Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester United: 5 key observations

In the first game back for both sides following the Premier League’s three-month suspension, Tottenham and Manchester United played out a 1-1 draw tonight. Despite United starting as the slightly brighter team, they fell behind in the first half when Steven Bergwijn capitalised on some slack defending to fire past David De Gea. The second half saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men pile on the pressure, but for a long time it looked like Spurs would hold out.

However, with just ten minutes remaining, Paul Pogba was able to squeeze past Eric Dier and into the box, drawing a penalty, and Bruno Fernandes was able to convert from the spot.

The game ended in frenetic style, with VAR playing its part, but in the end, a draw was probably a fair result.

Here are 5 key observations from tonight’s game.

#1 Mourinho largely got his tactics right

Despite failing to hold onto their lead, Jose Mourinho had Tottenham's gameplan spot on for great swathes of tonight's game

Jose Mourinho’s tactical nous has been brought into question over the last few years, and since he took over at Tottenham in November, the defensive solidity he usually introduces to his sides hasn’t quite been there.

Tonight though, the Portuguese set up his side excellently to combat United’s strengths, and for the most part, it worked.

The selection of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier in the centre of defence gave Spurs the pace that Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen lack, while Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min were also more than willing to do their defensive duties in the wide areas to prevent Marcus Rashford and Daniel James from doing too much damage.

And in terms of attack, Bergwijn in particular gave United problems on the break, while Erik Lamela was able to find a lot of space in his playmaker role – even if he didn’t always get his final ball right.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer threw on Paul Pogba in an attempt to change the game, Spurs dropped very deep – but by flooding the midfield, the Frenchman’s influence was largely nullified until his flash of brilliance drew the penalty.

Mourinho’s side may not have won this game, but the Portuguese can take heart from his side’s performance, particularly prior to the point that tiredness kicked in.

#2 Should United’s defence have prevented Bergwijn’s goal?

Steven Bergwijn's goal was partially caused by some woeful defending from United

It seemed quite clear from the off tonight that Tottenham’s gameplan was to soak up the pressure that United would throw at them and aim to hit them on the break, and just before the half-hour mark, that gameplan worked to perfection.

A long ball from Hugo Lloris was weakly headed away by Luke Shaw, and Serge Aurier was able to play Steven Bergwijn through. From there, the Dutchman easily darted around Harry Maguire before firing past David De Gea to score the opener.

It was a brilliant piece of play from Bergwijn, but at half-time, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane was furious with United’s defending, and it must be said that the Red Devils legend probably had a point.

Shaw’s initial header away was poor, but the man who must take most of the blame has to be Maguire. United’s captain simply looked like he was running through treacle in his failure to stop the Dutchman, and it’s hard not to suggest that an £80m defender should’ve done better.

Likewise, De Gea’s attempt at saving the shot – which largely came straight at him with power – was poor, and he only succeeded in deflecting it into the net. With Dean Henderson- on loan at Sheffield United – having a tremendous season, Solskjaer must be wondering whether it’s worth persisting with the Spaniard, who has made a number of costly errors in recent times.

Faced with a four-pronged attack of Bergwijn, Son, Lamela and Harry Kane, United for the most part defended well – but this one series of serious errors almost cost them the game.

#3 Pogba’s flash of brilliance saves the day

A flash of brilliance from Paul Pogba drew the penalty to save United's game

Despite largely bossing the second half, for a long time it didn’t look like United were capable of breaking Spurs down. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to start two defensive midfielders – Scott McTominay and Fred – behind Bruno Fernandes clearly wasn’t paying off, and so, with 30 minutes remaining, he unleashed Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman – who had not started a game since September – had an instant impact upon his arrival, forcing Spurs firmly onto their back foot, and minutes later Anthony Martial saw a pair of excellent chances go begging. But Mourinho’s side then adjusted and flooded the midfield, and it looked like the World Cup winner’s chances of being the hero were fading away.

However, with just 10 minutes remaining, Pogba showed a flash of brilliance, one that showed exactly why he’s such a highly rated player. The Frenchman shot past Eric Dier from wide on the left and found himself in the box – where the England international hauled him down.

It was clearly a sloppy, tired challenge from Dier – who will probably be disappointed given that he barely put a foot wrong all game – but this was all about Pogba’s skill, quick turn of pace, and ability to draw the defender into a poor decision.

Bruno Fernandes dispatched the spot-kick comfortably, but credit should be given to Pogba. The Frenchman was sent on to change the game, and he was able to do just that. On this evidence, he should start United's next game.

#4 VAR actually gets a decision right

VAR got a decision right for once by correctly overturning a penalty given to United late in the game

After Fernandes’ equaliser, the game exploded into a frenetic finish that quite honestly lacked quality and showed just how tired both sets of players were. But with only added time remaining, it seemed like there was one more twist in the tail.

An attack from United ended with referee Jon Moss awarding them another penalty. Once again, Eric Dier was apparently the guilty party, with Bruno Fernandes going down under a challenge that was barely noticeable at first.

Jose Mourinho looked furious with the decision on the sideline, but Moss seemed certain that a foul had been committed. That was until VAR interjected, of course.

The system – which has been widely criticised this season for triggering a series of bizarre officiating calls – replayed the incident from multiple angles and it immediately became clear that no foul had been committed at all. Dier’s foot made no contact with Fernandes, and the Portuguese appeared to go down off balance more than anything else.

Seconds later, the decision was overturned, relieving Spurs fans all across the planet, but more to the point, this was a major victory for VAR. For all its criticism, the idea behind the system is still a good one, and if it can continue to be used to overturn genuine refereeing errors like this one, then it definitely should have a future in the Premier League.

#5 Rusty Kane fails to make an impact

Harry Kane looked rusty, as was to be expected following 6 months on the shelf

One of the big questions coming into this game surrounded the involvement of Tottenham’s talismanic striker Harry Kane. The England captain had been on the shelf with a hamstring tear since New Year’s Day, and there were doubts about whether he’d play any further part in the 2019-20 campaign before it was suspended in March.

Many fans suggested that Kane’s return could provide Spurs with the spark they’d been missing prior to the suspension, but tonight, that simply wasn’t the case. Unlike some of his teammates, the England man looked extremely rusty, and failed to make much of an impact on the game at all.

Nobody could fault his effort; he showed a couple of good touches in the first half and then played a strong role defensively in the second, but overall he simply didn’t look match-sharp at all.

Across the whole 90 minutes in fact, Kane touched the ball just 36 times, managed one shot on goal, and completed just 15 of his 25 passes accurately.

Most of the players on both sides looked tired by the end of the game, particularly those who’d played the full 90 minutes. But Kane in particular clearly wasn’t quite up to scratch, looking every bit like a man who’s not played football since January 1st.

The England captain will surely improve as he shakes off his rust, but this wasn’t the return to action that he would’ve been hoping for.