The pressure ramped up on Erik ten Hag at Manchester United once again after a dismal 3-0 home defeat by Tottenham, who delivered a statement result for Ange Postecoglou.
A goal early in each half from the in-form duo of Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski plus a close-range effort from Dominic Solanke condemned the abysmal Red Devils to another high-profile loss at Old Trafford, with captain Bruno Fernandes sent off for a challenge on James Maddison shortly before half-time.
Tottenham went into the game looking to extend a run of four games unbeaten in all competitions, and eager to secure a rare win away from home against a Big Six rival.
Meanwhile, United were hoping to get back on track after a couple of disappointing draws. Things did not go to plan for the home side, with Tottenham heading into the break one goal up and with a one-man advantage after a Bruno Fernandes red card.
In the second half, Spurs came out all guns blazing and doubled their lead through a fine Dejan Kulusevski effort.
Tottenham player ratings from the game at Old Trafford
Guglielmo Vicario: Made a couple of solid saves in the first half, commanded his area far better than we’ve seen in recent weeks, and played with a calmness in possession. 7.
Pedro Porro: Handled Marcus Rashford with ease in the first half, but found it a little bit more difficult to deal with Garnacho in the second. Made some good runs forward, though, and never really got beaten at the back. 7.
Cristian Romero: Another calm performance from Tottenham’s captain for the day. Unlucky not to grab a goal from a corner, kept United’s attackers at bay, and helped his team progress up the pitch. 7.
Micky van de Ven: This man just keeps getting better and better. A rock at the back, a world-class assist, and never looked in danger of getting beaten by the United forwards. 9.
Destiny Udogie: Good forward runs, almost had a goal, and battled through injury before being replaced at half-time. 7.
Rodrigo Bentancur: A relatively quiet but assured performance from the Uruguayan in the middle of the park. Did a lot of the dirty work to allow the more creative Maddison and Kulusevski space to flourish. 7.
Dejan Kulusevski: Another player who is absolutely thriving right now. Incredible work ethic throughout to keep battling and winning the ball back, constantly looking to move the ball forward for Spurs, and topped it all with a beautifully taken goal. 10.
James Maddison: We’ve finally got our playmaker back to his best. United simply could not handle Maddison, hence the amount of fouls he won and the nature of Bruno Fernandes’ red card. Energetic, tricky, progressive play all day. 8.
Timo Werner: If he had even an ounce of composure he could have had a hattrick today. It’s getting really difficult to stay positive about Werner. 4.
Dominic Solanke: We really do have the perfect striker for this system now. Worked his socks off in the press, great hold-up play, and bagged another goal after a lovely bit of movement in the box from a corner. 8.
Brennan Johnson: Registered another goal, an assist, hit the woodwork, and was a constant threat down the right. Brilliant from the winger, who really is making everyone regret criticising him. 8.
Substitutes
Djed Spence: We were all disappointed to see Udogie go off the pitch, but Spence maintained the intensity levels brilliantly, and was regularly posing a threat in attacking areas. 7.
Pape Matar Sarr: Made an instant impact, flicking on the ball from the corner to provide for Solanke’s goal. An industrious and high-quality cameo. 7.
Lucas Bergvall: Whipped in the corner for the third goal (so almost an assist), and looked really hungry to make up for the disappointment in midweek. 7.
Mikey Moore: Not really enough time to do anything meaningful, but made a couple of good runs into the box and pressed with intensity. Went close to the top corner with a last-minute effort. 7.
Radu Dragusin: A late substitute when the game had already been wrapped up, but solid enough from a defender looking to make amends for his red card in midweek. 6.
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