League Division One · Matchday 16
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
3–1
Manchester United lost 1–3 to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Saturday 21st November 1981 in the League Division One. Garry Birtles (43') scored for United.
Timeline
Running score
- Kick Off
- 6' Mickey Hazard 1–0
- 30' Graham Roberts 2–0
- 43' Garry Birtles 2–1
- Half Time
- 46' Jimmy Nicholl for Buchan
- 53' Steve Archibald 3–1
- Full Time 3–1
Starting XI
Player
8 Garry Birtles 43'
Substitutes
Jimmy Nicholl
46' for Buchan
Managers
MUFC
Ron Atkinson
Manchester United
OPP
Keith Burkinshaw
Tottenham Hotspur
United vs Tottenham Hotspur History
Meeting 108 of 207
207
Played
96
Won
53
Drawn
58
Lost
326
Goals For
274
Goals Against
All-time record, from the first meeting on Saturday 28th January 1899. After this match United had played Tottenham Hotspur 108 times: 41W 30D 37L.
17 Feb 1981 D 0–0 D1 7 Oct 1981 L 0–1 LC 28 Oct 1981 L 0–1 LC
21 Nov 1981 L 1–3 This match
17 Apr 1982 W 2–0 D1 13 Nov 1982 W 1–0 D1 11 May 1983 L 0–2 D1 | All-time | P | W | D | L | F | A | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 103 | 67 | 17 | 19 | 195 | 107 | 65.0 |
| Away | 100 | 28 | 35 | 37 | 128 | 162 | 28.0 |
| Neutral | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 25.0 |
Match results, lineups and goalscorers compiled from mufcinfo.com; advanced match statistics (xG, shots, possession) via FBref and FotMob where available. Last updated 29 September 2026. How we compile this data →