Man Utd to resume normal service against Spurs at the Lane

Manchester United have been far from their stringent selves this season, yet they still should be backed to beat old whipping boys Tottenham without conceding a goal.

Long odds of 7/2 dictate that the Red Devils will return from their north London jaunt with all three points and the added bonus of having their half of the scoresheet remaining unblemished and, after recording a total of 16 shut outs from their previous 28 clashes with Spurs, this has to whet the appetite.

Of these 28 matches, 12 have been contested at White Hart Lane; exactly half of these have resulted in the hosts failing to breach the United goal and half again ended joyously for the visitors.

This has to be worth putting faith in the Red Devils’ defence to keep the hosts at bay, despite the fact they’ve only managed to prevent five teams from scoring in league action this season. A Tottenham blank alone is available at 11/4 here.

Spurs have failed to score in three of their last five against their north western adversaries and, prior to their jaw-droppingly unexpected victory at the Theatre of Dreams earlier in the campaign, Andre Villas-Boas’ men had lost seven of their previous meetings with Man United.

The Premier League pace-setters will be keen to exact revenge on their top-four-chasing rivals and will fancy their chances of doing so based on these stats, as well as this season’s record against teams who finished in last term’s top-six.

United’s three away days against teams who fall into this bracket thus far have yielded the best possible rewards – three wins from three. In addition to these nine points, they’ve notched nine goals and, assisting the previously made win to nil argument, managed to keep a clean sheet in the process, albeit against lowly Newcastle.

Spurs haven’t fared so well against opposition of the same ilk. Their win dramatic victory over United represents the only time they haven’t been beaten when playing a member of last season’s top-six this time around, losing at Newcastle, Manchester City and Arsenal, as well as Chelsea at home.

It would be unlike Man United to fail to add their name to this elite list, if not go one better and become the first of them to prevent Spurs from scoring so back the away win to nil and hold your wallet open when it starts raining money.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date