Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham

steemsports (80)in #sports • 7 years ago

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SteemSports Editor: @mojorisin

Substitute Anthony Martial was the hero of Old Trafford as United beat Tottenham in a game that will quickly slip from living memory. The weather played it’s part in the drab affair, as there wasn’t many chances from either side. And then Martial stepped up and silenced the boo boys.

United actually started the brighter of the two and were pressing Spurs in the early exchanges, without creating any clear chances. Starting with 3 at the back, it seemed they might park the bus again, but United were the ones looking to press.

Martial silenced the boo boys to score the winner

The first real chance came in the 10th minute. Romelu Lukaku threaded a nice ball through to Marcus Rashford as Kieron Dier slipped. Rashford attempted a shot but it was deflected and landed in the path of Lukaku, who shot across goal but missed completely. The Belgian should have done better.

Still United were the better team as Tottenham were looking nervy, and the Londoners didn’t create a chance of any note until the 20th minute. Ben Davies fed Moussa Sissoko in and the midfielder shot from about 20 yards but it went straight to De Gea.

Tottenham started to control the ball and possession a lot more, and the best United could do was try and wind Deli Alli up. Ashley Young and Alli protested a challenge and the pair went head to head. Maybe last season Alli would have reacted but he seems to have matured a lot in a short space of time.

United tried to wind Alli up

Tottenham’s best chance fell just before half time. Christian Eriksen played a fine ball in and the United defence failed to deal with it. The ball fell to Dier, whose attempt looped towards the top corner but De Gea saved it comfortably.

The weather was a typically awful, grey and wet Manchester day, and it was evident it was affecting the players. United, however, were in desperate need not to drop more points to their city neighbours, and they knew a draw might suit Spurs but not them.

The 2nd half started slowly, and the only real winners at the time were City, but United started to push with the wind and rain behind them. The first real chance came in the 55th minute.

Most of the action was off the ball

A soft Henrikh Mikhitaryan shot was saved by Lloris, but the keeper dropped the ball. Rashford raced in and looked like he might open the scoring, but Davies flew in and cleared the ball from just 2 yards out. It was better from United.

With 20 minutes to go, Mourinho decided it was time to change things. The Portuguese replaced Rashford with Anthony Martial, and the home crowd were loud in their disapproval, but the Frenchman was out to silence the doubters.

United kept pressuring, but no real chances were opening. Valencia had a penalty claim with 15 minutes remaining as Davies looked to have felled Valencia, but the referee rightly waved play on. And then 5 minutes later the deadlock was finally broken.

Martial was the man of very few moments at Old Trafford today

It was route one football, and Tottenham will be kicking themselves for having conceded such a simple goal. De Gea lofted a free kick up-field, which Lukaku flicked on with the head into the path of Martial. The sub ran through on goal and fired the ball under the advancing Lloris from 8 yards, and the ball rolled slowly into the back of the net.

The pressure that had manifested itself around Old Trafford over the last couple of weeks had suddenly lifted.

On 70th minute, Martial came on to a chorus of boos, but 20 minutes later was the hero of the red half of Manchester. The game might have been a wet drab, and the watching millions around the world would have been disappointed with the performance of both sides, but the United manager took 3 points and that’s all that matters to the Portuguese.

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