Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham Hotspurs: 5 Hits and Flops
The last Premier League match of this month saw Manchester United square off against Tottenham Hotspur at the Theatre of Dreams. The Red Devils’ had come off a 3-2 loss to newly promoted Brighton and Hove Albion, with Jose Mourinho demanding ‘reaction’ from his players in the build-up to this match, and that is exactly what he got in the first half.
United were full of flair and aggression deploying a 3-5-2 formation in the first half and created the better chances of the two sides, with Fred getting a crack at goal in the first 15 seconds of the game and Lukaku failing to convert in front of an empty goal. The first half ended with United dominating but failing to hit the target.
The second half saw a complete reversal, as Spurs, who had gained some momentum from the latter stages of the first half, pressed on and scored early into the second half. It was England international, Harry Kane, who converted from a corner and moments later, a recent signing from PSG, Lucas Moura scored to tilt it heavily in Spurs’ favour.
Mourinho’s change in formation couldn’t inspire a comeback as Spurs pushed on to make it 3-0 another to become the 4th team in the Premier League to make it 3 out of 3, putting them just behind Liverpool on goal difference in the points table. On the other hand, this defeat puts United in the bottom half of the table at 13th, marking United’s worst start to a season since 1992-93, and many would suggest a storm is brewing at Old Trafford.
Let’s take a look at 5 players who experienced contrasting fortunes in this match:
#5 Hit: Luke Shaw
One of the unlikely starters for Manchester United at the beginning of the season, Luke Shaw has turned out to be one of Manchester United’s best defenders of the season. The only surviving member of United’s defence from Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Brighton, Shaw was a bundle of energy and revelled in his new role as a left-wing back.
The young English full-back was arguably United’s best player in the match, and he provided excellent width to the United attack, making surging runs down the left flank, putting in excellent crosses into the box and finding Lukaku time and time again. Shaw remained solid at the back and couldn’t be put to fault for the goals they conceded.
Shaw’s promising start to the season has seen him keep Ashley Young out of the United squad and has been the only positive for United fans on a day the Red Devils’ lost their 50th match at the Theatre of Dreams.