Before a watching Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United were an athletic, vibrant proposition who came up against the precise same entity in Tottenham in this sense-tingling, rip-roarer of an encounter.
As United’s incoming 25% owner, Ratcliffe could also be warmed by the fight and unity of Erik ten Hag’s team, elements not always visible this season. Spurs showed similar, as they twice went behind and fought back to depart as they arrived: in fifth place, eight points ahead of United, who are down in seventh with a goal difference of minus five.
This was the first occasion that United’s scorers, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund, registered in the same match which, given they are supposed A-list forwards, tells the tale of why opponents have been breached only 24 times in the Premier League this term. And Ten Hag ended questioning his defence as Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur, who struck for Spurs, were each allowed generous space to do so.
Højlund’s opener had the stadium exploding three minutes in. Bruno Fernandes’s pass from midfield was a curving moment of high skill because it split open Spurs and had the No 10 galloping in. A clumsy touch took him wide so he cut back across the area. Now, Destiny Udogie intervened, his foot inadvertently tapping the ball to Højlund, whose blistering finish was rifled into the net’s roof.
Before and after this Spurs broke along the right but each time a poor delivery had Ange Postecoglou turning away upset. Better was the Brennan Johnson chip that gave Timo Werner a chance of glory on his debut but his header was cleared for a corner by Jonny Evans. When this was delivered Bentancur rose first and was denied an equaliser by Diogo Dalot’s clearance.
In what was already a careering 100mph affair Kobbie Mainoo swivelled balletically to remove Oliver Skipp from the equation and, moments later, dropped a slide-rule perfect ball on to Rashford’s toes as United camped in Spurs’ territory. And, now, those in white levelled to Postecoglou’s delight and Ten Hag’s despair. Forget all the discourse about the beauty of “Ange-ball”, this was route-one-ball. Pedro Porro lifted a corner in from the left, Aaron Wan-Bissaka allowed Richarlison to rise unmarked and the Brazilian’s flick beat André Onana to the United No 1’s left.
Postecoglou was also the happier as his team hogged the ball at about the 60% mark throughout and, when not in possession, were often able to force errors from United – Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho were two victims – to claim it back. Ten Hag’s men were potent, though, and might have had a penalty when Udogie wrapped his arms around Garnacho in the area. John Brooks waved away the appeals and the VAR backed the referee to the disgust of Ten Hag, who voiced his unhappiness afterwards.
Ratcliffe, relaxed during an informal pre-game meet-and-greet, was being treated to one of his new team’s better outings. And after Udogie headed a Rashford cross against Guglielmo Vicario’s left post, Rashford gave United the lead.
This was a slick pinball-esque sequence that had Højlund pinging to Fernandes, whose instant lay-off hit Rashford lurking on the left. The No 10’s pass to Højlund teemed velocity but the Dane was cool enough to return it straight to Rashford, who blazed in for only a fourth in club colours this season.
Advantage United in a contest akin to basketball-on-skates. But not for long, as Spurs equalised so soon after the whistle for the second half that Ten Hag was not in his seat. This was, as he stated, soft from his charges because Skipp could easily find Werner, who could also relax before rolling the ball to Bentancur. The midfielder’s run into the area was imaginative, United’s inability to smell danger odd: the Uruguayan’s strike gave Onana no chance.
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United, stunned, needed to respond. Instead, Richarlison won a free-kick, Porro swung in a corner, Højlund was caught offside: Spurs were a streetwise outfit who had their hosts on the back foot, prompting Ten Hag to change Christian Eriksen for Scott McTominay. Suddenly Højlund was burning away from Micky van de Ven, who was playing for the first time since his hamstring injury in November, and who is rapid himself. But the Dane could not finish, and neither could McTominay, whose effort rolled wide.
Next, Evans was replaced by Lisandro Martínez, who has been out since September with a foot problem, and he, in added time, saw McTominay spurn a golden chance to head the winner from near-in.
Ratcliffe sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson and was spied having a pre‑game laugh with the club’s greatest manager. The Ineos owner, who is to control football operations, ing a structural review of the club. United and Spurs now have a fortnight winter break. Of the two, Ten Hag’s team remain the more needful of extra time on the training pitch.
