Watch free Premier League highlights of all matches just after full time; watch Man Utd vs Tottenham and Everton vs Aston Villa live on Sky Sports Premier League on Sunday from 1pm
Saturday 13 January 2024 18:52, UK
Man Utd vs Tottenham - Sunday, 4.30pm
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is due to be in attendance for the very first time as Manchester United kickstart a new calendar year by entertaining Tottenham on Sunday. An enterprising first fixture.
Ratcliffe, who completed his 25 per cent share takeover on Christmas Eve, has visited Carrington for initial introductions but is yet to see Erik ten Hag's side kick a competitive ball first hand.
What is he likely to observe when Man Utd - eighth in the league - take on Spurs, live on Sky Sports Premier League, at Old Trafford? Well, Ratcliffe's presence has the potential to create calm and chaos simultaneously.
Ten Hag has projected a mood of hope of optimism since Ratcliffe's takeover was announced. A clean slate. A fresh start. But the swell of pressure as a result of poor performance remains the undertone.
Man United have lost nine of their 20 league games this season, as many defeats as they suffered the whole of last term. They finished 2023 with limp defeat to Nottingham Forest. Ratcliffe cannot remedy that.
"Many hours we sit together, many issues we were on the same page," Ten Hag said of his early meetings with the INEOS business owner. How long is that accord and harmony likely to last if results don't swiftly improve, though?
Perhaps a meeting with Spurs, a team Man United have beaten more times (24) than any other in Premier League competition, is the perfect tonic. A chance to exploit the Londoners' erratic style. The opportunity to lay a marker - this is new era United. An unashamed expression of 'new year, new me'.
Or maybe the drift, for this campaign at least, is already too far gone...
Laura Hunter
Ange Postecoglou is a brave manager.
He demands his defensive line to play a high line to make his press as aggressive and successful as possible. Even with nine-players, the Australian still wants his boys to have a crack - as so famously shown in the bonkers encounter with Chelsea where his backline defended on the halfway line despite playing with two fewer players.
Only Aston Villa have caught more players offsides this season (101) with Spurs racking up 64 offsides against.
It's an impressive haul considering the chopping and changing Postecoglou has had to contend with due to injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Whichever partnership is selected at Old Trafford - Romero is back in training and new signing Radu Dragusin is available for selection - the Tottenham trap will need to be working at full capacity as the United attack love to run in behind.
No team have been caught offside more this season (54) - and Villa's decision to protect a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford by continuing with their aggressive offside trap was feasted upon by Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes after the break.
Those line breaks were the catalyst for the remarkable 3-2 comeback.
Whoever times it right on Super Sunday, whether offensively or defensively, will hold a huge advantage in a fascinating encounter.
Assistant referees Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh are in for a busy day at the office.
Lewis Jones
Everton vs Aston Villa - Sunday, 2pm, live on Sky Sports
Unai Emery revealed his New Year's resolution after Aston Villa's last-gasp win over Burnley last time out in the Premier League. "It was really fantastic, the year we did," he said after an incredible 12 months of improvement. "But my expectation for the next year is try to progress."
Villa fans will be wondering how much better it can get. Victory in their first game of 2024 at Everton on Sunday would send them level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The current table-toppers have a significant goal difference advantage over Villa, so the wait to hit the Premier League summit will go on. It was August 2011 when Villa were last No1.
But number two, three or four would suit Emery nicely this term. A Champions League qualifying place could turbo charge his already rapid transformation of Villa's fortunes.
It feels like it would be a fitting reward for one of the most entertaining and impressive teams this season.
But Emery knows the dangers of resting on the laurels of the first half of the campaign. Onwards and upwards, is his message. Expect his Villa to attack the New Year with renewed ambition.
Peter Smith
Under Frank Lampard, Dwight McNeil made an inauspicious start to his Everton career following his £20m move from Burnley, but the arrival of Sean Dyche nearly a year ago kick-started his spell on Merseyside. It was his inswinging corner met by James Tarkowski which ignited the Dyche regime with the victory at home to Arsenal.
McNeil hasn't looked back. Further noteworthy contributions in wins over Brentford and Brighton ensured Everton survived - but their poor start to this campaign coincided with McNeil being stuck on the sidelines. An injury in pre-season against Stoke meant the 24-year-old missed the opening three games.
Everton lost all three, without scoring. During the FA Cup third round tie at Crystal Palace, McNeil sustained an ankle injury which is now being monitored. Dyche has said he in unlikely to make the weekend's home game against Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports, meaning he must find a solution.
The future of Arnaut Danjuma is uncertain, meaning Dyche may need to get creative. He deployed a back three during victory at Villa in the Carabao Cup - having lost 4-0 in August at the same ground against much-changed opposition using a back four.
Abdoulaye Doucoure's timely return from his own five-game lay-off enables Jack Harrison and James Garner to provide the width. Five games without a win and with incomings unlikely this month, now would be a good time the out-of-form Dominic Calvert-Lewin to make the most of his FA reprieve.
Ben Grounds
