Tottenham made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League, beating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford.
Ange Postecoglou’s men came to the Theatre of Dreams and controlled the match, taking an early lead through Brennan Johnson.
Props must go to defender Micky van de Ven for his mesmerising run from his own half before crossing for the Welshman to turn home.
Things went from bad to worse for United after captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a high challenge on James Maddison.
Spurs had their second early in the second half thanks to Dejan Kulusevski’s deft finish past Andre Onana in goal.
And it was 3-0 with just over 10 minutes to go, Dominic Solanke grabbing his third goal in a Spurs shirt to put the game to bed.
Read on to discover the full match report from the Theatre of Dreams.
COYS. pic.twitter.com/OMqKd42BrP
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 29, 2024
How it happened
The match got off to the worst possible start for United, with Tottenham taking the lead just three minutes in.
Van de Ven, who was excellent throughout, intercepted a loose pass and drove deep into the United half before cutting the ball across the box.
Johnson was perfectly positioned to finish from close range, giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead.
United struggled to respond and offered little in attack during the first half.
Alejandro Garnacho came closest to equalising for the home side when he struck the post with a volley, but Tottenham looked far more dangerous going forward.
Their task was made significantly easier when Fernandes received a straight red card in the 42nd minute for a reckless challenge on Maddison.
Red card for United. Bruno Fernandes is sent off for a foul on James Maddison.#MUFC || #MUNTOT
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 29, 2024
The dismissal left United with a mountain to climb, and boos rang around Old Trafford as they went into the break a goal and a man down.
The second half continued much like the first, with Tottenham dominating possession and creating chances.
Just two minutes after the restart, Spurs doubled their lead.
Johnson, involved again, delivered a deflected cross that found Kulusevski, who flicked the ball past Onana to make it 2-0.
It was Kulusevski’s first goal of the season, and it all but extinguished any hopes United had of staging a comeback.
Despite a brief spell of pressure from United around the hour mark, which saw Casemiro narrowly miss from a lofted pass by Lisandro Martinez, Tottenham always looked in control.
you know the vibes pic.twitter.com/hf2uX2hybW
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 29, 2024
Tottenham put the game to bed in the 77th minute.
A well-delivered corner from Lucas Bergvall was headed on by Pape Sarr, and Solanke was there to toe-poke the ball into the net from close range, making it 3-0.
Spurs ended up amassing well over five expected goals (xG) compared to United’s less than one and never looked troubled after their early lead.
Van de Ven, who not only assisted the opening goal but completed 97% of his passes, was instrumental in both attack and defence for the visitors.
United, on the other hand, looked disjointed and lacked creativity, even after introducing Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund from the bench.
The result leaves Ten Hag with much to think about as his side continues to struggle, while Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham look increasingly impressive as they push up the Premier League table.
