Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford this weekend as Jose Mourinho's side looks to kick-start a winnable run of games with a win over Spurs.
The Red Devils are yet to win a Premier League game on home soil since their emphatic 4-1 victory over Leicester City back in September.
A win over Spurs would reintroduce a keen sense of hope amidst relatively difficult times on the red side of Manchester. United are 9 points off the top four with noisy neighbours, Manchester City, currently occupying fourth place.
Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham have succumbed to defeat on just one occasion this term hence Mourinho will have his work cut out as he devises a plan to lead his side to victory.
Despite having already failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Tottenham secured a 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow on Wednesday after conceding the first goal.
The win will more or less galvanise Spurs going into the Old Trafford encounter, but United will also be on their A-game following their commanding 2-0 win over Zorya on Thursday.
Both teams need a result in this game in a bid to keep pace with the top four – United will be keen on ending their run of stalemates while Tottenham will have a point to prove regarding their recent awakening which saw them thump Swansea City 5-0.
Man Utd team news
The Red Devils have picked up just one win in their last eight Premier League outings which has left the United faithful perplexed at the team's inability to covert chances despite dominating the majority of their games in recent times.
With Spurs boasting of one of the league's strongest defensive set-ups, United's poor run of form could last a little longer.
Following Henrikh Mkhitaryan's sensational display in mid-week, he's expected to play a major role on Sunday.
Eric Bailly is also set to feature in the clash following his recovery from a knee injury and impressive display in Ukraine.
United have a relatively clean bill of health with Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw being the only notable injury absentees.
Tottenham team news
Tottenham experienced a brief spell of disappointing results, but last weekend's commanding win over Swansea appeared to be a statement to the rest of the league.
A win over Manchester United would further affirm Tottenham's place as genuine contenders for a Champions League spot.
Toby Alderweireld could make a spirited return to the Premier League action after getting some minutes in Europe in midweek and his return to the fold will see Eric Dier assume his more natural midfield role.
Erik Lamela is unavailable for the tie along with Vincent Janssen and Ben Davies who are both out with slight ankle problems.
Predicted Lineups
Man Utd XI: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Blind; Carrick, Pogba; Martial, Mata, Mkhitaryan; Ibrahimovic.
Spurs XI: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Wanyama, Dier; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane.
Prediction
The game has a draw written all over it. Judging by both sides' recent form, a stalemate appears to be the likeliest outcome, so I'm going to go for a 2-2 scoreline here.
