Manchester United vs Tottenham: Which Club is Actually in the Bigger Crisis?

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have both spent years talking about returning to the top. Right now, neither club looks remotely close.

They meet at Old Trafford on Saturday in a game that already feels far bigger than a normal sixth-round Premier League fixture.

United have taken just five points from their opening five matches. Tottenham have taken only two.

Spurs are bottom of the table, are still searching for their first win and have scored in just one of their opening five league games.

United aren't much healthier. They sit 12th, have won only once and are already dealing with a significant injury crisis.

This isn't just another Premier League game. It is a crisis game for two clubs that expected far more.

United spent heavily again during the summer, yet the early signs under Michael Carrick have been underwhelming.

Their only victory came against Ipswich Town. Since then they have drawn with Everton, lost to Manchester City and drawn with Fulham. This is on top of losing to Hull City on the opening game, and already being knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

The 1-1 draw at Fulham last time out was particularly frustrating. United have talent, they have spent enormous amounts of money, they have experienced internationals, but the team still doesn't look settled.

Injuries are making the situation even worse.

Bruno Fernandes has reportedly been managing an injury, while Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from England duty.

Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt are also among the players carrying fitness concerns. Carrick could therefore be forced into another heavily altered team.

If United's problem is that they aren't progressing quickly enough, Tottenham's problem is that they haven't even started.

Roberto De Zerbi's first Premier League campaign has begun disastrously.

Spurs opened with a 3-0 loss at Brentford, then have suffered a series of draws and defeats including 0-2 Newcastle, 0-0 Nottingham Forest, 0-0 Everton and most recently 2-3 Aston Villa.

Two points from four matches. Zero wins. On top of that four of those five matches have seen Tottenham fail to score.

That is an enormous problem for a club that appointed De Zerbi expecting an attacking identity.

The Italian needs time to implement his football, but results matter, particularly at a club that has already endured enormous managerial instability.

Tottenham.

United have serious problems, but there are at least signs of attacking quality.

Bruno Fernandes has three goals already. Mbeumo, Rashford, Cunha and Sesko give United plenty of attacking talent when available. Their problem is turning that talent into consistent performances.

Tottenham's problem is more fundamental. They aren't creating enough chances. They aren't scoring enough.They aren't winning. They are already bottom of the league when this was supposed to be their season to get away from another relegation battle.

Desperately to.

For De Zerbi, this is an opportunity to change the entire mood around Tottenham. A victory at Old Trafford would immediately give Spurs belief, and would get the monkey off the back with three points. It would also provide evidence that the problems are fixable.

For Carrick, the pressure is different. United are only five games into the season, but another poor result would leave them with just one win from their opening six matches. That is not remotely good enough for Manchester United.

Both clubs are dealing with significant fitness problems.

United could be without as many as ten players, while Tottenham are hoping Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke recover in time.

Van de Ven suffered a wrist injury with the Netherlands but is reportedly expected to be available, while Van Hecke has been training after recovering from a foot problem. That could be a huge boost for De Zerbi.

Tottenham need their best defenders available because United have enough attacking quality to punish any defensive weakness.

That's what makes this such an interesting game.

If United lose, the conversation will immediately turn to whether another expensive rebuild has failed.

If Tottenham lose, they will have gone six Premier League matches without a victory under their new manager.

And if the match is a draw? Both clubs will probably feel like they've missed an opportunity, a draw would feel horrible for both sides.

That's why this feels like more than three points. It is a test of whether either club actually has a clear direction.

Manchester United vs Tottenham isn't a title race six-pointer, nor it is a European qualification decider. It's something much earlier and potentially much more important.

It's a crisis game. By the end of the weekend, one of these clubs could be feeling considerably worse than the other.