Manchester United vs Tottenham result: Five things we learned from feisty pre-season friendly
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side won courtesy of a fine finish from teenager Angel Gomes
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Your support makes all the difference.1. Anthony Martial reiterates potential
The summer sunshine hasn’t nursed Anthony Martial’s surly gait but the Manchester United striker showed encouraging signs of recapturing goalscoring form ahead of the new season. The Frenchman, who signed a new deal with United at the end of January, exchanged a central role fluidly with 17-year-old Mason Greenwood in the first half and scored the game’s opening goal with a cute finish between the legs of Paolo Gazzaniga.
Of course, goals at this stage are largely irrelevant in the type of fixture where a goalie might take a penalty and a hoard of teenagers are trialled in midfield against Champions League runners-up. But, nevertheless, the splicing runs and a directness that evoked headier days of promise at Monaco showed glimpses of what he could belatedly deliver for United this season.
2. Son Heung-min stays on trajectory
The haze of excited frenzy that greeted Son Heung-min’s arrival in the second half of this match indicated how the South Korean boasts a starlight that reaches across the entirety of Asia. During pre-season, the man who rapidly emerged as Spurs’ talisman in the absence of Harry Kane spoke about his desire to build on a career-best year.
Having enjoyed a rest after a relentless schedule that saw him feature at the 2018 World Cup, throughout Tottenham’s Premier League and European campaigns, as well as an appearance at the Asian Cup in the last year, Son returned with a zip in his step and immediately imposed himself as Spurs’ most dangerous player in the second half. Now having Tanguy Ndombele to feed off in the midfield, as well as the potential stay of Christian Eriksen, he has every bit the platform to capitalise on
3. Paul Pogba shows no signs of departure
In football’s labyrinth of persuasion and dealings, it’s never safe to make predictions and yet it appears largely safe to say that Paul Pogba will remain a United player for this season. Despite declaring his desire to move on and hitting back at perceived mistreatment, the midfielder started in the centre of midfield and showed little ill-grace or lack of desire. United are firm in their desire for the player to stay and Zinedine Zidane’s efforts to persuade the Real Madrid hierarchy to draw him to the Bernabeu are frittering and despite the many criticism he faces, there’s no questioning what a benefit to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side that will be.
4. Angel Gomes reproves his place as top prospect
For a while last season, it felt as if Angel Gomes had become the forgotten member of the youth team to emerge onto the grand stage, despite making his first-team debut over two years ago. Instead, a lot of the hysteria around this season’s breakout stars centred on Greenwood, Tahith Chong and James Garner. There have also been questions over whether Gomes has the physicality to deal with the pressure of the Premier League, standing at just 5’4”.
However, after coming on for the second half, the tricky winger was a persistent danger down the left-hand side and skipped in beyond the back-line with a silky touch before stroking the winner into the far corner towards the end of the second half and reiterated his case amongst the club’s best young talent.
5. Feisty clash costly for Bailly
For a lucrative, pocket-lining friendly in the far East, it was an occasion where the rivalry between these two Premier League sides carried vigorously across shores. Within the opening minutes, Dele Alli had scythed his way through two tackles of red card ilk, Moussa Sissoko had upended poor diminutive Daniel James at the corner flag with the emphatic thud of a steam-train before treading on United’s new signing. In retaliation, the ever-feisty Andreas Perreira aimed a studs-up sliding challenge at the frail ankles of Harry Kane to the wail of the crowd in Shanghai.
The casualty of the match, though, didn’t come by way of such a tackle, instead in another cruel injury to Eric Bailly. The Ivorian centre-back keeled over at the beginning of the second half, causing his teammates to call for the medical staff urgently, and was subsequently taken off the pitch on a stretcher. The repercussions could see United finally meet Leicester’s £80m evaluation for Harry Maguire but, for Bailly, it’s another disheartening blow to his time in Manchester that’s already been blighted by a spate of serious injuries.
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