Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham: 4 mistakes by Mourinho that cost United the game

#1 Alexis Sanchez from the Bench

Having Sanchez on the field could have improved Manchester United's chances

For the most important game of the season so far, Mourinho kept his best player on the bench. Without the presence of Sanchez, the United midfield missed a vital piece of the jigsaw.

Every time Luke Shaw bombarded forward, he showed the possibilities down the left. Mourinho was ultra defensive in a home game and it was a horrible strategy that cost United three points.

Sanchez had a strong preseason, he was United’s best player in the United States. It is only logical that he features for the most important games for United. With Lukaku alone in attack and Lingard busy pressing Dembele, United had to rely on the speed and precision of their forward players.

The speed was there, the precision not so much. Had Sanchez been in the mix, he could have made things pretty interesting. However, it could also be that the Chilean was not completely fit and in that case, Jose should have gone with Rashford.

Lukaku started strong but missed a sitter in the first half. It was the unholy start that would come back to haunt the Belgian and United in the end. He missed a host of chances in the game and should have scored at least two.

It does seem that the Belgian is short of confidence or maybe he has the weight of the whole team on his shoulders, which is why Sanchez is so important to the team

United have never been defensive at Old Trafford and more than Sanchez’s absence, it was Mourinho’s tactics that ultimately led to this humiliating defeat.