The Red Devils were left in shambles after Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke helped Spurs cruise past Manchester United with ease in Premier League 2024-25.
Manchester United’s home dominance against Tottenham Hotspur is undeniable, having won 24 out of 27 Premier League encounters at Old Trafford. However, Spurs have shown resilience in recent matches, snapping a four-game losing streak against their rivals. Meanwhile, United have struggled at home this season, losing seven of their last 19 matches.
Tottenham’s away form has been inconsistent under Ange Postecoglou in the Premier League 2024-25, with a promising start followed by a slump in recent months. Their ability to come from behind has been a key factor in their success, as they’ve earned more points from losing positions than any other team in the league since last season.
Content
First Half
Tottenham got off to a dream start at Old Trafford, taking the lead within three minutes. Brennan Johnson found the net with a well-placed finish from a cross by Micky van de Ven, capitalizing on a defensive error from Manchester United. Tottenham nearly doubled their lead in the 20th minute. Johnson’s shot from a tight angle rattled the post, keeping United in the game.
Worries for the hosts began at the 42nd minute as Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a reckless challenge on James Maddison. With their star midfielder dismissed, United’s already uphill task of getting back into the game became even more daunting. The red card greatly affected United’s hopes of a comeback.
Tottenham’s dominance was evident in the statistics. They enjoyed 63% of possession, created more chances (3 big chances to United’s 0), and attempted more shots (12 to 3). United’s expected goals (xG) of 0.34 compared to Tottenham’s 1.99 further highlights the disparity in performance.
Second Half
Coming to the second half, Tottenham extended their lead in the 47th minute through Dejan Kulusevski. Brennan Johnson once again played a crucial role, creating the chance with a deflected cross into the box. Kulusevski made a clever flick to beat the goalkeeper, securing Tottenham’s second goal of the match. This goal further cemented Tottenham’s dominance and all but sealed the victory.
Casemiro narrowly missed a chance to pull one back for United in the 69th minute. His shot from a difficult angle went just wide of the left post, keeping United’s hopes of a comeback alive. Tottenham added a third goal in the 77th minute to seal the victory. Dominic Solanke scored from close range, converting a corner flicked on by Pape Matar Sarr. This goal effectively ended any hopes of a United comeback and secured Tottenham’s three points.
Tottenham’s dominant performance at Old Trafford resulted in a 3-0 victory over Manchester United. Goals from Johnson, Kulusevski, and Solanke sealed the win, while Fernandes’ red card proved costly for United. With this victory, Tottenham moved up to eighth in the league table, while United remained in the bottom half of the Premier League. Manchester United’s struggles continue. They have lost consecutive home games without scoring for the first time since Solskjaer’s reign. Tottenham, meanwhile, remain unbeaten against United in their last four matches.
Lineups
Manchester United: André Onana; Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez, Diogo Dalot; Kobbie Mainoo (46′, Mason Mount (85′, Amad Diallo)), Manuel Ugarte (73′, Christian Eriksen); Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford (73′, Rasmus Højlund); Joshua Zirkzee (46′, Casemiro).
Tottenham Hotspur: Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven (81′, Radu Dragusin), Destiny Udogie (46′, Djed Spence); Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison (77′, Pape Matar Sarr); Brennan Johnson (76′, Mikey Moore), Dominic Solanke, Kai Havertz (77′, Lucas Bergvall)
What Next For Both Teams
Manchester United will be going up against Portuguese giants FC Porto in the UEFA Europa League 2024-25 on 4th October in Estádio do Dragão.
On the other hand, Postecoglu’s men will be facing Hungarian side Ferencvárosi TC in the UEFA Europa League 2024-25 on 3rd October in the Groupama Arena.
