OF all the three league matches that Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has lost this season, it is the one at the club's Old Trafford stadium that perhaps rankles him the most.

Winning games, especially at home, are a must in the 71-year-old Scot's book. So to see Tottenham Hotspur saunter into the Red Devils' own backyard last September and leave with all three points is something he hopes will not be too damaging to his side's chances of reclaiming the Barclays Premier League (BPL) trophy.

Tomorrow, at Spurs' White Hart Lane ground in North London, United will get a chance to exact some revenge. Ferguson wasn't too pleased at seeing his opposite number, Andre Villas-Boas, celebrate wildly after Spurs' stunning 3-2 victory in Manchester.

At just 35 years of age, Villas-Boas is even younger than some of his first-team players. The Portuguese manager wasn't even born when Ferguson began his managerial career with Scotland's East Stirlingshire back in 1974.

But Villas-Boas has let his team's results speak for themselves. He took home the manager of the month award in December after guiding his team to five wins out of seven. After a disappointing 0-0 draw with bottom-placed Queens Park Rangers last weekend, Spurs now lie in fourth place with 40 points - 15 behind table-topping United - and still in contention for a place in the Champions League next season.

Not many Spurs fans were too enthusiastic when Villa-Boas was brought in as the new manager, after he was unceremoniously sacked by Chelsea in the middle of last season. Villas-Boas quietly went about his work, transforming the Spurs team into an attacking force and bringing out the best in players such as Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey.

If history is any indication, however, the bookmakers may be on the money this time in backing a Manchester United victory.

It has been 23 long years since Tottenham last defeated the Red Devils both home and away. More crucially, the club nicknamed the Lilywhites has not won a home fixture against United since 2001.

United is the BPL's form team at the moment, picking up 28 points from the last 30 on offer - the only blip being a 1-1 draw at Swansea two days before Christmas. Tottenham, of course, can point to the fact that it has lost just one of their last 10 BPL fixtures, but it has also failed to win any of its last four games against teams in the top six.

While Manchester United has been relying on top talisman Robin van Persie to bang in the goals - the Dutchman has 21 to his name already, and counting - Ferguson could well turn to one of his most trusted warriors, Ryan Giggs, to do the job.

The 39-year-old Welshman has scored more often against Tottenham than any other opponent in his 23-year career with ten Premier League strikes so far. Earlier this week, Giggs played the full 90 minutes in United's 1-0 FA Cup replay win over West Ham, with a swooning Ferguson suggesting that the winger - captain for that game - could well play on for yet another season if he wanted to.

Giggs is on track to become only the third outfield player in the Premier League era after Teddy Sheringham and Gordon Strachan to play into his 40s if he signs another one-year contract extension this summer.

Giggs is unlikely to make Sunday's starting 11, but he could well be called upon in the second half to steady the ship if need be. With second-placed Manchester City nipping at United's heels, three big points in London will allow the Reds to take another monumental step towards league title number 20.