Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester United: 6 best & worst | Premier League 2018-19

On paper Spurs vs United was the most highly anticipated fixture of gameweek 22, and it is safe to say that it certainly lived up to expectations.

It was a tale of two halves. Manchester United started the play with a bang, catching Tottenham completely off guard, as nobody expected them to start so brilliantly. The Red Devils took the lead close to half time, courtesy of a beautifully weighted lob pass by Paul Pogba which Marcus Rashford slotted past Lloris.

The second half saw the game turn on its head, as Spurs came out all guns blazing. Despite Tottenham putting a mammoth total of 11 shots on target, the Red Devils clung on to the lead till the final whistle.

The win for United has taken them to equal points with Arsenal, while the defeat for Spurs perhaps means their title hopes are virtually over, as they are 9 points behind the league leaders, Liverpool.

So lets take a look at the 3 best & 3 worst performers of the game.

---

The best performers

#1 Nemanja Matic

He occasionally recovered possession and made several crucial blocks

Due to the heroics of the United goalkeeper, one man whose performance certainly went under the radar was Nemanja Matic. The Serbian international provided the much-needed barrier in front the back four in the first half.

He occasionally recovered possession, and made several crucial blocks, one of which was to deny Harry Kane at 0-0.

---

#2 Paul Pogba

The Frenchman kept making efforts to be at the helm of the action

In a thrilling fixture with end to end action, one player who was constantly present at both ends, and often at the crux of the action was United's box to box midfielder, Paul Pogba. The arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen the resurrection of the United superstar.

The Frenchman kept making efforts to be at the helm of the action, and his assist for Rashford's goal was absolutely sublime.

---

#3 David de Gea

De Gea stood taller in stature than any other player on the field

Tottenham gave their blood, sweat, and tears in the second half in search of the equaliser, but couldn't find one. The only reason they could not was David de Gea. The Spanish goalkeeper denied Kane, Alli, and Alderweireld in a display of absolute goalkeeping mastery.

In a crucial fixture for his team, de Gea stood taller in stature than any other player on the field, showing yet again why he is one of the best in the business.

The worst performers

#1 Ben Davies

He left gaping holes at the back due to his positioning

It was a tough choice between Vertonghen and Davies, but I've gone with the Welshman. The reason why Manchester United were so effective in the first half was due to the Spurs fullbacks positioning themselves high up the field, leaving the centre-backs exposed.

He did deny Lukaku a chance late on in the match, but that's basically the only highlight of his game. Davies hardly contributed in the attack despite playing up so high, and left gaping holes at the back due to his positioning.

---

#2 Phil Jones

It was up to him to suppress the wrath of Kane, but the United defender came out as second-best

The story could have been much different had de Gea not been there to save United. Despite Manchester United earning the win, the fact that their back four completely collapsed can't be ignored. The worst of the lot was Phil Jones.

It was up to him to suppress the wrath of Harry Kane, but the United defender came out as the second-best in all but few of the duels. It was a nervous 90 minutes for the Englishman, who never really eased into the game.

---

#3 Kieran Trippier

His attempts from set pieces were below par, and defensively he looked very vulnerable

After a glorious campaign with England in the summer, the Spurs defender has looked like a shadow of himself this season. The Englishman hit a new low against United, as he had an absolute nightmare of a game.

Apart from a couple of well-delivered crosses, nothing really came off for Trippier. His attempts from set pieces were below par, and defensively he looked very vulnerable. It was Trippier who lost the possession which led to the only goal of the game.