Tottenham hit new heights in Manchester United mauling as Ange Postecoglou delivers landmark win
Brennan Johnson opened the scoring inside three minutes with a back-post tap-in following an incredible run from deep inside his own half from Micky van de Ven, who reached the byline and squared for the winger.
Spurs had a host of opportunities to double their lead before Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red card for a lunge on James Maddison shortly before the interval.
Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 with a smart finish from Johnson’s cross at the start of the second half and Dominic Solanke added a late third to pile the pressure on United boss Erik ten Hag.
Here are three Spurs talking points from the match…
It is four wins on the bounce now for Postecogou’s Tottenham, and this was by far the most significant.
Spurs earned a first win against a ‘big-six’ rival in a year and first away from home under Postecoglou to suggest the Australian’s side have hit their stride after a frustrating start to the season.
The post-match narrative will inevitably focus on United’s wretched performance, while Ten Hag will presumably point to the red card as a turning point. But make no mistake, Spurs were outstanding and could have been out of sight long before Fernandes’ lunge on Maddison.
Only bad luck, wasteful finishing and a string of smart saves from Andre Onana prevented the visitors from racking up an even bigger score, with Johnson striking the base of the post and Timo Werner (perhaps unsurprisingly) missing two one-v-ones with the goalkeeper.
United had an extra day to prepare but, from the first minute, Spurs went at Ten Hag’s struggling side, playing with real precision and intensity.
New levels: Dejan Kulusevski’s midfield switch has been a stroke of genius for Tottenham
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Their quick-fire passing and relentless pressing was too much for United, who particularly struggled to contain Postecogou’s twin No8s Maddison and Kulusevski.
Spurs have struggled to turn dominance into results this season and, even a goal and a man up at half-time, it was easy to wonder if they would regret missing so many chances.
Well-taken finishes from Kulusevski and Solanke – who has now scored in all three games this week – ensured there would be no nervy finale, while another clean sheet is a big plus given their tendency to concede soft goals on the road.
While Ten Hag now faces a fresh avalanche of outside noise and perhaps internal pressure, Postecoglou can look ahead with optimism, with Spurs beginning to look both consistent and effective.
Maddison and Kulusevski outstanding
The absence of captain Heung-min Son through injury left Postecoglou with a decision: move Kulusevski into the front three and introduce Pape Sarr to midfield or start Werner in a straight swap for the South Korean?
The Spurs head coach opted for the latter and, though Werner was wasteful in front of goal, keeping Kulusevski in midfield proved the right call.
The Swede was outstanding again in the middle, slicing United open with the ball time and again, and tireless without it.
He took his goal superbly, deftly flicking home Johnson’s deflected cross with the outside of his boot, and was unlucky not to finish with at least one assist.
Johnson struck the post from his pass, while Kulusevski created both Werner’s one-v-one opportunities and several more chances besides. In front of the watching England boss Lee Carsley, Maddison was also excellent again.
Spurs’ other No8 was full of inventive passes with the outside of his boot, and linked up superbly with the rest of the forwards.
Maddison’s return to form and fitness, and Kulusevski’s permanent switch to midfield, has helped to elevate Spurs to a new level this season.
Spurs starting to click in final third
In spite of the result, Postecoglou will still have been a little frustrated by his side’s wastefulness in front of goal, the only real caveat to an excellent performance.
Solanke also missed a one-v-one with Onana, with Sarr heading the follow-up wide, and a succession of other chances went begging.
Perhaps it might have been different with Son in the side, and you would have backed the skipper to score at least one of Werner’s big chances.
Postecoglou can look ahead with optimism, with Spurs beginning to look both consistent and effective
This did not, though, feel like the draw with Leicester or the defeat to Newcastle, when Spurs had plenty of the ball but struggled to create really clear-cut opportunities.
While Spurs could still be more clinical, of course, the manager will reflect that it is better to be fashioning chances and missing them than not creating them at all.
Crucially, Spurs’ possession no longer feels sterile, while Johnson has now scored in four consecutive games and Solanke in three.
The pair are full of confidence, the questions about their big transfer fees and ability to perform at this level quickly receding into the background.
When Postecoglou has Son, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison fit again, Spurs will have strong competition for places in the front line, suggesting their forward play could yet get even better.
