Man United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Kulusevski and Solanke score in big win
Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham: The hosts were humiliated and booed off after Bruno Fernandes was sent off at Old Trafford
Manchester United were hammered and humbled by Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, beaten 3-0 as captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red card.
The match got off in the worst possible way for the hosts as Micky van de Ven embarked on a brilliant run to tee up Brennan Johnson for a tap-in, but United failed to respond as they were dominated on their own patch throughout. Andre Onana prevented the scoreline from being any worse, but Fernandes’ knee-high challenge on James Maddison saw him sent-off right before half-time.
Straight after the restart Dejan Kulusevski volleyed in a second, while Dominic Solank poked in a third for Spurs later on - but the damage had long since been done as United were woeful and booed off the pitch by a section of their fans at full time. Follow all the reaction and updates in the live blog below:
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Ange Postecoglou ahead of kick-off now:
“Short turnaround from Thursday and Son just wasn’t right for today so we go without him.
“We’ve had to suffer those things a fair bit, key players missing out - you just have to learn to cope without him.
“Timo Werner is most comfortable there, that’s why we brought him to the club so he gets his opportunity today.
“You’re facing a big club here, an iconic stadium, lots of attention - they are the kind of games you want to be involved in.
“We’ve won the last three so we’re going ok. League form is mixed but performances aren’t bad - it’s a challenging start in terms of results but I’m pretty happy with how we play our football.”
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Ten Hag adds that Fernandes always ends up as creating the most chances for the team - he’s not worried about a lack of end product from him right now.
“Bruno will work on his form, he’s always working hard, taking responsibility and being captain. The goals and assists will come.”
He’s 11/10 to score or assist today against Spurs, or 8/1 to score the first goal.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Erik ten Hag ahead of kick-off:
“We have to kill in front of the goal. We are creating loads of chances but we don’t finish enough.
“I’ll be worried when we don’t create chances. I know we have players who can finish: Fernandes, Rashford, Garnacho, Hojlund. Plenty are good finishers.
“Rashford scored there last week so he’s in the right direction and now has to make the last step.”
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Form this season - all competitions:
Man Utd
LWLLWWDD
Spurs
DWLLWWW
Not too much to take as yet - Spurs’ three in a row have come against Coventry, Brentford and Qarabag. United’s only win against top-flight opponents in their current four in a row was at newly promoted Southampton.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
It was in the summer of 2023 when Erik ten Hag declared he wanted Manchester United to be “the best transition team in the world”. If he has succeeded, it is probably not quite in the meaning he intended, as the Red Devils enter this weekend following a 1-1 draw with Twente.
His side conceded too many goals on the counter-attack last season, forever looking susceptible to the break. But United are specialists in transition in a different respect. In the third season of Ten Hag’s reign, after 122 games and an outlay of £600m, they remain in transition.
They can seem forever mired there. It may be unfair to judge the Dutchman’s newest team after five league games, before the biggest summer signing Leny Yoro has even made his debut, but they are six points off the lead in the Premier League already. A marquee match against Tottenham is also a mid-table clash, with the sides sitting in 11th and 10th. Lose and the temptation would be to suggest it will already be a 12th successive season without a true title challenge.
Most of that is not Ten Hag’s fault, of course. But the club’s new chief executive Omar Berrada has set the target of winning the title by 2028 to mark their 150th anniversary. Which would require United to exit transition, to trade their inconsistency for the kind of sustained excellence the true contenders display.
United showed signs of it in Ten Hag’s debut campaign, during a run of 40 games that produced just four defeats. Their last six results – two defeats, two wins, two draws – follow a season when their longest unbeaten run spanned five matches.
Read Richard Jolly’s pre-match preview:
Ten Hag’s ultimate goal leaves Man Utd far away in their four-year plan
The Dutch coach believes the Red Devils have ‘turned a corner’, yet United are 11th ahead of a mid-table clash with Spurs
Man Utd v Spurs - live
As for Man United, there’s been a lot of talk over Bruno Fernandes’ lack of end product - one assist and no goals so far this term from five games. Nobody for the team has actually netted more than once or assisted more than once in the Premier League, however.
But is Fernandes underperforming in terms of execution, or merely playing poorly and not contributing?
He has a combined xG for the season of only 1.9, not high considering he’s still averaging 3.5 shots per 90, and six chances created isn’t high for him either. Missing three big chances is his biggest downfall so far though - while Zirkzee and Garnacho have missed four apiece.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Son hasn’t been Spurs’ go-to man for taking chances this season, but he has certainly been a creative force for them. His four big chances created is the highest in the squad this term, as are his 13 key passes in total.
But in Kulusevski and Maddison they still have two outlets who are laying on the chances and capable of adding goals too - Maddison netted his first of the season last week, though he’s back in central midfield rather than an attacking role now.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
A big miss to not have Son, but also a big chance for Timo Werner - it’s his first start of the campaign and he has only 38 minutes of Premier League action to his name so far.
The eyebrow-raising pairing of James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield continues, so it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top of that particular battle, with Christian Eriksen removed from United’s engine room this time around.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
An hour until kick-off at Old Trafford; a win for the hosts today will send them above Spurs and up to eighth. Spurs can go to the same position if they take the three points, while a draw leaves both in the same positions as now, tenth and eleventh.
Not where either one wants to be.
Spurs are ahead of United on goal difference, scoring four more this term, with both conceding five.
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