Can Spurs take down Man United at Old Trafford again?

It was one of the games of last season, Manchester United 2 Spurs 3. And one of the shocks, the first time that the Reds had been beaten on home soil by Tottenham since Gary Lineker scored the winner back in 1989.

Spurs led 2-0 at the break and then 3-2 after a flurry of goals early in the second half. It looked set up for another one of those famous Fergie fightbacks, but, despite hitting the woodwork twice and having several penalty appeals turned down, they couldn’t even rescue a point.

Coral rate the chances of history repeating itself as 40/1, but it’s not all that far-fetched. At least this is a game that should again have a few goals in it and the visitors will not necessarily be on the wrong end of all of them.

United and Spurs lie sixth and seventh on 34 points apiece in the Premier League after quite similar campaigns. Both have done okay either side of shock home defeats and humiliating trouncings on the road and are now looking at renewing challenges for top four places or, In United’s case, even the title following productive Christmas campaigns.

They have close to identical home and away records, too; both have won four and lost three at home, but have won six away, more than any other club in the Premiership, bar Arsenal.

It is those statistics which will give Spurs, as the away side, hope. New boss Tim Sherwood has vowed to play attractive, attacking football and though that might lead to the occasional thumping when things don’t work out, it does suggest that they will give United the sort of Old Trafford test they failed to cope with against West Brom, Everton and Newcastle.

Wayne Rooney (7/2 to score first or last, 5/4 at any time) is expected to be back leading the United line and Danny Welbeck (5/1 and 5/4), looking more and more like a genuine England striker, will lend him invaluable support.

But Spurs, impressive when dispatching Stoke 3-0 on Sunday, have goal threats of their own, including Emmanuel Adebayor (8/1 and 11/4), who has very quickly looked like his old dangerous self since Sherwood brought him back into the fold.

If you believe this will be a goal-fest, scores like 3-3 (45/1) and 3-2 to United (22/1) might also appeal, while those who reckon it might be a repeat of the 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane a month ago can get 12/1.