PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER, 2024
(4.30pm)
MANCHESTER UNITED 0(0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3(1)

Scorers:-
Johnson, 3
Kulusevski, 47
Solanke, 77

Attendance:- 73,587

Referee:- Chris Kavanagh
Assistants:- Lee Betts, Richard West
Fourth official:- Craig Pawson
VAR:- Peter Bankes
Assistant VAR:- Simon Long

Teams:-
Man Utd (4-2-3-1):- 24. Onana; 3. Mazraoui, 4. De Ligt, 6. Martinez, 20. Dalot; 37. Mainoo (sub 7. Mount, 45) (sub 16. Diallo, 85), 25. Ugarte (sub 14. Eriksen, 73); 17. Garnacho, 8. Fernandes (Capt.), 10. Rashford (sub 9. Hojlund, 73); 11. Zirkzee (sub 18. Casemiro, 46)
(Armband to Martinez)

Subs not used:- 1. Bayindir; 2. Lindelof, 35. Evans; 21. Antony

Booked:- Mazraoui (foul on Udogie), Dalot (foul on Kulusevski), Mount (foul on Bentancur), Martinez (foul on Maddison), Ugarte (foul on Kulusevski)

Sent off:- Fernandes (42 mins - high tackle on Maddison)
(Subsequently rescinded on appeal)

Spurs (4-3-3):- 1. Vicario; 23. Pedro Porro, 17. Romero (Capt.), 37. Van de Ven (sub 6. Dragusin, 81), 13. Udogie (sub 24. Spence, 46); 21. Kulusevski, 30. Bentancur, 10. Maddison (sub 29. Sarr, 77); 22. Johnson (sub 47. Moore, 76), 19. Solanke, 16. Werner (sub 15. Bergvall, 77)

Subs not used:- 20. Forster; 14. Gray; 8. Bissouma; 42. Lankshear

Booked:- Johnson (delaying free kick after foul on Dalot), Spence (handball), Pedro Porro (foul on Garnacho)

United humbled by Spurs.

Thanks to Eugene Gasper for his picture

23 years ago, on this very day at White Hart Lane Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United side dramatically turned a half-time three-goal deficit into a 5-3 victory. That was a team which included members of "The Class of 92", such as Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, and David Beckham. It also included Laurent Blanc, Juan Veron, Andy Cole, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Today at Old Trafford, a United team managed by Eric Ten Hag and containing plenty of big names, but no starring performances was humbled by Ange Postecoglou's emerging and progressing team who gave their best performance of the season to date and achieved a result that could be pivotal to the destiny of these two sides.

Both teams went into the game level on points. The winner would climb to be within touching distance of the top four. The loser (United) actually dropped a place in the bottom half due to their negative goal difference. Spurs have now scored more Premier League goals at Old Trafford this season than have United, who managed a solitary late winner against Fulham, and also lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool.

Spurs went into the game without their captain. Heung-min Son had not recovered sufficiently after his fatigue against Qarabag. United lost their captain during the game when Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red by referee Chris Kavanagh when he slipped going into a tackle on Maddison but made contact too high on Maddison's leg. VAR upheld the decision. For all of Fernandes' and United's grievances about the red card, Fernandes' contact had dangerous potential and was not purely petulant like Beckham's red against Argentina in 1998.

Ten Hag has been permitted to spend a lot of money during his tenure and this summer he spent around £160 million. £52 million of that was spent on teenage centre-back Leny Yoro who is injured, but the other signings started this game, and to be honest had little effect.

I suspect Postecoglou saw potential flaws in right back Mazraoui and left back Dalot and adapted his strategy to fit. I saw less inversion of our full backs and more assertive, quick-fire direct midfield play with full use of wing-men Werner and Johnson. To this end, the presence of both Kulusevski and Maddison ahead of Bentancur was impactive, with both players among Spurs' stars.

United kicked off and played away from the Stretford End. Spurs soon had plenty of good possession, but their opening third minute goal started at the back when Micky van de Ven anticipated and intercepted a ball intended for Garnacho. As he had in our 4-0 home win against Everton, Micky made a brilliant end-to-end run; saw a gap (kindly opened by the hapless United defence) and raced all the way to the bye-line on the left. His low, driven cross passed in front of Onana and was swept into the net by Brennan Johnson, who has now scored in four consecutive games.

