'I think': Chris Sutton predicts scoreline of Man Utd vs Tottenham Hotspur game

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has stated his prediction for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have had a mixed run of results since the international break.

They won against Southampton and Barnsley with convincing scorelines before sharing the spoils versus Crystal Palace and FC Twente. They played the latter at home.

United manager Erik ten Hag will want a strong response against Spurs this weekend. Ahead of the game, Sutton has predicted the outcome of the Premier League contest.

The 51-year-old said that United made heavy weather of their Europa League draw with Twente in midweek and their performance was very uninspiring at home.

However, he added that Spurs’ attacking playing style would suit the Red Devils, who tend to play at their best when they are counter-attacking their opponents.

He told BBC Sport: “My first thought was that I fancy Manchester United to win this but, the more I think about it, the less likely that seems.

“United made heavy weather of their Europa League draw with FC Twente on Wednesday, with a performance that was very uninspiring.

“Mind you, we need to see more from Spurs in the final third too, so I am going to stick with my instincts and go for a United win. Let me explain why.

“In my opinion, United cannot beat Spurs by going toe-to-toe with them, but there is an argument that Tottenham’s playing style will suit Erik ten Hag, because it is in these sort of games where Ten Hag’s counter-attack football works best.

“I am not exactly confident they will beat Spurs though.

“What worries me most about tipping United is what happens in the centre of the park. Are United going to rely on Christian Eriksen again, against his former club. A great player, but does he have the legs?”

United are winless in the last three meetings versus Spurs with two draws and one defeat.

Despite this, the Red Devils should be favourites to come on top this weekend, considering they tend to play at their best in the big games at home.

Sutton has predicted a 2-1 scoreline in favour of United. We fancy a similar outcome, considering United have been prone to conceding goals this year.

The club have tended to squander leads and we saw another example against Twente.