Red Devils rewarded at Spurs
Written By: Robert Halter
A rejuvenated Manchester United under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked to over turn Tottenham Hotspur. In the opening minute, a delivery from Kieran Trippier, dipped past the far left post. The Lilywhites threatened again in the ninth minute, when Harry Winks started the move and Christian Eriksen cleared the way for Heung-Min Son, who opened up space for Winks, whose left footed shot went past the right post. After Spurs won a corner off Phil Jones, it was taken by Trippier and a poor clearance from Paul Pogba, went out to Winks, who blazed the ball over. The Red Devils responded as Ashley Young’s cross, was not dealt with by Toby Alderweireld, and Jesse Lingard struck his shot wide to the right. Man U retaliated again, when Anthony Martial put Marcus Rashford through on goal, before his strike was saved by Hugo Lloris. In the eighteenth minute, Pogba found Martial whose shot was blocked by the legs of Lloris. On twenty five minutes, from Pogba’s cross field pass, the ball was bent over the upright by Martial. After half an hour, from Trippier’s cross, Dele Alli put the ball over to Harry Kane, who got in front of Victor Lindelof, and as he found the net, the goal was ruled out for offside. Medical attention was required for Moussa Sissoko who pulled up with a calf injury, and was soon replaced with Erik Lamela. However it was the Red Devils that struck first in the forty fourth minute, as Trippier gave the ball away to Lingard, and an over the top delivery by Pogba, cleared the way for Rashford, who from the right side of the box drilled a low strike into the bottom left corner. Two minutes into the second half from a Kane assist, a low daisy cutter by Son, was mowed down from David De Gea. In the forty eighth minute, Lamela and Alli orchestrated the chance for Kane, who fired his strike against the out stretched foot of De Gea. The Lilywhites pressed again from Son’s lay off to Alli, who curled an effort past the right post. Then in the fiftieth minute from a Trippier cross, a header by Alli was clawed away from De Gea, before Alli got booked for a foul on Pogba. In the fifty fourth minute, from Young’s delivery, a cushioned header by Pogba, was clasped up from Lloris. Two minutes later through a pass by Ander Herrera, gliding through off a deflection from Alderweireld, a lob by Pogba, was pushed over the upright by Lloris. In the fifty ninth minute, following a short corner with Lamela and Eriksen, getting in front of Jones, a downward header by Kane was stopped by De Gea. On the hour mark, a Trippier cross bounced off the shoulder of Lamela and out of play. But within two minutes, Martial cleared the path for Pogba, whose low strike was kept out at full stretch by Lloris. In the sixty fifth minute, Kane charged forward, before Eriksen’s strike rolled into De Gea. A minute later, Kane put through Alli, and with just De Gea to beat, he fired the ball at his out stretched leg. After Herrera got cautioned for a foul on Eriksen, the Dane curled the free kick past the left post. In the seventieth minute, from Eriksen’s corner, Alderweireld’s first time strike, was cleared on the line by De Gea’s foot. Then after Kane was brought down by Jones, his free kick was caught by De Gea. The Red Devils then brought on Romelu Lukaku for Martial. In the seventy fourth minute, Eriksen found an unmarked Alli, whose shot on the turn produced a sprawling save from De Gea. After Pogba got booked for a foul on Alli, Spurs changed Winks with Fernando Llorente, while United switched Lingard with Diogo Dalot. In the eighty sixth minute, Alli’s delivery was headed on by Llorente, and Kane’s shot was blocked with the out stretched foot of De Gea. Three minutes later, Trippier found an unmarked Llorente, whose soft effort went into De Gea’s safe keeping. In stoppage time, Scott McTominay replaced Pogba. In the end, Llorente’s delivery was just out of reach of Kane on the stretch, who finished the game with an ankle injury from a challenge by Jones, as Man United toppled Spurs 1-0.