This goal put me in mind of our opener in a 3-2 win here in September 2012 (also on the 29th!) which followed a great run by Jan Vertonghen. Until that game, we hadn't won at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Now we've won five such games in "The Theatre of Dreams". We've only managed seven at home!

The pressure upon United was relentless. They were struggling to get out of their half. Maddison stole the ball in midfield and passed inside to Solanke, but his shot was not hit at full strength and was held. Rashford did race onto a long ball but ultimately fired wide. He had been offside anyway.

Maddison had a shot saved by Onana after combining with Kulusevski. Udogie fired over after another such combination. Rashford threatened on the left again but over-hit the ball which ran out of play. Udogie made a great run and got ahead of Werner down the left wing. He passed inside to Kulusevski who teed up Johnson, whose right-footed shot rebounded off the foot of Onana's left post.

Udogie needed some treatment, and while he was still off the pitch Garnacho got away down the right side and teed up Zirkzee, but his shot was straight at Vicario. United hit a free kick to Rashford whose cross for Garnacho passed out of play beyond goal.

Solanke won in midfield and passed to Johnson on his right. His cross intended for Werner was intercepted. A Maddison right-footer was held after United had surrendered possession. Kulusevski had another shot blocked. Spurs were good for a more convincing lead, so the only worry was when that would come.

A Spurs corner from the left went deep to Pedro Porro and after he returned the ball skipper Romero hit his shot just wide. That Rashford-Garnacho move finally bore some fruit, but Garnacho's shot hit the back of the outside of Vicario's left post.

Kulusevski gave Werner an opportunity, but for all his pace and effort, Timo was just not delivering today.

After Fernandes' red card (the challenge was in midfield), Mainoo walked off the pitch and down the tunnel, apparently with an injury, and was replaced by Mason Mount. He was booked before the interval.

After the break Ten Hag also replaced Zirkzee with Casemiro. Djed Spence replaced Destiny Udogie.

Spurs soon doubled their lead, following a break down the right side. Whilst not formally credited because his cross was deflected, Johnson turned the ball inside and Kulusevski beat Onana with a cleverly executed flick of his outstretched left foot.

Spurs players celebrate their second goal in front of the travelling fans

Thanks to Andy Park for his picture

Johnson and Kulusevski combined again before Pedro Porro hit a left-footed shot which was held by the United keeper. Werner had a shot easily saved after another Kulusevski pass.

Garnacho was now operating on the left and he won United's first corner after 58 minutes. Spurs were taking their feet off the pedal to some degree and the ten men were allowed to enjoy a little attacking pressure. Martinez shot wide after another corner. United also had two failed appeals for handball in the Spurs area during this spell. Neither appeal was justified. After a third corner, Casemiro headed wide.

Werner had a cross/shot held after Spence had sent him forward. At the other end, Martinez lifted a ball to Casemiro who this time hit his shot wide across the goalmouth.

Postecoglou made a triple substitution after 77 minutes with Mikey Moore ("One of our own"), Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr replacing Johnson, Werner, and Maddison respectively. Solanke had won a corner on the left and this was taken by Bergvall, flicked on by Sarr and finished from close range by Solanke for his third goal in consecutive games.

The game was now well and truly won, and the travelling support partied as Old Trafford emptied. After good defensive work by Pedro Porro and a quick pass to Kulusevski, Bergvall tried a shot from distance which passed over the target. Solanke had another shot saved after Pedro Porro's pass and Sarr headed wide when following up.

The six minutes of added time included De Ligt hitting the side netting after Garnacho's cross and Mikey Moore firing just wide when offered the chance to score a dream goal.

Spurs had enjoyed 63% possession, 24 shots on goal, 10 of which were on target and a phenomenal XG of 4.67 which was apparently the highest in the Premier League since Manchester City beat Norwich in 2022.

We have now won four consecutive games in all competitions and can surely travel to Hungary in midweek and Brighton next Sunday with great confidence.

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