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Manchester United will travel to London to face Tottenham Hotspur in one of the weekend's most exciting encounters in the Premier League. Both teams are in the hunt for a place in next season's UEFA Champions League and want to capture the 4th spot which is currently occupied by Chelsea FC.
While it is quite safe to say both Manchester United (45 points from 29 matches) and Tottenham Hotspur (41 points from 29 matches) are not far behind Chelsea (45 points from 29 matches), the current track records of both teams portray entirely different pictures.
While Manchester United will be confident going into the game as they beat Manchester City in the last weekend's Manchester derby, Tottenham have not tasted victory in their previous three Premier League matches. Given United have been massively inconsistent this season in the Premier League, Spurs needs to latch on to their chances on Sunday if they are to play Champions League football next season.
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Spurs will miss Harry Kane, Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-Min through their respective injuries, whereas Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are likely to be the absentees for the visitors.
The game against Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side might prove to be a season-decider for Jose Mourinho and co. Let's look at three Spurs players who need to perform well should the Lilywhites want to bring something out the Sunday's encounter that is effectvely a six pointer.
#3 Lucas Moura
Since joining the London side in 2018 from Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian forward has rejuvenated his career to a certain extent, scoring 14 goals in 64 appearances across all competitions.
Lucas Moura's performances in last season's Champions League indeed prove that he still has that spark and appetite for scoring goals. However, the 2019-20 Premier League season has not gone well so far for the 27-year old as he has only four goals and two assists from 27 starts.
His blazing speed on the break could prove to be pivotal for Spurs as Jose Mourinho is likely to set up his team in a defensive manner. As both Son and Kane are yet to recover fully from their respective injuries, Lucas Moura could lead the frontline for Spurs on Sunday alongside Dele Alli, whose form in recent time hasn't been good either.
#2 Giovani Lo Celso
Even though there was the buzz among the Spurs fans surrounding the Giovani Lo Celso transfer in the last summer, the noise appears to have quietened now as the Argentine has failed to fulfil their high expectations.
From 19 league appearances, the 23-year old has not scored or provided any assists for Spurs. However, Jose Mourinho believes that Lo Celso has the potential to conquer the world with his lethal attacking traits. After completing his permanent move to Spurs last January, Giovani saw Mourinho heaping praise on him for his playing style.
"Giovani is phenomenal. I can imagine that if I came in July, I would again be in a grey area with Giovani. No. Next season I know exactly what Giovani can give."
Lo Celso has already become a valuable asset for this Spurs' side. When Spurs miss most of their superstars on Sunday, fans could expect some glimpses of magic form the Argentine playmaker. And one magical moment would be enough to change the course of a tight match.
#1 Hugo Lloris
Another Spurs veteran who has faced a lot of criticism lately for his miserable performances on the field is their club captain. As a result of missing half of the season with an elbow injury, Hugo Lloris has played just 12 matches for Spurs and has kept only two clean sheets in Premier League this season.
Although their vulnerable defence is also responsible for the poor defensive records in the league, Spurs have had conceded some goals where Hugo Lloris should have done better. If Lloris continues to perform in the same way, he could miss the chance to play for France in the upcoming Euros.
A big night at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium awaits for the Frenchman. He will get several chances to prove himself; what he needs to do is to grab those chances. If 33-year old gets success in bagging a clean sheet on Sunday, it would undoubtedly be a step forward not only for him, but for the whole team.
Also see | 5 key factors in the tight Premier League Top 4 race
