Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester United: 5 talking points as Red Devils register emphatic comeback win | Premier League 2020-21 

A second-half fightback saw Manchester United come back from a goal down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 away from home in a 2020-21 Premier League game.

The visitors made one change from the side that saw off Brighton last weekend, with Scott McTominay coming in for Mason Greenwood. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho made three changes to his team that drew 2-2 with Newcastle United. Son Heung-Min, Serge Aurier and Eric Dier were all handed starts at the expense of Carlos Vinicius, Japhet Tanganha and Davinson Sanchez.

In a tetchy first half, neither side truly stamped their authority on the game. Manchester United had the ball in the back of the net when Edinson Cavani finished smartly after being played in by McTominay. However, the goal was ruled out for a foul by McTominay on Son in the build-up.

The South Korean international broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time. A well-worked team move saw Harry Kane tee up Lucas Moura before the Brazilian unselfishly squared for Son to put Tottenham Hotspur one goal up.

The second half saw Manchester United up the ante. They got a deserved equaliser when Fred finished a move he started after Edinson Cavani's shot was saved by Hugo Lloris. That was Fred's first goal in over a year.

The goal sparked Tottenham Hotspur into life, and both goalkeepers were soon called into action. But it was Manchester United who scored the next goal in the game.

Mason Greenwood's perfectly weighted pass found an unmarked Cavani in the box, and the 34-year-old made no mistake with his flying header from close range in the 79th minute.

Jose Mourinho reacted by bringing on Gareth Bale, but despite pushing for an equaliser, Tottenham Hotspur did not do enough to test Dean Henderson.

Instead, it was the visitors who bagged another goal with practically the last kick of the game. The impressive Paul Pogba fed Greenwood in the area, and the 19-year-old showed great composure to slot home from an acute angle.

On the overall balance of play, Manchester United were probably the deserved winners as the victory all but guarantees them second place in the league.

On that note, let's have a look at the five talking points from the game.

#1 Tottenham Hotspur's top-four ambitions dealt a huge blow

Tottenham Hotspur face a struggle to make the top four.

Football is a funny old game, something that can be seen in how Tottenham Hotspur's season has unravelled.

The north London outfit started the campaign like a house on fire, with Harry Kane and Son's seemingly telepathic connection propelling them to convincing victories.

Indeed, the last time Tottenham Hotspur met Manchester United, the Lily Whites ran amok in a 6-1 thrashing at Old Trafford. The talk at that time was about whether Tottenham Hotspur could mount a genuine title challenge.

However, an indifferent start to the year has seen the White Hart Lane outfit fall from their previous highs, which has been compounded by their embarrassing elimination from the Europa League.

Leicester City's loss to West Ham earlier on Sunday gave Tottenham Hotspur a narrow window of opportunity to stake an outside claim for a top-four finish. A win against Manchester United would have taken them to within three points of the final Champions League spot.

Defeat, however, leaves Mourinho's men playing catch-up, and with just seven matches to go, Tottenham Hotspur find themselves six points off the pace, having played a game more.

Indeed, there is a possibility that Spurs might finish entirely outside the top six, never mind finishing in the top four. That will represent a major travesty if Tottenham Hotspur fail to secure European football next season.

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#2 Manchester United showcase incredible power of recovery yet again

Manchester United have come back on several occasions this season.

Manchester United are renowned for unlikely comebacks, and some of the greatest moments in the club's history have come against all odds. 'Fergie Time' was really a thing, and games involving Manchester United were never truly over till the referee blew the final whistle.

This season, the Red Devils have taken their comebacks to new heights altogether. They have been, by far, the team with the best results from losing positions in the Premier League.

After going behind to Son's opener, Manchester United would have been forgiven for believing they could still win the game. After all, they have come back from half-time deficits on several occasions this season, with their most recent such effort coming last week.

This victory means Manchester United have now gained 28 points from losing positions this term, which is 12 points more than any other team.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once joked that his side like to do things the hard way. While straightforward wins are preferred, powers of recovery are also essential.

#3 Should Manchester United's goal have been disallowed?

Chris Kavanagh disallowed one of Manchester United's goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester United found the back of the net in the first half, but the goal was disallowed for an elbow by Scott McTominay on Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min.

Edinson Cavani was livid that the goal was cancelled, and the Uruguay international was well within his right to be angry.

The changes to the rules of the game allow the referee to disallow goals if fouls are committed in the build-up. But the manner in which the Manchester United goal was disallowed was preposterous.

In-match commentator Peter Drury voiced his displeasure at the decision, while studio analysts Roy Keane and Micah Richards also expressed dismay in the studio. Speaking on the disallowed goal, the former Manchester United captain said:

"A player like Son, to roll around like that is embarrassing. That can't be a foul."

To which Richards replied:

"It's embarrassing. It's not football anymore. I know we have a laugh every now and then but it's spoiling football. I can't recognise the game anymore. If this is a foul, Roy (Keane)'s right, we might as well go home now. It's an absolutely ridiculous decision. It's spoiling football."

While it is imperative to make the game of football as clean as possible, it is important to note that football is a contact sport, and physical contact cannot be entirely eradicated.

McTominay was not even aware of Son's presence, and the Tottenham Hotspur man was guilty of playing to the gallery after contact was made.

The reason for having VAR in the game is to reduce blatant errors as much as possible. But the essence of the technology gets defeated when farcical decisions like these are made on a consistent basis.

Although the disallowed goal ultimately did not have any impact on the scoreline, on another day, that could have cost Manchester United.

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#4 Impressive Paul Pogba brings his A-game

Paul Pogba dominated the game against Tottenham Hotspur

Paul Pogba has been playing some of his best football for Manchester United in recent weeks. The France international provided another immaculate performance against Tottenham Hotspur.

Pogba was started further upfield, away from his preferred position at the base of midfield, with Solsksjaer deploying him on the right flank of attack.

Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford interchanged positions throughout the game. But despite playing in an unfamiliar role, Pogba stepped up to the plate and dominated proceedings. He was arguably the best player for Manchester United and constantly put the Tottenham Hotspur defence on the backfoot with his passing and vision.

The 28-year-old ended what was a fine display with an assist for Mason Greenwood.

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#5 Mason Greenwood produces a stellar performance off the bench

Mason Greenwood scored in injury time against Tottenham Hotspur.

Mason Greenwood had his breakthrough campaign for Manchester United last term, scoring 17 goals in all competitions.

This season. the 19-year-old has stalled a bit, which is understandable, considering that he still has a lot of work to do.

Greenwood started the game against Spurs on the bench but was introduced for Marcus Rashford in the 72nd minute.

It took the England international just seven minutes to make his mark on the game, as he cut onto his stronger left foot and whipped in a precise cross for Edinson Cavani to put Manchester United ahead.

Mason Greenwood got on the scoresheet himself with practically the last kick of the game to score his seventh goal of the season for his boyhood club.