The three-week break for the national teams was needed by no one as badly as Tottenham. Having spent around half a billion euros strengthening the squad and planning further acquisitions, the London club completely forgot that Roberto De Zerbi would somehow need to bring all the new and old components of the team together into a single unit. So far, the results have been extremely poor. The Spurs have already become the subject of ridicule and countless internet memes, sitting in twentieth place in the Premier League table before the international break. If it were not for the scandal surrounding Manchester City, there is no doubt that Tottenham would be mocked far more extensively in the media and on social networks. Despite the current situation, the Spurs' management is planning to sign Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid in January 2027 for €130 million, with a buy-back clause for Barcelona, the club the Argentine dreams of joining. For now, Tottenham have beaten only Charlton in seven official matches this season. The Spurs thrashed the Championship side in the League Cup, but have already been eliminated from the tournament following their tie against Liverpool. In the Premier League, Tottenham have lost three of their five matches and drawn the other two, both 0-0, against Everton and Nottingham Forest. Manchester United did not make quite such an awful impression during the first two months of the season, but they certainly did not please their supporters. The first setbacks in the league immediately revived the English football public's favorite topic: "Who will be Manchester United's next manager?" The Red Devils' management emphasizes its confidence in Michael Carrick, who managed to transform the team's play in the first half of 2026, but Manchester United's results are currently inconsistent. The team have already been eliminated from the League Cup, lost the Manchester derby in the league, and went into the break having narrowly avoided defeat to modest Fulham. The bookmakers have made United the favorites for the upcoming match, but the head-to-head record favors Tottenham. In the last five meetings between the teams, the Spurs have won three times and lost just once. The visitors will compete well with the favorites and both teams will score.