it's the run of games which will go a long way to deciding whether manchester united are playing champions league or europa league football next season four of the premier league's top six   tottenham, liverpool, manchester city and chelsea   in their next fives games make or break for louis van gaal and his players other than the home clash with relegation threatened aston villa on april 4, sunday's visit of spurs would appear to be united's best hope of three points over the next month and a half but recent results tell a different story marouane fellaini, michael carrick and wayne rooney (l r) look dejected during defeat by arsenal  christian eriksen scores tottenham's winning goal against manchester united at old trafford last season  eriksen is mobbed by his team mates after helping tottenham to their second consecutive win at old trafford  29092012   manchester united 2 3 tottenham  20012013   tottenham 1 1 manchester united  01122013   tottenham 2 2 manchester united  01012014   manchester united 1 2 tottenham  28122014   tottenham 0 0 manchester united  having won 17 and drawn five of their previous 22 games against tottenham, united now find themselves without a win in their last five matches with the north london outfit mauricio pochettino's men battled to a 0 0 at white hart lane in december but spurs have won their previous two visits to old trafford, ending a 23 year wait for victory with a 3 2 triumph in september 2012 united had gone 26 games without defeat at home to spurs in all competitions   winning their previous nine   before a jonny evans own goal and strikes from gareth bale and clint dempsey gave andre villas boas' men a memorable win in manchester and tottenham proved that result was no fluke last season when goals from emmanuel adebayor and christian eriksen sealed a 2 1 victory for tim sherwood's side gareth bale scores during tottenham's 3 2 victory at old trafford in september 2012   their first in 23 years  clint dempsey celebrates after netting spurs' winner against sir alex ferguson's side  then tottenham manager andre villas boas shows his delight after the final whistle  two draws at white hart lane   1 1 in january 2013 and 2 2 in december 2013   were sandwiched between those victories, taking spurs' unbeaten run to an impressive five games so impressive, in fact, that they are only the third team to manage such a run against united liverpool did the same between 2000 and 2002, winning four consecutive games against their great rivals   including two at old trafford   and drawing once blackburn rovers also went five games unbeaten against the red devils between 2004 and 2006, winning at old trafford in september 2005 and coming out on top in two fixtures at ewood park just three points behind united going into sunday's game, tottenham have a major incentive to pull off their third successive win at old trafford and become the first team to go six games unbeaten against united in the premier league era hugo lloris keeps out a shot from robin van persie during a 0 0 draw between the sides in december 2014  spurs striker harry kane (left) battles for the ball with jonny evans in this season's clash at white hart lane  football data analysts bsports believe a manchester united home win is easily the most likely outcome  victory would mean pochettino's side would be out of the champions league places by goal difference only, something they will be confident of improving upon in upcoming games against leicester, burnley, aston villa and newcastle and in  harry kane, the premier league's hottest striker and premier league player of the month for february, spurs have a man capable of causing united's frail defence all sorts of problems their games against in form liverpool, local rivals city and league leaders chelsea will be extremely tough but van gaal should be just as wary of tottenham after decades of domination, spurs have quickly become united's bogey team
red devils september 2012 old trafford london the premier league's united champions league manchester united tottenham sunday
manchester united host champions league rivals tottenham on sunday  spurs have won their previous two visits to old trafford  the north london outfit are unbeaten in their last fives games with united  red devils enjoyed a fine record against tottenham until september 2012  united face four of the premier league's top six in their next five games 