Manchester United vs. Tottenham: Score, Grades, Reaction from Premier League

Manchester United dealt Tottenham Hotspur a significant blow in the race for the top four in the Premier League on Sunday as they cruised to a convincing 3-0 victory at Old Trafford.

First-half goals from Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney—who marked the goal with a humorous “knockout” celebration, a reference to a video of him that emerged Sunday, per the Press Association (h/t The Guardian)—secured a remarkably one-sided victory for Louis van Gaal’s side, as Spurs failed to start with any real confidence or momentum and paid a high price.

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VINE: Brilliant celebration from Rooney! https://t.co/nXNxMMCXk1 #MUFC #MUFCvTHFC

— LiveFootball (@livefootball) March 15, 2015"

Mauricio Pochettino’s men gave a slightly better account of themselves in the second half but never realistically looked like scoring one goal, let alone sparking a remarkable comeback, as United created space between themselves and another rival in the all-important Champions League qualification race.

The result leaves United fourth in the table with 56 points, although Liverpool (whom United face next week) can reduce that gap to just two if they beat Swansea City on Monday.

Spurs remain in seventh on 50 points, however, and will now need to embark on a very strong finish to the season if they are to reel in that deficit and qualify for the main European competition.

“The first half today was the best 45 minutes we’ve had all season,” Rooney told Sky Sports afterwards. “Second half, we defended really well and saw the game out."

He added: "We knew it was a big game today, with [Manchester] City losing yesterday, and to take the points off Tottenham. It’s a great three points for us."

Almost from the off, it was clear that this was going to be United’s day, despite the fact—or perhaps because of it—that Van Gaal had been forced to change his team around to cope with some suspensions and injuries. Daley Blind dropped in to left-back as Carrick claimed the holding role in midfield, while Rooney led the line alone as both Juan Mata and Ander Herrera played from the off.

Spurs, in contrast, named a starting XI that will have been familiar to anyone who has watched them in recent weeks—although Pochettino's withdrawal of Andros Townsend after just 30 minutes, replacing him with Mousa Dembele, saw the manager perhaps admit early on that he had erred in his selection.

Regardless, this was a Spurs performance full of nerves, mistakes and inexperience, as a young side seemed overawed by the occasion. They failed to create a single shooting opportunity in the first half (coming closest to scoring when Phil Jones’s back-pass nearly caught out David de Gea), as United picked them off at will.

It took just nine minutes for United to open the scoring, in a fashion that Pochettino will not enjoy reviewing later on. Carrick, sublime as usual in that important central position, was given the freedom of the pitch to push forward with the ball, picking the perfect pass for Fellaini as the latter ran into the box.

Eric Dier gave the Belgian too much room as he lashed a first-time shot across Hugo Lloris that the goalkeeper was unable to stop.

Ten minutes later it was 2-0, with Carrick this time the scorer as Fellaini played his part in the buildup. The former Everton player headed a deep corner into the box toward goal, only for Nacer Chadli to half-clear it. The ball came out perfectly for Carrick, however, who steered a powerful header into the same corner Fellaini had previously found.

Barely 20 minutes in, the pressure was mounting on the visitors, who were struggling horribly to keep hold of the ball and relieve the pressure on their defence for any sort of sustained period with attacking moves. Harry Kane was virtually a spectator, as Christian Eriksen was also nullified almost completely. 

In the end, Townsend suffered the embarrassment of being substituted before half-time, as Dembele came on to perhaps offer another ball-retainer in the central areas. Unfortunately for Pochettino, it would turn out to be another player who would give the ball away in the middle of the park as Spurs conceded a third goal.

Nabil Bentaleb was the unfortunate culprit, the 20-year-old passing directly to Rooney under no obvious pressure. Rooney did not need to be asked twice to take advantage, the England international breezing past Dier before aiming his shot low and to Lloris’s right.

With a nod to Sunday’s newspaper headlines, the striker celebrated his strike by mimicking the “knockout blow” he had received from former teammate Phil Bardsley in a video—although it was Spurs who were the ones now left on the ropes.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Spurs went into the break 3-0 down, with little positive to take from an opening 45 minutes where they had been thoroughly outclassed.

If anything, United did not want half-time to come, and the break seemed to rob the hosts of some of their momentum. Spurs certainly came out for the second period with a greater resolve, the addition of Dembele belatedly enabling them to control more and more of the ball in the middle of the pitch.

That did not spark a comeback, however, with Spurs’ first shot on goal coming from well outside the area. Ryan Mason missed the target comfortably, and Spurs would not go any closer for the next 20 minutes as United defended with great organisation to fully protect their advantage.

The next 20 minutes passed in a blur, with Spurs passing the ball around in the middle of the park and United reining in many of their attacking instincts. From United’s perspective, it had the desired effect—killing off the match as a contest—even if it removed any drama from the final 15 minutes for the neutrals.

Van Gaal used the opportunity to give a Premier League debut to Andreas Pereira, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder around whom there has been so much speculation. This is what Spurs had been reduced to: the unfortunate, beaten opponents used to give United’s next generation a taste of the big time.

Radamel Falcao also came on to generous applause, and Emmanuel Adebayor made a rare Spurs appearance. But it was Kane who had the one notable chance of the closing stages, the striker shooting straight at De Gea when presented with just about his only sight of goal of the game.

The final whistle ended Spurs’ nightmare, with United’s fans finally able to celebrate the twin delights of a positive performance and an emphatic result. Such a combination has often eluded Van Gaal’s team this season, but this performance at least offered the prospect of a strong finish to the campaign—something that will serve them well in their top-four pursuit.  

Before that, however, Rooney's celebration looks set to occupy the headlines for a while.

"That’s the world we live in today," the forward added. "It’s somehow managed to go to the front page of a national newspaper. It was just a few friends joking about. It was in a private home.

"It’s more interesting for other people than myself. You’ve seen today, I’ve done a professional job.”

Jon Super/Associated Press

Player Ratings

Player	Rating
David De Gea	6
Antonio Valencia	7
Chris Smalling	7
Phil Jones	7
Daley Blind	8
Michael Carrick	8
Ander Herrera	7
Juan Mata	7
Ashley Young	7
Marouane Fellaini	8
Wayne Rooney	8
Substitutions
Andreas Pereira	6
Radamel Falcao	6
Rafael da Silva	n/a

Player	Rating
Hugo Lloris	6
Kyle Walker	6
Eric Dier	6
Jan Vertonghen	7
Danny Rose	6
Nabil Bentaleb	6
Ryan Mason	6
Nacer Chadli	5
Christian Eriksen	6
Andros Townsend	5
Harry Kane	6
Substitutions
Mousa Dembele	6
Erik Lamela	6
Emmanuel Adebayor	6

What's Next?

Manchester United visit Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday in another game with huge consequences for the Champions League qualification race. Tottenham, meanwhile, host bottom side Leicester City at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Quotes taken from Sky Sports' live match broadcast.