Tottenham claimed their first victory of the new season against the Red Devils.
Tottenham defeated Manchester United 2-0 in their Premier League game on Saturday. A brilliant second-half display from the Spurs ensured their victory on home soil.
What happened?
Man Utd started off as the better side, creating a number of serious chances early on. But Spurs managed to find their feet in the game as the first period went on. Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford missed big chances for the Red Devils while the hosts hit the woodwork twice.
After the break, the dynamic of the game changed significantly, with Tottenham establishing their dominance right from the start.
Pepe Matar Sarr scored his first goal for the Spurs to put them ahead in the 49th minute. United failed to make a reaction after the goal, with Ange Postecoglou’s side remaining in charge of the possession. The hosts then secured their victory with an 83rd-minute own goal from Lisandro Martinez.
Main takeaways
United need Hojlund to return ASAP
Man Utd could’ve taken the lead in the first half if they were more clinical with their final shots. Rashford is yet to find his rhythm in the new season, while Antony lacks the ruthlessness of a target striker.
Hojlund’s integration into United’s attacking line could help them bounce back from their underwhelming start to the new season.
VAR controversy continues
The referee had a few controversial decisions throughout the game. But none of them were even close to Christian Romero’s handball inside Tottenham’s box in the 26th minute.
Alejandro Garnacho’s shot bounced off Romero’s hand, who tried to block the ball with his body. The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot but overturned his decision after a VAR check.
Maddison dominates the midfield
James Maddison started his Tottenham career with a brilliant display against Brentford, and it only got better against Man Utd.
Maddison was battling it out with Mason Mount in the middle of the park, actively participating in both defensive and attacking phases of Tottenham’s game. During the second half, the former Leicester City star made a host of fantastic progressive passes as Tottenham pushed maintained control over the possession.
Maddison is set to become a cornerstone of Tottenham’s midfield as they start a new era under Postecoglou.
Postecoglou already knows his team
Tottenham lacked enough attacking edge to get ahead in the first half. But their early goal after the break allowed Postecoglou to dictate his vision for the match.
The new Tottenham manager added more stability to his side’s midfield line by replacing Matar Sarr with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. He then sent in Ben Davies and Ivan Perisic in the 70th minute, which paved the way for Spurs’ second goal. Perisic provided the pass while Davies’ shot forced Lisandro Martinez to score an own goal.
Player Ratings
Tottenham: Vicario (8); Porro (7), Romero (7), Van De Ven (7), Udogie (7); Sarr (8), Bissouma (7), Maddison (8); Kulusevski (6), Richarlison (5); Son (8).
Bench: Davies (6), Perisic (7), Hojbjerg (7), Royal (6), Solomon (6).
Man Utd: Onana (7); Wan-Bissaka (7), Varane (7), Martinez (6), Shaw (7); Casemiro (6), Mount (6), Bruno (7); Antony (6), Garnacho (7), Rashford (5).
Bench: Dalot (6), Eriksen (6), Pellistri (6), Martial (6).
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Manchester United
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
