Published 8 October 2026. Updated 9 October 2026. Analysis and predictions are our opinion,
not a guarantee of anything. 18+, please gamble responsibly.
Manchester United host Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday 10 October, kick-off 5.30pm UK time on Sky Sports. It is the first Premier League weekend after a long international window, and neither club will have enjoyed the break. United are 12th on five points from five games. Tottenham are bottom on two, without a league win all season, and this is the worst start any Spurs side has made to a Premier League campaign.
The case for Manchester United
United have the better form line, but only just. Michael Carrick’s side lost on the opening day to Hull, beat Ipswich 5-2, drew with Everton, lost 1-0 to a ten-man Manchester City at Old Trafford and drew 1-1 with Fulham. They also went out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 defeat to Brighton. That is two wins in seven in all competitions. Bruno Fernandes has three league goals, and the home record last season was solid: 13 wins from 19 at Old Trafford, with three draws and three defeats.
The worry is the injury list, with nine players reported to need fitness checks. Manuel Ugarte is out long-term with the knee injury he suffered at the World Cup. Fernandes had a problem during the break but played for Portugal and is expected to be fit. Benjamin Šeško, who withdrew from the Slovenia squad, faces a late test on a shin problem, Patrick Dorgu has a hamstring issue from Denmark duty, and Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt are also in doubt. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, both out of the England squad, are reported likely to be available. The head-to-head is on United’s side: 25 wins, four draws and five defeats against Spurs at Old Trafford, and a 2-0 home win in the most recent meeting in February 2026, which was also United’s last home clean sheet.
The case for Tottenham
Roberto De Zerbi’s side have scored twice in five league games and failed to score in four of them. Their last Premier League win was on 24 May, 1-0 against Everton. The run since the start of the season has been two goalless draws, against Everton and Nottingham Forest, and defeats to Brentford, Newcastle and Aston Villa. That is not a profile that travels well.
The counter-argument is the opponent. United have not kept a home clean sheet since that February win, and Spurs’ last two wins at Old Trafford were both heavy: 6-1 in October 2020 and 3-0 in September 2024. Spurs are without Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mykhailo Mudryk, and Jan Paul van Hecke is a doubt after a foot problem with the Netherlands. A side that has been relatively competitive in open play but falls apart when it goes behind could do worse than face a United side with its own defensive gaps.
What looks the smart angle
Betfred have the best partner prices on two of the three outcomes. Their 7/2 (4.50) on Spurs beats 4.35 at Virgin Bet and 10/3 (4.33) at William Hill, and their 16/5 (4.20) on the draw is level with Virgin Bet and bigger than William Hill’s 3/1 (4.00). United are the one place William Hill lead, at 7/10 (1.70) against 4/6 (1.67) at Betfred and 1.65 at Virgin Bet. Among books we have no deal with, Unibet go 8/11 (1.73) on United, the best in the table, Casumo go 18/5 (4.60) on Spurs, and Casumo and Grosvenor’s 4.30 is the biggest draw price.
United at 7/10 is a price that assumes the home side are clearly better, and the table says they are. The detail that cuts against it is United’s injury list and the lack of a home clean sheet since February. Spurs at 7/2 is a bet on a bottom club that has hardly scored. The draw at 16/5 fits a game between two sides who have drawn four of their combined ten league matches. On balance, United at odds-on looks short for a side with this many absentees, and the draw looks the more interesting number. That is opinion on the prices as they stood when we wrote it, not a prediction, and team news on Friday may move the market.
We hold no deal with Casumo, Paddy Power, Coral, Grosvenor, Unibet, Sky Bet or 888sport, which is why their prices do not link out.
Elsewhere
Arsenal host Leeds in the Saturday lunchtime game, and Chelsea are at home to Bournemouth at 3pm. On Sunday Liverpool host the unbeaten leaders Manchester City at Anfield. South Africa and Australia are into the second day of the first Test in Durban, and the Shanghai Masters tennis reaches its first weekend.
The sportsbook offers that fit a Saturday tea-time game
Ad: Betfred’s bet £10, get £50 in free bets is the biggest of the three, and Betfred have the best partner price on Spurs and a share of the best on the draw. The qualifying bet has to be at Evens (2.0) or bigger, so United at 4/6 will not trigger it, but the draw at 16/5 or Spurs at 7/2 both do. The £50 arrives as £30 in sports free bets and £20 in Bet Builder free bets within 24 hours of settlement, valid seven days, and you have to deposit by debit card.
William Hill’s bet £10, get £30 in free bets sets a lower bar of 1/2 (1.5), which means United at 7/10 do qualify here. It needs promo code R30 and pays three £10 free bets that last seven days. PayPal, Skrill, NETELLER, Apple Pay and several other deposit methods are excluded. Virgin Bet’s welcome offer uses the same 1/2 bar, so all three outcomes at Virgin Bet clear it. It pays £20 in free bets plus 2 x £5 Bet Builder tokens after a £10 deposit and a £10+ qualifying bet, with 14 days from registering to place it. The Bet Builder tokens need a single selection at Evens or bigger, which a match like this one can easily supply.
If you would rather spin than watch Spurs try to score, Virgin Bet runs 100 free spins on Eye of Horus and 100 free spins on King Kong Cash Even Bigger Bananas 2, both paying winnings as cash with no cap. William Hill’s 50 free spins on Mining Pots of Gold needs code M50 and a £10 stake. It is the stricter deal: the spins expire 24 hours after issue and the most you can withdraw is £30.
If you think a depleted United and a goal-shy Spurs share the points, claim the Betfred welcome offer here and take a share of the best partner price on the draw.
