Manchester United vs Tottenham: Iconic moments from past fixtures at Old Trafford

The Manchester United-Tottenham fixture always throws up a few surprises, ranging from controversial refereeing decisions to enthralling comebacks. Regardless of the entertainment and the drama, the result seemed inevitable; a convincing Manchester United win. United were utterly dominant during the era of Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Scot scoring more wins against Tottenham (38) than any other club during his tenure.

In recent years, however, the gap between the two clubs has narrowed dramatically due to the improvements made to Tottenham by Mauricio Pochettino and the gradual decline of Manchester United ever since Sir Alex Ferguson departed five years ago.

Spurs' 2-0 victory against United at Wembley certainly demonstrated their new-found ambition and confidence against the bigger clubs. Christian Eriksen's goal just eleven seconds from the kick-off and Phil Jones' comedic own-goal left Tottenham fans delirious, with United fans left to ponder another underwhelming display against one of the top six.

There is an added fire to this fixture given Manchester United's defeat against Brighton last week and Tottenham's good form despite their lack of transfers.

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Tottenham's first victory at Old Trafford for 23 years

Just after halftime came a flurry of goals, as Nani halved the deficit in the 51st minute before Clint Dempsey restored parity for Tottenham only a minute after. In the 53rd minute, Shinji Kagawa put the game on a knife-edge once more, as he spun Jan Vertonghen and slotted past Brad Friedel.

Prior to their win in 2012, Tottenham's last win away at Manchester United came in 1989 when Gary Lineker scored the winner for Spurs in a 1-0 victory. The London club got off to a perfect start as Jan Vertonghen drove the heart of the Manchester United defence and gave Spurs the lead with a deflected strike. The opening goal came after just three minutes, leaving plenty of time for United to find a route back into the match. 29 minutes later and the away support started to really dream, as Gareth Bale's brilliant solo effort doubled Tottenham's advantage.

The victory must have come as a relief to all those involved with Tottenham Football Club given the heartbreak and the mockery endured by Spurs' fans during that winless run.

Mark Clattenburg's nightmare moment

Roy Carroll trying to save Pedro Mendes' lob

13 years ago, Tottenham looked to have sealed a memorable victory, as Pedro Mendes' lob caught out Roy Carroll in the dying moments of the game. The ball had clearly crossed the line and Spurs' looked to have started 2005 with a win against Manchester United. Mark Clattenburg and his assistant on the far side failed to spot the ball crossing the line and ruled the goal out.

Gabriel Heinze nearly added salt to the wounds of Spurs' fans but Paul Robinson denied the Argentine with a brilliant save from the free-kick. After the game, many discussed the need for goal-line technology including the former FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The issue, however, remained unresolved for several years afterwards until the 2013/14 Premier League campaign, when it was finally introduced.

Tottenham endured further disappointment that season, as they finished a lowly ninth, missing out on all of the European spots.

Jose Mourinho's celebration after the final whistle

Jose Mourinho's shush gesture after his side's 1-0 victory last season

Jose Mourinho is no stranger to controversy with the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager making the headlines thanks to his dramatic celebrations and his feuds with rival managers. In the lead up to last season's fixture against Tottenham, Mourinho came under fire for his defensive and overly-pragmatic approach to games; a point that critics raised after United's match against Liverpool two weeks earlier.

Manchester United's approach from the start involved frustrating Liverpool and hoping for any opportunities on the counter. Liverpool, therefore, dominated the game with 19 shots compared to United six, with only one of the Red Devils' shots hitting the target. Jose's attitude contrasted vividly with the style adopted by Sir Alex who famously said, " I've never played for a draw in my life".

Two weeks later, Jose Mourinho did silence his critics, as United won 1-0 thanks to Anthony Martial's tidy finish in the 81st minute. Jose celebrated by shushing to the camera in response to those who doubted him. This celebration reminded many of his touchline antics against Liverpool in the 2005 League Cup final, where he goaded the crowd by shushing at them after a Steven Gerrard own-goal.

Nani's bizarre goal

Nani running off in celebration as Gomes protests

Would it be a Manchester United-Tottenham game without a controversial decision? Manchester United were leading one-nil as the game entered the latter stages of the second half. Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes put the ball down for what looked like a free-kick which would have allowed Spurs to mount a possible attack in search of an equaliser.

Luis Nani, however, had other ideas, as he ran up to the ball and slotted it past a bemused Gomes. The Portuguese winger looked to have scored an illegal goal, just as the Tottenham keeper went to kick the ball. Replays proved that referee Mark Clattenburg had indeed waved play on; something the Brazilian stopper failed to realise. Nani's unusual goal sealed the victory for Manchester United and left Spurs fans looking at another moment of injustice for their side.

Manchester United eventually went on to lift the league title that season, with this win proving crucial.