Manchester United squeak past Tottenham: 3 things we learned

3. Paul Pogba can’t come back soon enough

This was a massive win for United, coming off a shocking loss to Huddersfield last week. They put daylight between themselves and Tottenham in third place, they put the pressure back on Manchester City at the top of the table and seemed to regain some of their early-season swagger.

But their struggles playing through midfield in the absence of Paul Pogba remain glaring. In the first half, they barely mustered a shot on goal, as Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera were outmatched in midfield, while Henrikh Mkhitarian didn’t offer much support.

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Some of that had to do with poor execution, and United improved significantly in the second half, but they didn’t look fully comfortable playing with a back three and played down blind alleys on the wing far too often.

Pogba’s their best player, and his presence in midfield changes the entire dynamic of United’s play. That isn’t to say they would have dominated the ball if he were in the side, but his quality in possession and ability to receive the ball under pressure are huge difference makers in games like this.

He returned to training this week, and should be back in the starting lineup some time next month. United have done well in his absence, but they’re a different, much better team when he’s playing. His return can’t come soon enough for Mourinho.