs De Ligt is the obvious target in the box for Manchester United. He netted the team’s opener in the 3-0 win against Southampton, but the numbers suggest the Dutchman should have scored more in his last two Premier League outings. De Ligt has registered five shots on target in those two matches, racking up a total xG of 1.35. Therefore, backing him to get on the scoresheet against Tottenham’s lacklustre defence looks like a good bet.