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:
Team news! Man Utd vs Tottenham
Son Heung-min misses out after limping off Tottenham’s win over Qarabag in midweek. He is replaced by Timo Werner, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski also starting in an attacking line-up named by Ange Postecoglou.
Manuel Ugarte makes his first start for Manchester United. He replaces Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee all start.
Team news! Man Utd vs Tottenham
Man Utd XI: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Ugarte, Fernandes, Garnacho, Zirkzee, Rashford.
Spurs XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Maddison, Bentancur; Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner; Solanke.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Team news coming up in just a few minutes - the big questions will be over whether Ten Hag starts Rashford or Amad on the wings, with Garnacho now looking a likely starter once more.
Whether Ugarte starts in midfield is another debate, while Spurs are hoping for Son to be fit.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Ten Hag on his team’s need to control the match today:
“I think it will be a very intensive game,” the United manager said. “It is always against Tottenham. I think it is our style as well, so I think it is going to be a very dynamic, attractive game.
“Of course every opponent has strengths and weaknesses and Tottenham have their strengths definitely. In their philosophy they are very clear, very attacking but that leaves also space, but that is what they take into account. Maybe that can help but you have to be very good against Tottenham.
“If you want to control the game, then you need again a high performance level and then we will create again, I am sure, and then it’s about taking your chances.”
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Erik ten Hag is convinced Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes will soon be back to his best having made a slow start to the season.
The 30-year-old attacking midfielder joined from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 and is United’s most successful signing since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Fernandes signed a new and improved deal until 2027, with the option of a further year, on the eve of a season that he has yet to set alight. The Portugal international has provided four assists but has yet to find the net ahead of taking on Tottenham this Sunday.
“I think the team brings him now in the situation,” Ten Hag said. “I think he is capable, and he has proven this so many years already in the Premier League that he can create many chances. I am convinced this season he will not do differently. He will come and respond, he will find his form and he is already creating chances, but he will make final passes, he will score goals 100 per cent and it’s just a matter of time.”
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Erik ten Hag’s ultimate goal leaves Manchester United far away in their four-year plan
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.
Richard Jolly previews United’s next challenge:
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
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou praised the intent of his team after they started their Europa League campaign with an impressive 3-0 home win over Qarabag despite being forced to play with 10 men for 83 minutes.
After kick-off was delayed due to the late arrival of Qarabag’s team bus, Radu Dragusin’s night lasted only seven minutes when he received a red card for a cynical pull on Juninho as Spurs’ last-man.
It failed to significantly knock Tottenham off their stride though, with Brennan Johnson able to score for a third successive match five minutes later before Pape Sarr doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 52nd minute.
Spurs boss Postecoglou was left with some late concerns after Son limped off in the 71st-minute before Archie Gray appeared in pain late on.
Johnson was also withdrawn at half-time after he continued his rich vein of form, but the Australian played down concerns.
“I haven’t spoke to him. He said he felt a bit tired, but I haven’t spoken to him or the medical team yet,” Postecoglou said of Son.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Erik ten Hag says he respects the critics and even embraces some of their suggestions as Manchester United’s frequently under-fire manager prepares to take on Tottenham.
Sunday sees the stuttering Red Devils welcome Ange Postecoglou’s side four days after their deflating 1-1 draw with FC Twente at an expectant Old Trafford.
Ten Hag was annoyed by United’s mentality and toothlessness in a Europa League opener that followed a frustrating 0-0 stalemate at Crystal Palace.
Those results, but particularly Wednesday’s performance, have increased the noise around United, but Ten Hag has long since learned how to deal with doubters.
Manchester United must ‘respect the criticism’, claims under-pressure Erik ten Hag
Ten Hag was annoyed by United’s mentality and toothlessness against FC Twente.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
Spurs don’t have quite as many absentees to contend with, as attackers Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are the only definite players out through injury.
Son Heung-min went off during the week but Ange Postecoglou wasn’t too downbeat about it, while Brennan Johnson’s substitution was tactical, he added, not through a knock.
There were several changes in their team for the win over Qarabag, though the likes of Micky van der Ven, Dominic Solanke and Son all still played.
Man Utd v Spurs - live
United are still suffering with some injury issues, in particular in defence.
Leny Yoro is still out for some time and awaiting a competitive debut, while fellow centre-back Victor Lindelof is sidelined. So two are left-backs Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw, meaning Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui continue as the full-backs in Erik ten Hag’s team.
Not too much scope for him to alter things, there, with both playing in midweek too.
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