Spurs aiming for third straight Old Trafford win
PremierLeague - Wed 11 Mar 2015
We look back at some famous encounters between Man Utd and Spurs at Old Trafford
Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford on Sunday in what is one of the Barclays Premier League’s most enduring fixtures. As both teams aim to strike a vital blow in the season’s battle for a top-four spot, we look back at some of this fixture's famous moments.
Head-to-head record
Manchester United have been the dominant force in the fixture during the Barclays Premier League era, winning 29 of the 45 meetings and 17 of 22 at Old Trafford. But the Red Devils are without a win in five attempts against Spurs, who ended a 23-year wait for a victory at Old Trafford with a thrilling 3-2 win in September 2012.
In last season’s corresponding fixture, Tim Sherwood was in the charge at Spurs as Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen scored in a 2-1 triumph. The past three matches at White Hart Lane have finished in draws.
Quote:
BPL head-to-heads
Venue - Played - Utd wins - Draws - Spurs wins
At United - 22 - 17 - 3 - 2
At Spurs - 23 - 12 - 8 - 3
Total - 45 - 29 - 11 - 5
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Famous meeting
Man Utd 2-1 Spurs, 16 May 1999
Sir Alex Ferguson's side came into the final game of the 1998/99 season with a one-point lead over Spurs' bitter rivals Arsenal in the race for the Barclays Premier League title. Failure to claim all three points would hand Arsene Wenger’s side the opportunity to pip United to the prize with victory at home to Aston Villa.
Nerves were jangling at Old Trafford when Les Ferdinand looped an effort over Peter Schmeichel and into the net, but David Beckham restored parity before the break with a trademark curling finish into the top corner. Andy Cole stepped off the bench at half-time and had an immediate impact, controlling a ball over the top and sending a deft lob over Ian Walker into the goal. Arsenal’s 1-0 win was rendered immaterial, as United held on to secure a fifth Barclays Premier League crown, and the first leg of what turned out to be a historic treble.
The Mendes-Carroll incident
The January 2005 encounter between the two sides was deadlocked at 0-0 and would have had little to after 88 minutes. At this point, with United goalkeeper Roy Carroll out of his goal, Spurs midfielder Pedro Mendes launched a speculative effort from just inside the opposition half. Carroll got back but fumbled Mendes' shot and dropped the ball over his goalline before scrambling to make a belated recovery. Luckily for Carroll and United, and much to Spurs' frustration, the match officials were too far away to have a clear view and so no goal was awarded and the points were shared.
It was for incidents such as this that the Premier League led the calls for goalline technology, which was introduced in the 2013/14 season with Goal Decision System.
Played for both clubs
Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgaria forward joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2006 and scored 27 times in 70 Barclays Premier League appearances. That form caught the eye of Ferguson and United, paving the way for a big-money move on deadline day in September 2008. Berbatov’s goal-haul at Old Trafford was even more impressive, 48 in 108 BPL matches, and he was the division’s top scorer when United claimed their 19th title in 2010/11.
What is at stake
There are 10 matches left to play this season and the battle for a coveted top-four place is heating up. Spurs lie sixth on 50 points, three behind United in fourth.
Louis van Gaal's team will be keen to protect their position as the visit of the north Londoners match begins for them a daunting run of fixtures, featuring trips to leaders Chelsea and Liverpool and the derby against defending champions Manchester City before the end of April.