Manchester United put in a stellar performance as they began a run of tough fixtures with a win against fellow top four challengers Tottenham.
Marouane Fellaini gave the Reds a quick lead with a sublime finish across Hugo Lloris before Michael Carrick doubled it with a powerful header across goal. Wayne Rooney took on four defenders and brushed them all out of the way to finish past Lloris and celebrate fantastically.
United’s movement and clever passing was a huge improvement on all 28 previous matches this season. The re-introduction of Carrick and Mata saw United attack with great style and finish past Lloris thrice to take them 5 points clear of Liverpool in 5th and just 2 points off 2nd placed Manchester City.
The calamitous defending that handed Arsenal the path to the FA Cup semi-final on Monday night continued with Phil Jones’ back pass causing David De Gea to stretch out to avoid a horrendous own goal.
Daley Blind, out of position at left-back, mis-controlled the ball on the halfway line to cause no trouble but continue the run of awful defensive errors.
The only positive on Monday night was Rooney’s fantastic goal and his pullback to Juan Mata, back in the starting XI for the first time since January 17th, found its way in between the Spaniard and his fellow countryman, Ander Herrera.
Herrera joined up with Fellaini to press the Spurs defence extremely high and at a strong rate and United had 70% of possession in the first ten minutes. Yet Fellaini’s movement, similar to that of which Falcao should be doing, brought the opportunity to finish with a striker’s style.
Quick movement has been thoroughly missed at United this season, especially coming out of defence but Jones sent the ball into space for Carrick to pounce on and play through Fellaini. The Belgium international took the ball in his stride before curling the ball across the goal and away from Hugo Lloris into the right side netting to give United a 9th minute lead, an early lead – another thing amiss from United’s top four chase this season.
Mata and Carrick’s re-introduction into the starting XI increased United’s attacking prowess, despite the lack of Angel Di Maria, Adnan Januzaj or Radamel Falcao. Mata began on the right-wing but consistently drifted inside to spread the ball to the opposite the flank where Ashley Young and Blind combined well as an attacking duo.
The pair earned a corner and despite calls from Mata to play it short and quick, Fellaini claimed the Spanish’s outswinging ball with little challenge from Eric Dier only for his powerful header to be blocked. The subsequent, cleared ball came to the head of Michael Carrick, a rare occasion, for the returning midfielder to head it across goal, past three defenders and Hugo Lloris and double United’s well-earned lead.
Movement not seen regularly enough from the eleven in red shirts in the past couple of years in combination with Fellaini, Mata and Rooney’s high, relentless pressure and the short passing ability of Ander Herrera and the stunning long balls from Michael Carrick gave United a dominating first 30 minutes.
So much was the domination of Manchester United and the lack of defensive stability from Spurs that Mauricio Pochettino brought off Andros Townsend for Mousa Dembele with just half an hour gone.
On the back of a week where Wayne Rooney was knocked out by former-United teammate Phil Bardsley in his own kitchen, the Englishman picked up on a loose ball 10 yards into his own half and with no options around him, dribbled through four Tottenham defenders, looked towards Hugo Lloris’ right corner before finishing it in his left corner. The celebration, on Monday’s back pages, involved the captain punching the air before falling to the floor – even more delightful than United’s attacking, Ferguson-esque, play.
Rooney had the opportunity to extend United’s lead on the volley after a wonderful drilled cross from Marouane Fellaini, drifting on to the left flank but could only hit wide.
United’s patient possession play transformed into attacking threat with ease unlike in any game throughout this season and a 3-0 half-time lead was given a rapturous standing ovation by the 75,000 at Old Trafford seeing a first brilliant performance in two seasons.
Spurs came out with a better move in the first minute than in the first half, spreading the ball out wide to Bentaleb only for Valencia to cleverly begin a counter-attack.
Without any worries for United’s defence, more confident after a brilliant first half, Spurs settled into the game for the first time. Pochettino’s half-time talk clearly having an impact, they kept possession of the ball and searched for an opening rather than the long ball football they resorted to as the first half came to an end.
Ryan Mason departed for Erik Lamela but the Italian’s input failed to move Spurs out of comfort in controlling the ball and into an attacking threat.
The incisive attacking play full of movement and high pressure from the first half slowly resorted to no pressure from Fellaini, no quick movement from Herrera or Young and no probing attacks.
While United fans were sure they preferred van Gaal to Mourinho because of Mourinho’s defensive style, van Gaal’s insistence to take the Reds’ foot off the pedal with a 3-0 lead seemed very similar to the Chelsea tactics which see them in first this season and see them on the wrong end of huge criticism.
Despite the dropping off of United, van Gaal’s side looked more likely to score with Fellaini and Rooney gradually moving further up the pitch as the clock ticked towards a United victory.
After a performance that should earn another start in the big game against Liverpool, Juan Mata departed to a standing ovation for 19-year-old Andreas Pereira, taker of Adnan Januzaj’s number 44. Emmanuel Adebayor arrived on for Nacer Chadli in hope that the striker would earn redemption from the Tottenham faithful with a stunning hattrick, but it was not to be.
Another star performer left the pitch as van Gaal brought on Radamel Falcao in search of a goal for the Colombian, who was dropped into the U21s last week. Marouane Fellaini also received a standing ovation and the man of the match award from Gary Neville after a brilliant, striker’s finish and pressure causing Spurs to crumble in the first half.
The third of United’s good performances departed as the game went into it;s final minutes with Michael Carrick being replaced by Rafael, just back from injury after scoring a stunning goal for the U21s. Carrick’s return coincided with United’s best performance of the season and it is no surprise. His coolness in midfield and a wonderful header as well as an assist topping off the numerous chances he made will have secured him the first place on the team sheet next week against Liverpool.
Louis van Gaal’s side responded to their disappointing FA Cup loss on Monday night with a superb first half against Pochettino’s Spurs side who have lost at Old Trafford for the first time in three encounters.
Pochettino will be thoroughly disappointed with a big loss at the hands of a top four rival who have looked shaky all season. Spurs no lie some way off the top four race, described as a ‘rat race’ by Louis van Gaal. 6 points now separate them and United who head into games against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal 5 points clear of Liverpool – who play on Monday.
United looked like United. They moved, they passed and were ruthless, scoring three goals from three shots on target. Liverpool are next for van Gaal’s side and United fans will be hoping the availability of Di Maria and Falcao will not affect the starting XI who performed so brilliantly on Sunday.
Harry Robinson
Manchester United Editor at FansCorner and VAVEL UK.
U7's coach at AFC Southgate.
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