Tottenham Hotspur kept their slim hopes of lifting the Premier League alive as they scored three goals within 6 minutes to thrash Manchester United at White Hart Lane on Sunday. After a non-memorable 70 minutes, White Hart Lane found its voice when Dele Alli latched onto a quality ball from Christien Eriksen to give Spurs a vital lead.
Their cushion was doubled on 74 minutes when centre-back Toby Alderweireld leaped highest to head an Erik Lamela free-kick into the far corner to score his fourth goal of the season. The job was done two minutes later after a highly intensive Danny Rose delivered a fierce low cross for Lamela to finish past a hapless David de Gea.
Here are the five talking points that shaped up a day to cherish for Spurs’ fans:
Manchester United unfazed by delay in kick-off
The game kicked off half an hour late as Manchester United were frustrated by a car accident that occurred in North London while they were on their way to White Hart Lane. Despite the delay and lack of pre-match training, they showed no signs of rustiness as they came out of the blocks straight away – the young lads Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Mensah testing the Spurs backline in the early stages.
Though they did not get a shot on target during that period, signs were evident that Manchester United were willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Erik Lamela misses a sitter
Spurs – who started the game 10 points behind Leicester – will be ruing one of the contenders for ‘misses of the season’ in the 27th minute. After a good cross by Danny Rose could only be partially cleared by David de Gea under pressure from Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen floated a delightful ball into the back post, only for Erik Lamela to head the wrong side of the post.
It was an absolute sitter, and one Spurs will definitely look back on with great regret. That surely should have been buried by the Argentine.
Kyle Walker and Danny Rose bully Manchester United with their pace
Most of Spurs’ chances were coming from the wings and they had two men to thank for that – their fullbacks Danny Rose and Kyle Walker. Their searing pace up and down the flanks gave Marcos Rojo and Juan Mata (who started on the right side of midfield) a lot of issues tracking back.
United more or less soaked in the intensity of the duo before crumbling in the final quarter of the game. Danny Rose’s cross for the third goal was sublime and he took full advantage of Matteo Darmian being on a yellow card by running him down the length of the pitch.
Overall, Pochettino will be highly impressed by the way they stretched a United defence that had kept them at bay for large periods of the game.
Spurs score thrice in six minutes to finish Manchester United off
After 70 minutes of relatively subdued football, Spurs lifted their supporters at White Hart Lane when Christian Eriksen delivered an inch-perfect ball for Dele Alli to score and give them the lead. Four minutes later, Toby Alderweireld rose highest for an Erik Lamela free-kick to double Spurs’ lead.
The stadium erupted in elation once again less than two minutes later when Erik Lamela side-footed a wonderful low cross from Danny Rose to send Spurs into dreamland. Within 6 minutes, United’s shape and composure was well and truly bust.
Louis van Gaal’s tactics highly questionable
When the fourth official’s board went up for the introduction of Ashley Young in place of Marcus Rashford, nearly every Manchester United fan would have expected him to function down the left wing and Anthony Martial to replace Rashford down the middle.
To everyone’s surprise and possibly United fans’ dismay, it was a straight swap between Young and Rashford for the number 9 role. As it turned out, the move didn’t work as Young failed to slice open a very disciplined Spurs defence, whereas Anthony Martial managed to thread his way all the way into the six-yard box with a wonderful solo dribbling effort.
Van Gaal’s decision to persist with Mata on the right wing and Lingard in a number 10 was also nonplusing as Mata was getting continuously outpaced by Rose down the flanks. A series of managerial errors by the Dutchman that will do no good to ebb away any speculation regarding his future as Manchester United’s boss.
