Manchester United closed the gap on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table to two points this afternoon courtesy of a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial came off the bench to score the only goal of the game for United, who had earlier seen Romelu Lukaku strike the post with a firm header.
The result means that United have still not dropped a single point or conceded a goal at home in the Premier League this season, whereas Tottenham's unbeaten away record comes to an end.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage below.
Only goal difference separates these two sides in the table, but they are both playing catch-up to leaders Manchester City, who begin the weekend five points clear. We will have a closer look at both sides a little later, but first let's check out the team news...
Well, we'll start with the hosts, who recall all of their available big-hitters after they were rested for the EFL Cup win over Swansea in midweek, including striker Romelu Lukaku. Only Tottenham's injured Harry Kane has scored more goals than him in the Premier League so far this season, but the Belgian is going through a mini-drought at the moment having not found the back of the net in 297 minutes following his blistering start to life in a United shirt.
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The striker has only scored 15 goals in his previous 58 Premier League appearances against members of the 'big six', which is an average of a goal every 289 minutes. He has also only ever scored once in eight previous meetings with Tottenham during his time at West Brom and Everton.
As for Mkhitaryan, he began the season in brilliant form with five assists from his opening three league games, but he has failed to add to that tally since August. Nonetheless, he is recalled to the team today having been left out of the starting lineup for last weekend's loss to Huddersfield.
There are only three personnel changes, though, with Rashford and Mkhitaryan coming back into the fold alongside Eric Bailly, who returns from injury having not featured since the international break. Jones has overcome an injury concern to start too, slotting into the back three alongside Bailly and Smalling.
The news is a massive blow for Spurs, and Llorente had been tipped to make his full Premier League debut for Spurs as a replacement, but instead Mauricio Pochettino opts for Son to lead the line. The forward needs just one more goal to reach 20 in the Premier League, which would see him overtake Park Ji-Sung - formerly of United - as the competition's highest-scoring South Korean.
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The England international is arguably the best striker in world football right now, holding his place as the Premier League's top scorer with eight goals. Indeed, this calendar year he has scored 29 goals in just 26 Premier League appearances - just seven short of Alan Shearer's all-time record for a single year, set in 1995.
The personnel selected - namely Eric Dier - means that they could switch to a back three quickly, but the exclusion of Sanchez suggests that they will play Dier and Winks in a deeper midfield role with Sissoko, Eriksen and Alli further forward in a 4-2-3-1 system.
Aurier retains his place but is expected to play in his more familiar right-back role, with Davies returning on the left and Dier also coming back into the side. Danny Rose started against West Ham in the EFL Cup in midweek, but is not deemed fit enough just yet to start in the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho's side made an impressive start to the season, but they were also handed a kind start by the fixture computer and they have begun to slip up a little since the going has got tougher. A goalless draw at Anfield is exactly what they played for, but last weekend's shock defeat to Huddersfield was a setback they would not have been expecting.
Across all competitions it is a different story, though, with United having returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Swansea City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. The holders will next face Bristol City in the quarter-finals in December.
It is here at Old Trafford where Mourinho's side have been the most impressive, though. They have won all six matches here across all competitions, scoring 21 goals and conceding just one in the process, with five clean sheets to their name. They have scored four goals in four separate occasions already at home this season, including in each of their last three outings.
Only Manchester City have picked up more points in front of their own fans this season, although they have played a game more and United have amassed as many as possible at home so far, with four wins from four. Arsenal are the only other club with a 100% home record in the Premier League this season, but United are also yet to concede a single goal here, scoring 14 unanswered in the process.
Their unbeaten record stretches even further back than that, with United last suffering a league defeat at Old Trafford more than a year ago, in a 2-1 loss to Manchester City in September 2016. Draws have been a problem in that time, with 10 compared to only 11 wins, but they today have the chance to win six in a row for the first time since April 2016.
The draw with Liverpool garnered lots of criticism for Mourinho's defensive tactics and, while we are unlikely to see a repeat today due to their home advantage, it may be a similar story when Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea next weekend.
