Tottenham Hotspur clinched a 2-0 win against an underwhelming Manchester United in their Premier League encounter in North London this Saturday.
It was Pape Sarr who opened the scoring in the 49th minute, with an unfortunate own goal from Lisandro Martinez later sealing the victory for Ange Postecoglou’s team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Erik ten Hag, Manchester United’s head coach, stuck with the same starting XI that faced Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous match. On the other hand, Tottenham made a couple of tweaks from their stalemate at Brentford, introducing Pedro Porro and Sarr in place of Emerson Royal and Oliver Skipp.
Harry Maguire was conspicuously missing from the United lineup, reportedly owing to a minor injury concern. Meanwhile, the absence of Donny van de Beek raised eyebrows, especially given the ongoing rumours about his potential departure.
Player Ratings:
Andre Onana: 6 – Showcased excellent ball distribution, although he wasn’t tested much with shots. Managed a commendable save to thwart Udogie.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 5 – Struggled to contain Son’s attacking prowess and was often caught off-guard, especially in the second half, leading to his substitution.
Raphael Varane: 5 – Had a challenging duel with Richarlison and couldn’t assert his calming influence when needed. The United defence seemed rather chaotic.
Lisandro Martinez: 5 – Risky tackles that nearly resulted in penalties. Similarly to Varane, he appeared unsettled with Tottenham’s aggressive pressing.
Luke Shaw: 6 – Kulusevski breezed past him for the opening goal. Despite efforts to be involved, he struggled to advance past the halfway line and lacked adequate support.
Casemiro: 6 – His strong header was confidently saved by Vicario. Found it difficult in the midfield tussle against Sarr and Bissouma, and Mount and Fernandes provided limited assistance.
Antony: 6 – Struck the woodwork in the second half. While he managed to find space, his decision-making on the final pass was lacking. His day was marred with a booking and eventual substitution.
Bruno Fernandes: 5 – Despite delivering an impressive rabona cross, he squandered a clear header chance early on. Booked for protesting, he seemed constantly irked and seemed out of depth in his deeper positioning.
Mason Mount: 4 – Made little impact on the match. Playing just behind Casemiro didn’t suit him, as Tottenham dominated that space. His natural position further up might have been more effective.
Alejandro Garnacho: 4 – Failed to imprint his mark on the game. Felt isolated on the left and offered little defensive support to Shaw.
Marcus Rashford: 5 – Had opportunities with a header and a one-on-one situation, but couldn’t capitalise. Despite his persistent central runs, teammates struggled to pick him out & was disapointed and showed it when substituted.
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