Erik ten Hag insists Man Utd must be ‘aware’ of Tottenham’s style of play ahead of Wednesday’s game

Erik ten Hag has insisted his Manchester United team have to be aware of Tottenham Hotspur’s quick counter-attacks when the sides meet at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening in the Premier League. The Red Devils sit two places behind Spurs in fifth with a game in hand.

United come into the game on the back of a controversial 0-0 draw with Newcastle on Sunday. Ten Hag’s side were denied two penalties by referee Craig Pawson, despite Sean Longstaff’s clear contact on Jadon Sancho in the box.

As for Tottenham, they have won four of their last five league games and beat Everton 2-0 at home on Saturday. They are also only one of four teams in the Premier League to lose once this season.

Ten Hag knows his Red Devils side will have to be on high alert if they want to prevent Spurs coming away with all three points at the Theatre of Dreams. The Dutchman wants his team to ‘make the game’ theirs.

“They’re a really good team and, once again, they’re a really intense team, so we have to match that,” he told the club’s media team. “They are well-organised, so we have to be prepared.

“They can break very quickly. We have to be aware of that. They can defend really solid and compact, but we have to find the gaps. We have to make it our game, so we need the best from everyone: the 11 players on the pitch but also on the bench that can make a difference, finally.”

However, Ten Hag can be reassured with United’s recent defensive performances. They have kept two clean sheets in their last three games, conceding just once. The Dutchman insisted their recent performances have been a team effort.

“We defend with eleven [players],” he said. “It’s a team performance, from the front to the back. Really good defending and then you’ll see then that you can achieve clean sheets. It’s a base for every successful team.”

Wednesday evening’s clash between both clubs will be their 61st in the Premier League, with United winning 38 of their previous meetings, while Tottenham have 10 victories and honours have been even on 12 occasions. Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick in the fixture last campaign saw the Red Devils secure the three points at Old Trafford.