29 September 2024
Man Utd 0 Tottenham 3
The Red Devils welcomed Tottenham to Old Trafford in what was seen as a ‘must win’ game for both teams. That sounds bizarre only five games into the season but that is how disappointing their starts to the campaign have been. Ugarte made his first Premier League start for Erik ten Hag’s side, who went into this game full of confidence given Spurs’ record in this match.
However, it was Postecoglou’s side who started on the front foot. Fernandes gave the ball away in a dangerous area but Spurs could not capitalise. Instead the hosts countered and looked to use the pace of Rashford. Sadly the move broke down nearly as quick as it started and van de Ven picked up the loose ball in his own half. The Dutch defender decided he was going on an adventure.
He ran through the middle of the Man Utd team, making it into the box before he looked to cut the ball back from the byline. His low drilled cross picked out Johnson perfectly at the back post. It was an easy tap-in for the Welshman as he gave the visitors the lead. All that could be heard in Old Trafford was the away end at this point.
Only the most deluded of Man Utd fans can still be talking positively of this squad and its chances of doing anything this season. If this is you and your name isn’t Mark Goldbridge, then please seek help. Everything is wrong at this club currently and opposing fans hope that Erik ten Hag gets tenure at Old Trafford. Currently, their form under the Dutchman is making them favourites for a BAFTA, not silverware.
Onana played a route one ball over the top of the Tottenham defence. Rashford used his pace and seemed to be clean through on goal. His shot towards the near post was easily saved by Vicario and immediately the flag went up for offside. That just about sums up the luck of Manchester’s prodigal son right now.
The visitors almost doubled their lead when Maddison and Kulusevski exchanged a one-two on the edge of the box. The Englishman’s control of the return pass gave Onana a chance to close him down and ultimately block his shot at goal. That aside, they were going through this Man Utd defence like a hot knife through butter.
Spurs’ pace on the attack was causing all sorts of problems. As the ball was worked to Kulusevski on the edge of the box, he opted to lay it off to Johnson. Taking one touch to set himself, he drilled a shot across goal but his effort came back off the post and back into play. So close to getting his second goal of the game, with his father watching from the stands.
Despite dominating the game, Tottenham’s weak underbelly was almost exposed again. Mainoo got into the box and picked out Zirkzee with a cross. He opened up his body and hit a first time shot. He thought he had scored but somehow Vicario managed to get an outstretched arm to it. Just how important that stop would be, only time would tell.
Just before the break Spurs forced a corner. While the delivery was far too deep, Porro recycled it and crossed from the opposite flank. Romero met it with an audacious volley which narrowly missed the far post. Postecoglou’s side looked capable of scoring every time they came forward. This was a terrible performance from the hosts.
Rashford then did well out on the left and picked out Garnacho on the back post. He struck the ball on the volley but could only strike the outside of the post. It was another warning for Tottenham that if they did not take their chances, they could quite easily be hit with a sucker punch. The visitors had dominated the first half but only had a single goal to show for it.
Things went from bad to worse when Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card. The midfielder had slipped but continued to try and challenge Maddison. As a result, he caught him halfway up the shin with his studs. As you can imagine the whinging skipper had plenty to say about the decision but nothing would change the referee’s mind, not even a VAR review.
Into the second half and a mistake from Martinez saw Spurs break. Johnson got a cross in, despite a lunging challenge from De Ligt, and Kulusevski clipped the ball past Onana and into the back of the net. Once again, like the majority of the first half, Man Utd’s defence were all over the shop. Playing like this, a top-half finish looks questionable.
Kulusevski was running the show as he skipped past numerous sliding challenges. He played an inch-perfect pass into Werner but once again his finishing was poor as Onana saved. The keeper then got back to his feet to block the follow up from Solanke. When the German has a gilt-edged chance, I don’t even think he would back himself to score.
Martinez then clipped a ball over the Spurs’ defence and Casemiro hit it on the half-volley. He seemed to do everything right but his shot, despite having Vicario beaten, narrowly missed the far post. It would have made for a nervy finish to this game had it gone in. It was the closest the hosts had come to a goal in the second half.
Tottenham forced another corner, which was whipped in by Bergvall. Sarr flicked it on at the near post and Solanke slid in to divert it into the goal. Cue all the Man Utd fans leaving with fifteen minutes to go so they can be first in line to buy their Norwich City scarves outside the ground. This was another day to forget for Red Devils’ fans.
Postecoglou’s side took all three points and deservedly so. It moved them up to eighth in the table. Their fans continued to sing ‘getting sacked in the morning’ to Erik ten Hag for the majority of the game. Kudos to INEOS who since their buying a 25% stake in the club have managed to make Man Utd worse than they were before, that takes some doing. Who’d have thought that a chemical engineer wasn’t going to be the answer to their prayers.
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