Mourinho has won all five of his previous home meetings with his opposite number, with an aggregate score of 15-1 in that time. Another victory here would see them temporarily close the gap on Manchester City to two points, with the leaders not in action until a 3pm trip to face West Brom.
Spurs have been the nearest challengers to the champions in each of the past two seasons, and they look set to launch another challenge this time around having made their best start to a top-flight campaign since 1963.
Silverware is the next milestone to tick off to mark their definite progression, although their hopes of doing that this season took a blow on Wednesday when they were knocked out of the EFL Cup at the hands of West Ham.
Not only was it a disappointing home defeat to a rival, but it also came against a team who were really low on confidence heading into that game. Manager Slaven Bilic reportedly only had two games to save his job, but that is exactly the type of result which could help turn West Ham's season around.
It is also their only defeat in their last 12 matches across all competitions, although they will be desperate to bounce back this afternoon. Spurs have not lost back-to-back matches since February, when they lost to Liverpool before being beaten by Gent in the Europa League.
It is away from home that Tottenham have been most impressive this season, though, with no side picking up more points or scoring more goals on the road in the Premier League. Spurs have a 100% record with four wins from four games, which is something only Manchester City can match.
Only once in that run have they scored fewer than three goals in a game - a 2-0 win over Newcastle - while stretching even further back they have won nine of their last 10 league away games, with a 1-0 defeat at West Ham in May the only exception.
Another victory this afternoon would see them win seven top-flight away games on the bounce for the first time since a run of 10 in 1960.
One of those London derbies has already seen them knocked out of the EFL Cup, but the rest of the games could have a major impact on their hopes both domestically and in Europe this season.
This game is so tough to call as it pits a perfect home record against a perfect away record. Harry Kane is a huge miss for Tottenham, though, and that could prove to be the difference between the two sides today. It should be a close one, and could do either way, but I'm going to plump for a narrow home victory.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
That has changed a little in recent years, though. Spurs have still only won four of the last 32 top-flight meetings between these sides, but all four of those wins have come in the last 10 clashes, with three draws and three defeats in that time.
Victory for Tottenham today would make it back-to-back league wins for United for the first time since April 1990, but their dreadful record here at Old Trafford suggests that they will not be able to do that.
That run also includes just two wins, which are Tottenham's only victories in their last 31 trips to Old Trafford. United have won their last three Premier League home games against Spurs without conceding a single goal, including a 1-0 win in the corresponding fixture last season when Mkhitaryan scored the only goal of the game.
MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Bailly, Jones, Smalling; Valencia, Herrera, Matic, Young; Mkhitaryan, Rashford, Lukaku
TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele; Son
United still have the ball, though, and it eventually ends up with Lukaku putting a cross to nobody at the back post. A good attacking platform goes begging.
United started the match quite brightly, but Spurs soon began to see more of the ball and take control of the game. The defences were very much on top throughout that first half, though.
Perhaps the closest we have come to a goal came when Dier hooked an acrobatic effort towards goal after a corner had dropped to the midfielder. Again it was a simple one for De Gea, though, as he easily plucked it out of the air.
WATCH: As close as we came to a first half breakthrough...
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At the other end, Lloris has only had one save to make so far, tipping Rashford's dipping long-range free kick wide of the target. It was arguably the most taxing save of the half, but still one Lloris would have expected to make.
There was very little to separate the teams in that opening 45 minutes, but if you had to give the edge to either side it would be the visitors.
It is poor defending from Spurs, who are undone by some route one football. De Gea's long ball forward is flicked on by Lukaku, and suddenly Martial finds himself clean through on goal. The finish is a little scruffy, but it bobbles past Lloris and Old Trafford erupts.
It took a while for this game to really burst into life, but after an end-to-end period Anthony Martial got the only goal of the game with just nine minutes remaining. The gap to leaders Man City is now just two points, although the leaders do have a game in hand, which comes against West Brom in a 3pm kickoff.
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's early kickoff as Martial comes off the bench to fire United past Tottenham at Old Trafford. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction. We also have coverage of the 3pm kickoffs which is already underway, so be sure to check that out.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
