Glenn Hoddle has told talkSPORT 2 that he predicts ‘something special’ will happen when Tottenham entertain Manchester United on Friday night – a fixture he says the hosts simply must win to keep their top-four hopes alive.
Jose Mourinho’s men are currently eighth in the Premier League, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, as they play their first fixture since the coronavirus lockdown.
The pandemic came at the worst possible time for opponents United, who were in the midst of an 11-game unbeaten run before football was halted in March.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will look to pick up where they left off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in a game which Hoddle says the pressure will be firmly on Spurs’ shoulders.
“I think it’s going to be a real classic Spurs vs Manchester United game, I really do,” the Spurs legend told Sportsday.
“We’ve had some humdingers over the years, and I really feel it could be something special.
“It will be interesting to see United with the talent they’ve got and the slow progression they’ve made.
“I think the break came at a good time for Tottenham. Spurs weren’t in the best form and they didn’t have their strongest squad available.
“It feels like a six-pointer. There’s a lot of pressure on Tottenham – they’ve got to win to keep themselves in the hunt. What a way for the league to really start again!”
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Mourinho has already confirmed England captain Harry Kane will start Friday night’s clash against the Red Devils.
The 26-year-old has not played since tearing his hamstring against Southampton on January 1, which required surgery, but was able to regain full fitness during the three-month hiatus.
Fellow forward Heung-min Son and midfielder Moussa Sissoko, who both had surgery this year, will also start against United.
Hoddle believes the absence of Kane and Son has been extremely detrimental to Spurs’ domestic form – likening the injury blows as a boxer only having ‘one arm to punch with’
“When you’ve got really key, key players out – particularly in the strike position – where the game is won or lost where you’ve got to going to end up taking your chances,” he explained.
“You can get away with a centre-half or a couple of midfielders, but two players in the same position.
“It’s like a boxer going out with one arm to punch with, you’re taking away a hell of a lot of firepower.”
talkSPORT is your home for live football when the Premier League resumes on 17 June with an unprecedented line-up of fixtures, including four back-to-back matches on Saturdays
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