New Telegraph 
Last season was one to forget for Manchester United. Under Erik ten Hag, the club endured its worst finish in Premier League history, ending up a record low in eighth.
This dismal performance cast serious doubt on Ten Hag’s future, but an FA Cup triumph over Manchester City saved his job and offered a lifeline in an otherwise disappointing campaign.
As the new season gets underway, the question remains whether United can bounce back and secure a top four spot to return to the Champions League.
Despite the Wembley Win, Ten Hag’s troubles continued into the new season. United’s start was far from ideal. Defeat to City in the Community Shield on penalties was followed up with consecutive losses to Brighton and Liverpool raising concerns.
The late loss to Brighton was a tough pill to swallow, but the 3-0 hammering by Liverpool at Old Trafford was even more damaging.
Losing to Liverpool is always painful for United fans, but this loss was particularly bitter as it came at the hands of fellow Dutch coach Arne Slot. In that match, United fell behind by halftime and were completely out of the game by the hour mark, with Liverpool looking confident and composed throughout.
Attention now turns to home soil once again, and while Man U vs Tottenham odds are close to call at the time of writing, the Red Devils know that a win at home against Spurs is exactly what they need to continue building momentum.
There summed to be a turning point in their hard-fought match away at Southampton. Matthijs de Ligt scored his first goal for the club, helping to secure a much-needed 3-0 victory. But the scoreline was not as comfortable as it seemed.
The newly promoted side dug in and made it tough for United, and it is a credit to Ten Hag and co that they managed to see the game out, especially after Cameron Archer missed a penalty for the Saints.
Victory at Southampton gave United a much-needed confidence boost, but Spurs provide a much tougher test and an early indication of whether they have the mettle to compete for a place in the Champions League.
Spurs have also had a difficult start to the season under their new manager, Ange Postecoglou. The Australian coach, known for his attacking style, had a mixed first season, where Spurs played some thrilling football but were often let down by a leaky defence.
A positive start really showed their potential, but injuries and defensive frailties saw them miss out on a Champions League spot, despite topping the table after the first few games and being touted as outsiders to win the league amongst Premier League title odds.
Both United and Spurs are under pressure to deliver results and get back into the Champions League. Last season, both clubs missed out on a top four finish, allowing the likes of Aston Villa to leapfrog them.
With the new Champions League format on the horizon, neither team can afford to fall behind the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
For United, success this season will depend heavily on their new signings stepping up. De Ligt has already shown his value with his goal against Southampton, and the Spurs game could be an opportunity for another new arrival, Manuel Ugarte, to make his mark.
The tough-tackling midfielder, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain, will want to assert himself in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.
A win at Old Trafford could provide the momentum needed to propel them back into the Champions League race. However, with both teams under immense weight of expectation, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can rise to the occasion and secure their place among Europe’s elite once more.
