There is a lot of pressure mounting on Jose Mourinho following his side’s poor start to the new Premier League season and there will be much focus on Manchester United’s performance when they take on Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Monday night.
However, it bodes well for Mourinho that his side – who have won their last five home games against Tottenham – should earn all three points on Monday while a loss could see Mourinho packing his bag sooner rather than later.
In light of this, Football Weeks have picked out three battles that could determine the future of both managers in three days:
Harry Kane v Victor Lindelof/Eric Bailly
Man United’s performance at the heart of defence was soft and fluffy against Brighton and Hove Albion last Sunday which cost them 3-2 defeat and it remains to be seen whether Mourinho will consider playing Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly against Tottenham. Although, lack of adequate playing time has much to do with the pair as Lindelof was making only his 17th Premier League appearances at the Amex Stadium and lack the physical nous required, while Bailly his partner, was only registering his 90 minutes in the English top-flight for only the fifth time since November.
They both looked out of their depth against Brighton and it shows they need time to adapt. Mourinho, however, has no time on his side and it will be a big gamble to play the pair against Harry Kane, who finally ended his August goal woes by finding the net in Spurs’ 2-1 win against strong Fulham side last time out.
Kane, however, has netted just one goal in eight appearances against Manchester United in all outings and the Three Lions captain has never scored at Old Trafford. It remains to be seen whether Kane will end this drought on Monday night.