Manchester United put last weekend's defeat to Liverpool behind them with a convincing 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.
Goals either side of half time from Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed a much-needed victory for the United, who made light work of a flat and lifeless Tottenham side.
Just when United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer — who has seen a huge weight lifted off his shoulders as a result of his side's much-needed win — needed Ronaldo to step up and rediscover his form, the Portuguese ace did exactly that, scoring United's first with an excellent volley, before playing a beautiful pass through to Cavani for him to net the second. Rashford rounded off the scoring with a cool and calm finish.
Victory in the capital has lifted United up to fifth in the table, meaning they are now only three points behind Manchester City ahead of next weekend's derby at Old Trafford.
Given that United needed a response after last Sunday's horror-show at the hands of Liverpool, Solskjaer could not have asked for any better.
With that in mind, MEN Sport has taken a close look at how the national media reported the action from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mirror
"A front two, a back five, the oldest starting line-up in nearly three years," Samuel Meade wrote for the Mirror. "Not very Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - or is it?
"The Manchester United boss was in desperate need of a result following the humiliating defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford last week.
"He rang the changes in north London and, given his desire to honour the club's traditions, one of which is backing youth, went very much for age and experience.
"His tweaks worked wonders as United saw off Tottenham to pick up a confidence boosting three points.
"The inspired changes meant United were good value for their three goals and three points - but it was so not United.
"At least the United we have come to know recently. One that backs attacking talent - for better or, as has been often, for worse.
"The perk of this 5-3-2 system was the was it allowed Ronaldo to flourish however."
The Sun
"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pulled himself off the canvas as it became the turn of Nuno Espirito Santo to get a bloody nose," Charlie Wyett wrote for The Sun.
"The Manchester United manager lives to fight another day, even though this deserved win in north London still feels as though it is only delaying the inevitable.
"Yet at least United showed some character with Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, the oldest swingers in town, having too much nous and class for a shocking Tottenham team.
It was certainly a horrendous night for Santo who is increasingly unpopular with the locals. They chanted ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ when he replaced Lucas Moura with Steven Bergwijn in the 54th minute.
"After substitute Marcus Rashford added the third, the Tottenham fans made it clear they wanted the manager to be leaving with "we want Nuno out".
"United’s supporters will not turn on Solskjaer, their former player, in such a way for obvious reasons. Yet Santo, a difficult character to warm to, has no credit in the bank around White Hart Lane."
The Telegraph
"For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the long week of repentance, this was a game that turned into someone else’s tragedy, which was as good as the Manchester United manager might have hoped for after the wreckage of Liverpool last Sunday and all that talk of the end coming," Sam Wallace wrote for The Telegraph.
"He is a man with a useful habit of salvaging a result each time his toes are nearing the precipice and suddenly the Champions League date with Atalanta in Bergamo on Tuesday and the visit of Manchester City in a week’s time look that bit less daunting.
"Instead Solskjaer saw close-up the makings of a managerial calamity with a full-scale mutiny directed at Nuno Espirito Santo amid the kind of defeat that can bring the end very quickly for a Tottenham Hotspur manager.
"It is Nuno thrust into survival mode: booed at half-time, booed for his substitution of Lucas Moura, and then finally the Spurs fans called for him to go. When United substitute Marcus Rashford added the third with four minutes of regulation time left the South Stand sang 'We want Nuno out', and as a chairman who is acutely aware of his own fragile relationship with the fanbase, Daniel Levy may just oblige them.
"These were two clubs enduring crises of their own and for the Spurs manager there is no goodwill from a heroic playing backstory to fall back upon."
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