Tottenham 0-1 Manchester United: 3 reasons why Spurs lost the important match

David de Gea produced a sublime display of goalkeeping as United won their sixth match in a row under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Marcus Rashford’s first-half strike was enough for Ole’s team to go level with Arsenal in the top four race.

Harry Kane almost gave the hosts the lead in the first half, only for the goal to be ruled offside. Spurs had plenty of opportunities to draw the match if not win it but failed to go past the ever-present David De Gea.

Much of the pre-match talk was about Pochettino’s interview for the United job and much of the early proceedings suggested that it was going to be a long night for United. But Ole implemented a caution-first approach which worked well for the players.

Here are the three reasons why Tottenham lost the PL game against Manchester United.

#1. Lack of midfield options for Tottenham

There was a big concern for the Spurs fans when Sissoko went down in the first half. The Frenchman was eventually replaced by Erik Lamela as Spurs didn’t have many options. Wanyama, Eric Dier and Moura are all injured.

Son Heung-Min is leaving for the Asia Cup and he would be not available for the next the weeks at least. Moussa Dembele is on the Chinese radar for a big money move. And if Sissoko is injured for a long time, it will leave Spurs with many boots to fill in the team. 18-year-old Oliver Skipp is the only current option for the next match and Pochettino doesn’t seem to have the confidence in including him in the starting line-up.

Pochettino’s decision to bring no players in the summer is backfiring now for the Spurs. However, there are still days left in the transfer window to rectify the problem.

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#2. Spurs failed to take their chances

Alli and Kane squandered many opportunities

Before the match Spurs were six points off the top of the table and a win would have taken them closer to the title race. However, just like many previous occasions, Spurs didn’t live up to the expectations when all eyes were on them.

Alli and Kane had many opportunities created by Son and other midfielders, but they failed to beat De Gea. Pochettino’s team was way ahead of United in terms of possession but were not able to make the most out of it.

United, meanwhile, had fewer chances but their strikers always hit the target and tested Lloris. Spurs need to be clinical in the upcoming matches if they were to clear the nine-point gap with Liverpool in the 16 matches left.

The Champions League schedule from the next week will make it even tougher for the players to go in full throttle for the Premier League.

#3. A David De Gea masterclass

De Gea had always been regarded as the best keeper in the world. However, his form dipped during the World Cup and also at the start of the season. However, under Ole, he seems to have found his lost confidence. His array of saves against a firing Spurs front three was a testament to the fact.

First, he saved a Kane attempt by stretching his legs, then kept out Dele Alli's header. Christian Eriksen was the next to be denied by De Gea who then saved an attempt from Alderweireld. He made a record 12 saves in the 2nd half of the match.

It was a display of goalkeeping of the highest level. De Gea gave the backline of United a force to rely upon during testing times against a strong team. He has been the savior for United in the past three years and could well prove to be the difference between United finishing in or out of the top four this season.