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Score: Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Goal(s): Anthony Martial 82' (Romelu Lukaku assist)
A hard fought, time-rolling-back kind of physical battle (that surprisingly had just one yellow-card) gave Manchester United a much-needed morale-boosting win over high-flying Tottenham Hotspur.
The game had plenty of ups-and-downs and what it lacked for in quality it made up for in spice, excitement, and the positive attitudes of both teams.
Here then are the main talking points from the clash between the Premier League's nos. 2 and 3 :
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#5 United's defence almost back to it's best but Tottenham's change at the back doesn't work
After letting in two of the most straightforward goals they will ever concede - against 'lowly' Huddersfield Town, United didn't allow Spurs anything - they got in behind the defence just once (and Alli spurned that one). With the return of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, United's defense suddenly went from flimsy to impregnable and Mourinho will welcome back Marcos Rojo soon.
Nothing like a fully fit defence to make the Portuguese happy.
Tottenham, meanwhile, tampered with a winning formula and replaced the impressive Davinson Sanchez (who had, of course, kept Marcus Rashford quiet in the Europa League final for Ajax) with Eric Dier and the Englishman looked a touch susceptible when United kept trying to play in their striker's early. He was also guilty of ball-watching when Martial ran in behind for the key moment of the match, and Pochettino may just regret not having played his in-form Colombian in the first-place
#4 Tottenham may not be the Harry Kane team, but they sorely miss their talisman
Mauricio Pochettino got furious when told that Pep Guardiola had casually referred to his team as "the Harry Kane team", remarking in return that he'd never ever called Guardiola's Barcelona team "the Lionel Messi team" - and he had ever right to get riled up by the comment.
He's worked Spurs into a fantastic outfit, defensively sound, impressive in midfield and deadly in attack... but at times, Pochettino does look like he lacks a clear plan B when Kane is unavailable. Today, he played a dynamic front duo with Alli and Son flitting in and out of the central striker position but none of that troubled United in the least. Llorente's introduction, belated as it was, made Spurs look a better outfit - but a better plan B is a must for a manager who is aiming for higher things than merely "putting the pressure on"
P.S. he woll really want to improve his record vs Mourinho, won't he?
#3 Ashley Young going from being ridiculed to being lauded in quite a hurry
I'll put my hands up here.
I was one of the most vocal critics of Ashley Young's introduction into the team as the left-back on the sole basis that he could cross a football but his improvement is a testament as much to Mourinho's expert man-management (he did the same to Marouane 'Mr. Reliable' Fellaini didn't he?) but also to Young's indomitable will, immense discipline and undying keenness to learn, qualities that most of his teammates have always insisted he's had in bundles.
Today, he dominated Serge Aurier, Moussa Sissoko, and Dele Alli whenever the latter wandered onto his flank and was instrumental in nullifying Aurier's considerable attacking threat.
Luke Shaw faces an uphill battle trying to work his way back into this United team, doesn't he?He is, now, United's best choice at left-back, and left-wing-back, with his crossing ability being supplemented by ever-improving tackling and other necessary defensive attributes and Mourinho's faith in him has been fully justified.
#2 Ander Herrera wins the battle against Dele Alli - comprehensively
Dele Alli is a supremely talented player, there is surely no doubting that (although the Spurs chant about him being better than Ozil maybe a bit of an exaggeration) but there is still a lot for him to learn.
While he did not rise to bait that Ashley Young so tantalizingly dangled in front of him, he was being hounded all-day long by Ander Herrera - who dominated the Englishman both physically and mentally and from the looks of it threw Alli off his game.
The Basque has a great relationship with Mourinho, and he showed once again just why by sticking to his task and getting under Alli's skin, but the Spurs midfielder needs to be able to find mental peace on such tense occasions to truly step up to the next level... if he had been more composed, the chance that fell his way (off a delectable Christian Eriksen ball into the box)
#1 Anthony Martial playing the super-sub role to perfection
Tony Martial's stats in the Premier League - 262 minutes played, 4 goals, 2 assists at a goal creation rate of once every 44 minutes... factor in the fact that the one time he started he did nothing, it just goes to show just what an impact the Frenchman's had coming off the bench
During Manchester United's best years, their prime in the late 90s, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was absolutely incredible off the bench, capable of turning a game on its head with just a quarter-of-an-hour and Anthony Martial is slowly but surely developing into just that.
While those who watch just clips of him may insist that Martial must start, the simple fact remains that the Frenchman is so much more deadly when he gets to run at defenders who have been tenderised by Marcus Rashford's fast, persistent, direct running.
P.S. What a flick on from Romelu Lukaku - the big Belgian's link-play has been persistently underrated and it's about time we give him credit for the things he does so very well.
