Tottenham Hotspur have a golden chance to salvage their season tonight, but given their recent downturn in form, there is little suggesting they will be able to do so.
Antonio Conte seemingly ground out the spirit within the dressing room, finishing off the job kickstarted by Jose Mourinho and continued by Nuno Espirito Santo. Now, the Lilywhites are but a shell of the fine establishment they once were.
These issues came to a head at the weekend, when they collapsed against Newcastle United, losing 6-1. It marked one of the most embarrassing scorelines in their recent history and led to an unprecedented change in caretaker managers too.
With Ryan Mason now seeking to see out the season with some credibility, the new man will look to start tonight with a positive result against Manchester United.
Whilst the gulf in form and quality is apparent between the two sides, there are a few deficiencies the visitors pose that will intrigue the 31-year-old interim.
With injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez keeping them sidelined, and a gruelling 120 minutes having just been played on Sunday, there is every chance that Harry Maguire could return to the starting lineup tonight for Erik ten Hag.
If so, perhaps Spurs could seek to pressure this weakness by finally unleashing Richarlison to pester the £80m flop. The Brazilian, at the very least, has earned a run in the side after a tough debut campaign in north London.
How has Richarlison played this season?
Having joined for a record £60m, the weight of this price tag has clearly hampered the performances of the former Everton forward. With no Premier League goals to his name as of late April, many have rushed to ridicule the 25-year-old.
However, tonight could mark a turning point in the career of the striker, should he finally break his duck and reignite Spurs' unlikely top-four hopes.
Having scored ten goals last season for Rafa Benitez, and later Frank Lampard's woeful Toffees outfit, it was expected he would quickly convert this proficiency to his new club surrounded by the quality of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son. Just nine league starts have likely played a huge role in prohibiting his growth.
The £90k-per-week star does sit among the top 10% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 when compared to other wingers across Europe, suggesting he is getting in the right areas. Against someone as liable as Maguire, there is every chance that Richarlison could pile on the pressure by terrorising the former Leicester City defender.
Having already been culpable for plenty of goals conceded this season already, including Sevilla's opener in their recent 3-0 win over the Red Devils, Mason could seek to once again embarrass Maguire by encouraging his side to press heavily and rely on another huge gaffe.
Remaining tight at the back will be key to this endeavour, but with a hard-working "warrior" like Richarlison up front – as branded by Conte himself – their back four will never get a moment's peace.
The former Toffees star was part of the side that defeated United 1-0 last April, where he similarly wreaked havoc on a backline containing the England liability. He managed two shots, two dribbles and won 13 duels, per Sofascore.
At the very least, the 6-foot finisher deserves a run until the end of the season to try and release this pressure that looms over him. He can hardly do worse than Dejan Kulusevksi, who has just one goal contribution in his last 12 league games.