Premier League Outright Market
Odds
Manchester United & Tottenham Bottom Half Finish.
Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Manchester United showed their spirit by eliminating Arsenal from the FA Cup and followed that up with a win over Southampton. However, the loss at home to Brighton highlighted that there is no quick fix for Ruben Amorim as he aims to ensure United return to the top of the English game in his tenure.
Since taking over the club, Amorim has brought in a clear identity in terms of style of play, which was lacking under Erik ten Hag. The 3-4-3 he had great success with at Sporting is present once again, but it’s clear that United lack the players that can execute this system in key areas of the pitch. The Red Devils are thought to be in the market for wing-backs, but due to PSR constraints, massive changes are unlikely until the summer transfer window. This leaves the club in the wilderness for the remainder of this season.
Under Amorim, United have won just five of their 15 matches across all competitions in 90 minutes. During that period, they scored an average of 1.6 goals per game and conceded 1.87. The team have been over-reliant on the attacking exploits of Amad Diallo, and an injury to the youngster could spell even more danger.
United sit 13th in the league ahead of their clash with Fulham this weekend. They come into the game seven points behind Marco Silva’s side, who currently occupy 10th place in the table. The Cottagers have suffered just one defeat in their last 11 games, which is a stark contrast to the Red Devils. It’s safe to say confidence is low at Old Trafford, with Amorim describing this “the worst Manchester United side in history” following their last league game.
Tottenham wound up finishing 5th last season, narrowly missing out on Champions League football. They were expected to compete for a place in Europe’s elite club competition once again, but that hasn’t materialised. Ange Postecoglou has made a habit of winning a trophy in his second season. The Australian is relying on a similar success to secure his job at Spurs.
Ange’s team are amongst the frontrunners to win the Europa League. They are also just one game away from reaching the final of the League Cup. Tottenham fans have had very little to celebrate in terms of silverware in recent years. Their last triumph came in 2009, so the cup runs have been a welcome distraction. However, their league form has been disastrous.
Tottenham’s defence has been quite vulnerable. They have the sixth-worst xGA in the Premier League with 34.27 and have conceded 30 goals as a result. The team’s inability to tighten up their defence has drawn criticism from the likes of Jamie Carragher, but there are no signs of change. Conceding three first-half goals against Everton, the second-lowest-scoring team in the division, marked a new low for Tottenham’s defence.
Spurs have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games ahead of the game against Leicester. During that dismal run, they lost seven and conceded an average of 2.2 goals per game. As is the case with Manchester United, there is seemingly no quick fix for Tottenham, so we should not expect a dramatic upturn in results in the coming months. The club are marooned in 15th place, nine points off the top half of the Premier League. With the current state of things, Spurs will need to make adjustments if they hope to salvage their season.