Manchester United produced their best performance under manager Erik ten Hague as Tottenham were brushed aside in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
The scoreline didn’t do justice to United’s massive lead as only a superb performance from Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris denied them the emphatic victory they deserved.
Lloris made five brilliant saves in the first half alone as United rained 19 shots on Spurs’ goal, which somehow kept up.
Fred finally broke the deadlock two minutes after the break, his shot taking a degree of good luck as Lloris was finally beaten by Ben Davies’ deflection, but it was not much more than United’s quality and intensity. Deserved for superior display.
United were out of sight after 69 minutes when Bruno Fernandes curled a precise right-footed finish past Lloris, stretching in front of an excited Stratford end.
The victory leaves Manchester United fifth in the table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, while Spurs missed the chance to move above Manchester City and move into third.
A teenage sign begins to appear.
Manchester United boss Ten Hague looked understandably a contented man as he marched off the Old Trafford pitch at the end of a victory that evoked all the hallmarks of what he wants from his new charges.
United were faster, sharper and stronger than Spurs from the first whistle, the only concern being that they may have been made to pay for not scoring in an opening 45 minutes that saw Lloris hamper the opposition a man down. , in which Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford made brilliant saves. The lively Anthony also glanced the outside of the post with a 25-yard effort.
Passing was quick and accurate, with Fred playing a key role alongside Casemiro’s steadying influence in midfield.
And Fernandes showed some of the qualities that made him such a success when he first joined United, with the manner in which he overtook Lloris for United’s number two a sign of his renewed confidence. is a symbol of
If Ten Hague has a complaint, and there won’t be many, it would be that the two-goal margin of victory in no way reflects how much better United were than a mediocre Spurs.
When the season started, a top-four finish in the Premier League would have been a welcome target, especially after the home defeat by Brighton and the 4-0 defeat at Brentford. If United maintain that target, it is within their compass.
Negative spurs fall again.
It was a chance for Tottenham to show what a force they can become under manager Antonio Conte. Instead, he produced the kind of solid and negative performance that spelled his demise in the North London derby defeat at Arsenal.
Harry Kane had two shots blocked by David De Gea but there was a lack of inspiration and too much conservatism which meant Spurs got what they deserved – nothing.
Conte has built Tottenham as a counter-attacking side, but here they were so deep that they presented United, as they did Arsenal, with initiative and Kane and Son for large parts of the game. Reduced to Hyung Min’s choice.
Even some Spurs fans have questioned the somewhat limited, cagey, style of Conte’s implementation this season, and this was further evidence that a side boasting such attacking quality must surely be out of it. will present a greater risk.
De Gea made a crucial save from Kane before Fernandes sealed the win for United. It was an important contribution, no doubt, but Spurs showed such a lack of desire that the fact that they only had the brilliant Lloris to thank for not suffering a heavier defeat. .
