Clinical Tottenham stun Manchester United in second half blitz: 3 takeaways

Manchester United hosted Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in a big early season clash. Here are three things we learned.

The Red Devils continued their terrible start to the season with a humiliating 3-0 loss. It was a relatively even first half as Manchester United showed an intensity that has been lacking at times. However, Tottenham gradually muscled their way into the game and were clinical in front of the net during the second half. It was a statement of intent from Spurs after a disappointing summer in which they didn’t bring anyone in. Here are three takeaways from the match.

United use narrow formation

Jose Mourinho opted for a new-look shape after the embarrassing defeat away to Brighton in the previous match. The formation was a 4-4-2 diamond in the attacking shape with Nemanja Matic, Fred and Ander Herrera forming the midfield three base; Paul Pogba was the point of the diamond and Jesse Lingard played slightly further forward in a free role with Romelu Lukaku being the sole striker.

This set-up is narrow in the sense that there was no natural wide players, so it’s reliant on the full-backs to provide the width. However, the emphasis was on rapid transitions in order to take advantage of Tottenham’s defensive line as well as bypassing the press. In their defensive shape, they reverted to a 4-4-2 with Fred on the right and Pogba on the left of midfield

It was clearly an attempt to take advantage of the fact that Spurs combine well between the lines in central areas and try to make the game compact through their pressing. Dele Alli likes to drift inside to play close to Harry Kane from his wide position, so Lucas Moura was the only wide attacking option on the pitch. Therefore, the full-backs play high up the pitch to help stretch the opposition, which leaves gaps for the opposition to exploit on the counter and congesting the centre helped nullify Spurs in some respects.

There was also the security of Herrera dropping deep to be on the right side of the defence in possession which aided build-up and allowed the full-backs to play high without leaving too many gaps for the opposition to exploit. This didn’t produce the necessary goals and Alexis Sanchez was brought on for Herrera, when they were 2-0  down, as they reverted to a 4-3-3.

Kane wins the battle of the strikers

Lukaku had a number of good chances in the first half to give his side the lead, but he was unable to convert. His best chance was when Danny Rose didn’t put enough power in his back pass, so Lukaku was able to latch on to it and round Hugo Lloris before firing wide. He was wide of the goal, but it was an open net and a striker of his calibre has to be converting those chances. It ended up costing his team. For the rest of the half, he was mostly restricted to headed chances without really testing Lloris.

This was a must-win game for United due to the rising negativity around the club as Mourinho’s methods continue to disappoint. The Portuguese manager’s approach is heavily reliant on a clinical striker because of his preference for a counter-attacking set-up. His teams sit deep, soak up pressure and then punish the opposition with the few high quality chances they create. It is built to be efficient rather than entertaining because the result is seen as more important than the process.

The difference between the Belgian and Harry Kane was clear for all to see because the World Cup Golden Boot winner converted the first major chance that went his way. This was always going to be a tough clash with few clear-cut chances for the respective strikers, and the Spurs man clearly came out ahead in this match.

Kane led the line well and linked up well with Moura who was often the closest to him. They showed signs of a promising partnership because they kept providing different problems for the defence and maintained the right distance from each other depending on the situation. It was a game of few chances for the English striker, especially in the first half where United were mostly in the ascendancy, but he converted when needed and ensured Spurs took advantage when they were on top.

Spurs work their way into the match

Tottenham seemed somewhat surprised by the high tempo on and off the ball from Man United at the start of the game. However, they gradually grew into the game, during the first half, and started to build moves even if they rarely tested David De Gea. The lowering of the opposition intensity as the first half went on meant build-up was much more seamless.

The start of the second half saw Tottenham press their opponents into oblivion as they repeatedly won the ball back in central areas and maintained seemingly constant pressure on United. Most importantly, they also converted the two major chances they created to build themselves a solid lead, which came within a number of minutes. It was a brief period of high intensity, but it worked well and allowed them to play more conservatively for the rest of half.

Kane sent a looping header back across into the opposite goal after a deep corner from Kieran Trippier to break the deadlock. Just a few minutes later, Tottenham broke up the pitch quickly and Christian Eriksen’s low, precise cross was fired into the net by Moura. They had chances to extend the lead after that when Victor Lindelof played in Alli with a sloppy back pass, but he couldn’t convert; Kane also had a free header from a corner which went wide. Luckily they weren’t made to pay as they were able to deal with United’s pressure.

Moura showed his worth to the team through the attacking drive he provides because he was a constant threat in behind the opposition defence as well as committing players and breaking through the opposition lines. However, he also acted as an outlet and held up the ball well considering his stature which ensured that Kane wasn’t isolated and allowed his team to move up the pitch.

He appears to be fully settled in after his January move because he pressed intelligently as part of the attacking unit and linked up well with his fellow attackers. His two goals were potent remainders of what he provides to the team. The run for his first goal was well-timed and he showed his pace, dribbling ability and composure for his second as he eased past Chris Smalling and finished past De Gea. He is another example of how good of a coach Mauricio Pochettino is.