By mashele
Manchester United's resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took yet another positive turn with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
Marcus Rashford's first-half strike ensured that the Red Devils got their 41st point now at par with 5th placed Arsenal. The Gunnars superior goal difference is what now keeps them a better side to Man United.
Harry Winks was unfortunate to see his shot go across goalmouth after well beating David De Gea. The Spur’s move started with Eriksen clipping the ball for Son before the South Korean beat Jones and put the ball on the path of the Englishman in the 9th minute. Man United breath a collective sigh of relief.
Marcus Rashford could not get his shot on target after his teammates combined at the back, cut into the midfield and finally laid the ball for him but fired a low, weak pass that was no problem for Hugo Lloris in goal.
Kane’s 28th-minute goal was overruled by the offside flag as the English captain tapped in from a no man's zone. It was Trippier and Alli who worked down the right flank before putting the ball on the path of their international counterpart.
"That's the one thing you're really noticing under the stewardship of Solskjaer - bodies forward and bodies in the box. The speed at which United are moving in transition is causing a problem for Tottenham. Both teams are looking really bright going forward, though," Garry Neville observed at Wembley.
Rashford's third consecutive goal
A minute to the end of the regular time of first half, Solskjaer’s tricks looked to have worked as Spurs were caught and beaten by a blistering counter-attack. Trippier lost the ball to Lingard and Lingard passed it to Pogba who located Rashford with one sumptuous, clinical long pass. Rashford did not disappoint as he raced past Jan Vertonghen and fired lowly past Lloris. The French keeper got a piece of the ball but that did not prevent it from kissing the bottom corner. Marcus Rashford has scored in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time in his career.
"It's devastating from United. Pogba's pass is world-class and Lingard is alive in transition. Solskjaer's tactics have worked an absolute treat. It's brilliant from Rashford but that pass from Pogba is wonderful. He's the No 1 now. He's the man," Neville added after the goal.
Impervious gloves
De Gea’s huge save denied Kane after Spur broke through with Alli and Trippier engineering the all-flowing counter-attack five minutes after the resumption of the second half. De Gea did not put himself under pressure by trying to go low and punch the ball away. He just used his feet to clear the ball away from his area.
Lloris had his moment to pull a save that denied Pogba a goal five minutes after De Gea kept the score in favour of Man United. Pogba got his way through three bodies in white and attempted to loft the ball over Lloris but the France captain rose high to tap it over the crossbar.
De Ge kept keeping Spurs away by his brilliant saves with his left foot. The Spaniard denied Alli, then Alderweireld and before long it was Kane’s free-kick that was headed to the top corner that landed on De Gea’s waiting and outstretched gloves.
Pre-match Opta Stats
- Manchester United have lost their last three away Premier League matches against Spurs – they had lost just three of their first 23 against them in the competition between 1992 and 2014 (W12 D8).
- Spurs could become the first team since Everton in 1987 to win four consecutive home top-flight matches against Manchester United.
- Manchester United have lost two of their last three matches at Wembley in all competitions (including this exact fixture last season), as many as they had in their last 15 at the ground (W8 D5 L2).
- Manchester United have won just four of their last 17 away Premier League matches in London (D4 L9).
- Tottenham haven’t lost consecutive home league games since May 2015, when they lost against Aston Villa and Man City.
- After winning their last four league games against fellow ‘big six’ opposition last season, Manchester United are winless in their five such matches this term (D2 L3).
- A victory here would see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer equal Matt Busby’s record of a Manchester United manager winning their first five league games in charge of the club.
- Harry Kane and Lucas Moura (2) were on the scoresheet in Tottenham’s 3-0 win in the reverse fixture – only Clint Dempsey in 2012-13 and Jermaine Jenas in 2005-06 have scored home and away against Man Utd for Spurs in the same Premier League campaign.
- Tottenham’s Harry Kane has scored eight goals in his last eight Premier League starts.
