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Manchester United once again stepped up to the plate when a top 6 side came calling, as they handed Jose Mourinho his first loss as Tottenham Hotspur manager. The party began quite early, as Marcus Rashford put the hosts ahead in the 6th minute, whipping a low shot past Paulo Gazzaniga and into the goal. After the quick lead, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men kept chipping away, surprisingly dominating Mourinho's Spurs.
However, Dele Alli pulled the visitors level just before half time, latching onto a loose ball before stylishly beating the United defenders and thumping the ball past David de Gea. A few minutes after the break, Rashford was on song again, as he converted a spot-kick after being fouled by Moussa Sissoko in the box.
It was a thrilling encounter, and United moved into the top 6 on 21 points, with Spurs falling to 8th place. In this article, we analyse a few reasons why Solskjaer's men came away with a win.
3. Commanding performance from Manchester United
The Red Devils have been accused of one too many lethargic performances this season, however, in this fixture they came out of the tunnel swinging for the fences immediately.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men seem to be in their element whenever they take on top teams, and once again they proved that assertion right. In this encounter they played well as a unit, connecting the dots crisply with their passes when in possession, and covered every blade of grass when without the ball.
Jose Mourinho's men were completely outmanoeuvred for much of the game, as even the dangerous Harry Kane was kept under lock and key for much of the encounter. Club captain Ashley Young could even be heard occasionally barking: "Concentrate!" during the match, as the boys in red for once this season played arguably to their full potential.
Solskjaer has been under immense pressure this campaign but this victory and performance could mark a major turning point in his season.
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2. Manchester United's midfield shines
Manchester United's midfield has been a huge cause for concern this term, as the departure of Ander Herrera and an injury to Paul Pogba has meant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's midfield combinations have struggled more often than not. In their last game against Aston Villa, the midfield was singled out for a lot of criticism, as the Fred, Juan Mata, and Andreas Perreira combo fell flat on its face.
In this encounter, Scott McTominay returned to the starting lineup, he was joined by Jesse Lingard, and Fred reprised his role. It was a much more energetic performance, as the midfielders packed more punch in both their attacking and defensive phases.
Fred, in particular, was in glorious form, as he seems to have finally shaken off the flop tag with which he came into the season with. He had a total of 3 interceptions, 2 clearances, and 2 successful tackles. He was a joy to watch going forward, and he was a nightmare for Tottenham's midfield during defensive phases.
1. The Marcus Rashford show
Manchester United's forward line has been more often than not its Achilles heel this season, as the departure of Romelu Lukaku and the injury woes of Anthony Martial has caused a goal drought for United this term. Ahead of this encounter, Martial was once again declared unfit to take to the field, and the Manchester club was in dire need of a hero upfront.
Up stepped Marcus Rashford, as he produced a jaw-dropping performance. The 22-year-old has been accused on occasion this season of not delivering the goods, however, he was on a whole different level in this match. He was the eye of the storm for United in the encounter, as Solskjaer's men constantly targeted Serge Aurier and Spurs' right flank.
He produced masterful shots from in and around the area, and he even almost converted a freekick. In the 6th minute, he got United ahead with a low shot from the left side of Paulo Gazzaniga's penalty area, and early in the second half, he was fouled by Moussa Sissoko before he coolly slotted the ball past the Spurs keeper for a brace and the game's winner.
The young Englishman had the most shots in the encounter, outperforming Harry Kane with 6 shots and 4 on target. He also completed 5 dribbles, a tally that was second only to Son Heung-min in the match.
