Tottenham Welcome Man United for Last Match at White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur will aim to consolidate second place in the Premiership as they host Manchester United in the last match to be played at White Hart Lane as they make plans to move to a new ground. Today’s encounter is expected to be a highly emotional affair with Tottenham vacating the stadium that has been their home for 118 years and Mauricio Pochettino says his side are ‘focused’.

He said: “We’re still disappointed about last Friday. Training from Monday to Wednesday was difficult. We missed a big chance to put pressure on Chelsea. Before that game, we thought it was possible to win the title. We are okay now. We are focused on United.

“Sunday (today) will be special for everyone who loves Tottenham, but the future is exciting. It is important we take the soul, smell of WHL to the new stadium. It’s sad and exciting.”

United boss Jose Mourinho says that with just 15 players available, changes should be expected with the hectic final weeks his side face where they will play four games – including the Europe League final against Ajax.

Mourinho said: “I have to give some minutes to everyone because we have only 15 players, we don’t have more, so I have to play them. But I have to play them mixed. I have to play them by periods and I don’t have another solution.

“We can win a trophy and by winning that trophy we can play Champions League next season, so that’s the game. We are not going to say that matches are not important matches. They are important. But we have one that is more important than others.”

Tottenham’s Danny Rose will miss out on a farewell appearance at White Hart Lane as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. The left-back has been sidelined since the 0-0 draw with Sunderland on January 31 and though he has returned to first-team training, the 26-year-old is short of match fitness and won’t be risked.

Pochettino will be without three youngsters for the match; Cameron Carter-Vickers (USA), Joshua Onomah and Kyle Walker-Peters (both England) have joined up with their respective nations in preparation for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

Alongside Rose, Eric Lamela (hip) and Harry Winks (ankle) continue their rehabilitation and will not feature in the remaining games of the season.

Marouane Fellaini serves the final game of his three-match ban and Eric Bailly is likely to start following his red card against Celta Vigo on Thursday.

Luke Shaw (foot), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (knee), Marcos Rojo (knee), Ashley Young (hamstring) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (shoulder) are out for the season and the United boss could be tempted to include U23 starlets Axel Tuanzebe and Scott McTominay after the pair made their debuts against Arsenal last weekend.

Spurs’ only win in their last 15 home Premier League games against Manchester United came in last season’s 3-0 victory (D6 L8). That 3-0 defeat for United is the only time they’ve conceded in their last five Premier League games against Spurs, keeping four clean sheets.

Jose Mourinho has failed to win on his last four Premier League visits to White Hart Lane (D2 L2) and hasn’t won a league game there since August 2005, when his Chelsea side defeated Spurs 2-0.

Spurs have lost more Premier League games against United than against any other opponent (32) – indeed, in their top-flight history Spurs have lost 77 games against them, eight more than they have against anyone else.

Tottenham could go unbeaten at home for the first time in a league season since 1964/65 (W16 D2 L0 this season).

Jose Mourinho hasn’t seen his side score in an away league game against any of the current top six clubs since January 1 2015 in a 5-3 defeat at Tottenham while Chelsea manager. Four of the seven games since have finished 0-0 (L3).

Harry Kane has scored against 23 of the 25 clubs he has faced with Tottenham in the Premier League – though he’s yet to score in six appearances against United.

Three of United’s four Premier League defeats this season have been in games played on a Sunday immediately after a European match.

Spurs have won their last 13 home league matches – one short of their club record run of 14 between January and October 1987.