Jose Mourinho insists revenge is not on his mind against former side Manchester United this weekend as Tottenham prepare for their eighth match in the space of 21 days.
The Portuguese was sacked in December 2018 after two-and-a-half years at United, during which time he won the EFL Cup and Europa League, but he holds no resentment.
"I won so many times at Old Trafford as a Man United coach and as an opposition coach," he said. "Nobody treated me badly there. Revenge for what? Everybody was so nice to me during my time there. I don't have enemies there. I don't have bad feelings."
Mourinho is now into his first full season with Tottenham and has had a mixed time of things in what has been a hectic opening month to the campaign.
Spurs beat Maccabi Haifa on Thursday to book a place in the Europa League group phase, 48 hours after overcoming Chelsea on penalties in the EFL Cup last 16.
They have won only one of their first three Premier League games but Mourinho will not use fatigue as an excuse in this final outing before the international break.
"I'm used to it. It's the last match and I don't want to moan," he said. "There's only one more match - there's only the United match and no excuses.
"United had only one match for the week and the majority of players that played that one won't play on Sunday. But we go there and we go there to discuss the game only."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as Mourinho's successor and the pair have exchanged jibes in recent weeks, which the United boss was quick to play down ahead of this latest meeting.
"We are in strange times at the moment and sometimes you've got to have a bit of fun as well," said Solskjaer, whose side has won three games in a row in all competitions. "For me, Jose's a very charismatic coach and manager and I've enjoyed talking to him, I've enjoyed watching him. He's a winner."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes
United snatched a fortunate 3-2 win away at Brighton and Hove Albion in their most recent league match, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a 100th-minute penalty. That is the latest goal ever scored in the competition and takes the Portuguese playmaker's tally to nine goals and eight assists in 16 league outings for United.
Tottenham - Harry Kane
Kane scored a hat-trick in the European victory over Maccabi Haifa to make it six goals in seven matches overall this season. The England captain has also added assists to his game this term, teeing up a team-mate for a goal on five occasions in the Premier League - more than any other player has managed.
KEY OPTA STATS
- Tottenham boss Mourinho is winless in his last six away league games against sides that he has previously managed, drawing two and losing four.
- Manchester United are unbeaten in their last three Premier League meetings with Spurs (W2 D1), having lost four of their previous six against them in the competition before this (W2).
- Tottenham's last six top-flight away wins against United have all come under different managers, in a run stretching back to Bill Nicholson in March 1974 (also Keith Burkinshaw in 1976, Terry Venables in 1989, Andre Villas Boas in 2012, Tim Sherwood in 2014 and Mauricio Pochettino in 2018).
- After scoring five goals from just nine shots against Southampton in their second league game this season, Tottenham scored just once from 23 shots in their last match against Newcastle United, eventually shipping a stoppage time equaliser from the penalty spot.
- Man United have found the net in each of their last 15 Premier League games, which is the longest current run of all current 20 sides in the competition.
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