Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are led by Erik ten Hag and Ange Postecoglou, respectively. While United under Ten Hag’s leadership was lackluster last year, the Australian head coach had a strong debut season in charge and just lost out on a Champions League spot behind Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
The Red Devils trailed Manchester City by 31 points at the end of the 2023–2024 season, finishing in eighth place. After an INEOS review by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ten Hag‘s victory over City in the FA Cup final meant that he would remain in his position.
After five games in the 2024–25 season, both teams have managed seven points, which puts them six points behind Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. This is a thorough reference to the managers’ head-to-head record, which analyzes every matchup between them, ahead of Sunday’s crucial match at Old Trafford.
| Matches Between Ange Postecoglou and Erik ten Hag So Far | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Competition | Result | Winner | |
| 19th August 2023 | Premier League | Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester United | Ange Postecoglou | |
| 14th January 2024 | Premier League | Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur | Draw | |
The 2023–24 Premier League season saw Postecoglou play Ten Hag’s United at home in his second game. Throughout the first half, both teams had opportunities, making it a close game. In the first forty-five minutes, Bruno Fernandes’ header from close range was the finest chance that Spurs and United had to strike the post twice.
Four minutes after the interval, Spurs broke the deadlock through a Pape Matar Sarr goal. United pushed for an equalizer but were unable to score past Guglielmo Vicario, who was in fine form. With only seven minutes to go, Ivan Perisic played a low cross in to the near post, which took a touch off Ben Davies before going in off United defender Lisandro Martinez. It was an entertaining victory for Postecoglou’s side, with Yves Bissouma and James Maddison praised for their performances after the game, condemning United to their first loss of the season.
During an interview with the official Spurs website, Postecoglou expressed his gratitude for his team’s performance in the second half. He declared:
“They had to endure a tough first half, but a strong second half
like we had today gives coaches hope that their players will go to practice
declaring, ‘We want more of this.’ Now that we know there will be
obstacles and setbacks along the way, it is up to the other coaches and me to
keep telling them that this is the right path for us and to maintain their
courage and bravery because it takes courage to play that manner.”
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