Match report: United 0 Tottenham 3 | Premier League

29 Sep 2024

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Certainly! Here’s a rewritten version: "Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 6:46 PM."

Manchester United suffered a 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur under challenging conditions at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

In the days leading up to this match, both teams played in the Europa League. The two coaches, having utilized their squad depth for those games against FC Twente and Qarabag, decided to make some adjustments for this match.

Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Matthijs de Ligt returned to Erik ten Hag's starting lineup, while Ange Postecoglou made seven changes to the Spurs squad, bringing back players like Cristian Romero and James Maddison. Unfortunately, the visitors were without their captain, Son Heung-min, who was sidelined due to an injury he picked up on Thursday.

Brennan Johnson's goal just three minutes into the match came as an early blow, and things got even tougher for United when Bruno Fernandes received a red card late in the first half. Dejan Kulusevski quickly extended Tottenham's lead right after halftime. United responded with some effort, igniting hope among the supporters for a potential comeback. However, as the game progressed, Dominic Solanke netted a third goal for Spurs.

A challenging day at Old Trafford.

FIRST HALF - QUICK BEGINNING FOR SPURS

The match got off to a fiery start, but after a promising counter-attack by the Reds fell apart, Micky van de Ven picked up the ball in his own half and charged forward with incredible speed. The Dutch player made it to the edge of the penalty area on the right and delivered a risky cross into the six-yard box, where Johnson was perfectly positioned to score just three minutes in.

Andre Onana quickly found himself in action once more, blocking a promising shot from Maddison after a swift one-two play from the Spurs.

As United started to establish themselves, the main threat came from the flanks, with Marcus Rashford finding himself in some dangerous spots a couple of times. However, Spurs also had an opportunity when Johnson hit the inside of the far post after they moved the ball quickly from one wing to the other.

As the play progressed back and forth, Guglielmo Vicario made an impressive save by diving low to his right, preventing Joshua Zirkzee from equalizing at 1-1. This occurred halfway through the first half when Mainoo set Zirkzee up for a shot.

Postecoglou's team, driven forward by their offensive full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, kept pressing for a goal. Stand-in captain Romero nearly scored with a bold volley that missed by just a fraction. Meanwhile, Garnacho came even closer at the other end when he connected with Rashford's precise cross from the left. He brought the ball onto his right foot but watched in disappointment as his shot hit the outside of the post.

In the closing minutes of the half, Onana made another crucial save, successfully stopping Timo Werner in a one-on-one situation. However, a significant turning point occurred when referee Chris Kavanagh pulled out a straight red card for Fernandes. He lost his footing while attempting to challenge Maddison and was deemed to have caught the Tottenham player high on the shin while trying to go for the ball. To make matters worse for United, they also faced a setback with Mainoo going off due to injury, hitting them with a double blow just before halftime.

SECOND HALF - A SHOCKING START

During the break, there was a substitution as Casemiro took Zirkzee's place, and the team shifted their tactics, with Rashford moving to a central position. However, just after the second half began, Spurs scored again. Johnson sprinted down the right side and sent a deflected cross into the box. The ball went up off De Ligt, and Kulusevski skillfully tapped it over Onana's head.

About ten minutes into the half, our goalkeeper was on his game as he deflected a shot from Werner, who was charging in. He quickly recovered to cover the loose ball right before Solanke could get to it.

After an hour had passed, Spurs aimed to slow down the game and comfortably see it through with their extra player. However, United didn't give up easily, and they made a strong claim for a penalty when the ball hit Romero's arm in the penalty area, but the referee ignored it. This moment marked our most promising phase, yet another penalty shout was dismissed when Garnacho fell due to pressure from Porro. Meanwhile, Casemiro nearly scored a goal with a clever shot from a tight angle.

Andre Onana was responsible for several crucial saves during the match.

However, as the rain started pouring down at M16, a third goal was scored with less than 15 minutes remaining in regulation time. Spurs substitute Pape Matar Sarr made contact with a corner kick at the front post, allowing Solanke to quietly slip through the defense in the center and nudge the ball into the net from just a short distance.

The United team played it safe regarding a last-minute head injury sustained by Mason Mount. After a hard collision with substitute center-back Radu Dragusin, they decided to take him out of the game. However, it was encouraging to see Mason walking to the dressing room on his own after receiving treatment.

In stoppage time, Spurs could have scored a fourth goal if it weren't for Onana, who made a quick instinctive save by extending his leg to block Solanke's shot as he approached the goal. The ball bounced back perfectly for Sarr, but he ended up heading it off target. De Ligt also had a late opportunity to score a consolation goal for the Reds, but it went wide as well.

Bruno Fernandes will be absent for the upcoming three matches in the domestic league.

United's lineup consisted of Onana in goal, with Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, and Dalot forming the defense. In midfield, Mainoo started but was replaced by Mount after 45 minutes and then Amad came on for him at the 85-minute mark. Ugarte was substituted for Eriksen in the 73rd minute. The attacking trio included Garnacho, team captain Fernandes, and Rashford, who was later replaced by Hojlund in the 73rd minute. Zirkzee came off at halftime for Casemiro.

Replacements: Bayindir, Evans, Lindelof, Antony.

Yellow cards were given to Mazraoui in the 34th minute, Dalot in the 39th minute, Mount in the 45th minute plus four extra minutes, Martinez in the 55th minute, and Ugarte in the 65th minute.

Red Card: Fernandes, 42 minutes.

Tottenham's lineup: Vicario; Porro, Romero (captain), Van de Ven (replaced by Dragusin in the 81st minute), Udogie (substituted with Spence at halftime); Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison (taken off for Sarr in the 77th minute); Johnson (substituted by Moore in the 76th minute), Solanke, Werner (replaced by Bergvall in the 77th minute).

Alternates: Forster, Gray, Bissouma, Lankshear.

Goals scored: Johnson at the 3rd minute, Kulusevski at the 47th minute, and Solanke at the 77th minute.

Yellow Cards: Johnson in the 46th minute, Spence in the 55th minute, Porro in the 74th minute.

The Man Behind The Camera

Gary Oldman, the star of Slow Horses and a passionate Manchester United fan, captures stunning photographs of the latest adidas collection dedicated to George Best.

On this day: Incredible comeback by the Reds – Watch the video!