The Daly Brief | Man United vs Spurs, Premier League | OneFootball

"Michael Carrick has won three games from three, beating the two main title challengers in the process. How has he done this – and what will Thomas Frank do after a system tweak helped inspire the comeback against City?"

Rob Daly, official club commentator, presenter and pundit

What are United doing differently?

No Premier League formation has been discussed more than Manchester United’s this season. When Ruben Amorim switched to a back four in late December, with key players away at AFCON, United claimed a 1-0 win over Newcastle. But days later, his preferred 3-4-3 was back - and the team were held at home by bottom-of-the-table Wolves. Shortly after a subsequent 1-1 draw at Leeds, Amorim was gone. Michael Carrick’s appointment has seen United revert to a 4-2-3-1, his preferred system when at Middlesbrough, with players in their more conventional positions. With the team looking more compact too, Casemiro isn’t having to run as far and is more comfortable when the team are out of possession, while Kobbie Mainoo, having essentially been exiled from the team, is back, and looks composed on the ball, whether carrying or moving it sharply onto team-mates.

Who will play in attack?

Patrick Dorgu’s injury feels like a loss for United right now, given Carrick played him as a left-winger against City and Arsenal, with the Danish international scoring in both games. However, without him, United still have a menacing-looking front line, one that includes Bruno Fernandes in the number 10 position – a player with more assists (12) than any other in the Premier League. Amad Diallo, often a wing-back under Amorim, is now a threat on the right wing with Matheus Cunha (two goals in two games) on the left last time out. Bryan Mbeumo will surely start, and will likely lead the line - even though Benjamin Sesko has four goals in four, including his late winner as a substitute against Fulham last weekend.

How did the 2-2 in N17 play out?

Given how much has changed tactically for United, it’s hard to know what to take from the meeting of these two sides in N17 a mere three months ago, a game that finished 2-2. Spurs were struggling to cut through, although two substitutes did help shift the momentum. At 1-0 down, Mathys Tel replaced Xavi Simons with 11 minutes to go and, not long after, the Frenchman swept in the equaliser. "Sometimes you're lucky," admitted Thomas Frank. "Every single time I take a decision to sub a player, it is only with one aim - to win the game." Wilson Odobert was brought on at half-time and, into the final 20 minutes, really came into his own, perpetually running past Amad Diallo who had been moved to wing-back. The goal for 2-1 was guided in by Richarlison’s head, via Odobert’s whipped shot from the edge of the area. The even-later concession of Matthijs de Ligt’s header stung, a moment that denied Spurs a standout home result of the season.

Which formation will Thomas Frank play?

Spurs had started with 3-4-3 for a fourth match in a row going into the game with Manchester City last week – but illness to Cristian Romero, off at half-time, forced Thomas Frank to switch to something resembling a 4-4-2. Pape Matar Sarr came on down the right, Xavi Simons moved even further out to the left, while Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke played up front together and got stuck into City’s two centre-backs as the team fought back for 2-2. It’s hard to know, therefore, given the 3-4-3 system worked well in wins over Dortmund and Frankfurt, what Thomas Frank will go for at Old Trafford. Micky van de Ven’s return, having trained this week, and Romero’s recovery, means there are further options to use that system. Regardless of shape, Spurs’ head coach knows what he wants in terms of energy and intensity. “What I liked of the second half is we were even more aggressive in the high pressure and finally the 50-50s landed a little bit more for us,” he explained. Solanke’s goal for 2-2 was a perfect example of that, with Conor Gallagher pouncing upon a loose second ball to race down the right and supply his fellow England international.

Last time we met...