Tonight (Thursday) at 20:15 BST, United will travel to London to face Spurs, who are seeking to rebound from a 6-1 loss at St. James' Park on Sunday.
Despite Tottenham's players resolving to respond positively to that loss and this week's dismissal of interim manager Cristian Stellini, Ten Hag believes the London club would have been looking to claim a scalp regardless on Thursday.
In his customary matchday interview with club media, the Dutchman reiterated the importance of the Reds performing at a higher level at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as every opponent of Manchester United has heightened motivation to succeed...
Tottenham have been linked with Vanderson
Tottenham supporters may be familiar with the name Vanderson.
In December, Football London reported that Fabio Paratici desired to bring Vanderson to Spurs.
That made perfect logic at the time, but a relocation to North London now seems extremely unlikely.
Firstly, Paratici is no longer at Spurs; the Italian has departed his position as Tottenham's director of football after receiving a global ban from FIFA.
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In addition, Tottenham added a right flank in January when Sporting's Pedro Porro joined the club.
A permanent agreement for the Spaniard is expected to be finalized this summer, and Spurs have no need for a right wing back this summer.
Thus, a deal for Vanderson to join Spurs appears highly improbable, leaving United as possible frontrunners for his signature.
This is live Streaming of the Premier League match Tottenham Vs Manchester United.
Following Sunday's 6-1 loss to Newcastle United, this is a crucial match for the Lilywhites as they seek to bounce back and remain within striking distance of the top four.
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It is also Ryan Mason's first game back at the helm since he replaced Cristian Stellini on Monday evening following the Italian's dismissal after four matches as interim head coach.
Manchester United enters the game on the heels of an FA Cup semi-final victory over Brighton Hove Albion, but they have labored on the road against a number of teams from the top half of the Premier League this season.
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Rob Guest, the Tottenham correspondent, is documenting the entire match, including the buildup, the action as it occurs, and the fan and media reaction.
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