Tottenham 1-2 Manchester United: 3 players who were impressive for the Red Devils

Modified Jul 25, 2019 15:52 GMT

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - 2019 International Champions Cup

Manchester United ended their pre-season tour with a 2-1 win over Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Goals from Anthony Martial and Angel Gomes helped the Red Devils get their 4th win of the pre-season tour, ending the tour unbeaten.

United started the game with intensity and pressed the Tottenham defenders higher up the pitch. Their approach seemed to be working as they nearly opened the scoring on the break, with Anthony Martial hitting the woodwork.

The Frenchman eventually did manage to get his goal, finding the back of the net with a brilliant finish from a very tight angle. The Red Devils continued to dominate the game, with David de Gea having nothing to do in goal.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made wholesale changes in the second half, completely changing the playing XI. Tottenham made a much better start after the break, forcing the Manchester United players deep into their own half.

The dominance paid dividends when Lucas Moura's deflected shot rolled past Sergio Romero.

However, the Red Devils managed to get back into the game, enjoying more of the ball and stringing passes together in the final third.

In the 80th minute, the 18-year-old Gomes scored the winning goal for United, finishing a brilliant passing move past the Spurs goalkeeper.

The Red Devils will have plenty of positives to take from the game against the Spurs. Here, we look at three players who impressed everyone with their performance:

#3 Angel Gomes

Manchester United v Leeds United - Pre-Season Friendly

Angel Gomes is one of the most promising prospects to have come through the Manchester United academy in recent years. And the youngster has been making the most of the chances given to him during this year's pre-season.

Gomes has been very impressive for United during their time in Asia, and he produced another stellar performance against Tottenham. The 18-year-old scored the winning goal against the Spurs, finishing a brilliant move by calmly burying the ball past Paulo Gazzaniga in the bottom right corner.

Gomes showed his brilliant close control on the ball and linked up expertly with his teammates. The Englishman often draws comparisons with teammate Juan Mata because of the things he does on the pitch, and he could well be the heir to the Spaniard in the attacking midfield position.

#2 Scott McTominay

Scott McTominay was one of the few positives for Manchester United fans from last season, as he showed everyone that he has the quality and the attitude to play for the legendary club. The 22-year-old midfielder turned in another hugely impressive performance from defensive midfield against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Scotsman was a strong presence in the midfield, closing down on the opponents quickly to win the ball. McTominay also displayed his quality on the ball, pinging accurate long-balls to the wingers and dictating the play from the middle of the park.

With Nemanja Matic on the wrong side of 30, the Red Devils need a quick, tenacious player to replace him in the defensive midfield. And the 22-year-old academy graduate is showing that he has what it takes to make that position his own next season.

#1 Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial enjoyed his best-ever season in the Manchester United shirt when he was deployed as a number 9 under Dutch tactician Louis van Gaal. The Frenchman was shifted to the left wing by Van Gaal's successor Jose Mourinho, and struggled for consistency in that position.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reinstated Martial as a number 9 during the pre-season, and the improvement in the Frenchman's game is already visible. Martial was immense against Tottenham and was very unlucky not to score within the first 5 minutes of the game, hitting the post with a very well-timed shot from inside the box.

The 23-year-old got his goal in the 16th minute of the game, burying the ball past Gazzaniga from a very tight angle. Apart from the goal, the Frenchman showed great work-rate off the ball too, initiating the press from the front and closing down opposition defenders to win the ball back.

Edited by Musab Abid