Manchester United 3, Tottenham 2 – Player Ratings
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to win an error strewn game after Harry Maguire’s own goal had looked like handing Spurs a deserved point at Old Trafford.
After an injury break in Portugal the United talisman was keen to get back in action – he was so furious at not being awarded a penalty for a handball off Eric Dier that he put full force into a 25 yard shot that flew in past Hugo Lloris after 12 minutes.
Clearly unconcerned about the ’hip flexor injury’ that kept him out of the Manchester derby last Sunday, Ronaldo looked back to full fitness, dropping deep to demand the ball and heading wide when Alex Telles dropped the ball into the box from the left flank.
Embed from Getty ImagesSpurs had the ball in the back of the United net but Ben Davies was clearly offside to the relief of David De Gea.
Dejan Kulusevski won a penalty off Alex Telles when his cross hit the hand of Telles. Harry Kane inevitably hit the spot kick leveller inside the left post despite De Gea’s best efforts to get there.
But Ronaldo retook the lead for United after tapping in Jadon Sancho’s cross – which was confirmed after a VAR check found Sancho to be onside.
Heung-min Son went close in the second half as United held off the expected Spurs surge with a battling performance to win the ball back – something that was obviously missing at the Etihad.
But there was another United error, inevitably by fall-guy Harry Maguire who put through his own net after Son released Sergio Reguilon with 17 minutes to go.
But Ronaldo inevitably had the final word – popping up with a header with 9 minutes from Alex Telles’ corner to go to wrap up the points for the Reds against a shell-shocked Spurs.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 3, Tottenham 2
David De Gea: 6. Saved from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg early on but was grateful that Ben David was offside. Assured after that.
Diogo Dalot: 6. Headed Eric Dier’s header off the line.
Harry Maguire: 5. Some shaky moments at the back when Spurs attacked and then he put through his own net when panicked by Sergio Reguilon’s cross into the area.
Raphael Varane: 6. Just back from an injury layoff. Not exactly the most relaxing game for him.
Alex Telles: 6. Handball gave away Spurs equaliser from the penalty spot. Kept busy and atoned when he provided the winner for Ronaldo from a corner.
Nemanja Matic: 7. Produced a sublime pass to release Jadon Sancho for United’s second goal but ran out of steam.
Fred: 7. Better on the front foot than defensively, great touch to set up Cristiano Ronaldo’s opening goal.
Jadon Sancho: 7. Outpaced the Spurs back line to get onto Nemanja Matic’s pass and provide a second goal for Cristiano Ronaldo. Tangled with Christian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur as he battled for the ball in the second half, showing the fight that was missing from the Etihad.
Paul Pogba: 6. Showed off a severe new hair cut and some smooth moves in midfield but faded again in the second half.
Marcus Rashford: 6. Intermittent bursts of inspiration but didn’t amount to much and didn’t exactly help track back either.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 10. Hip problem put firmly behind him. Shot over the bar early on and furiously tried to claim a penalty off Eric Dier before firing in a 25 yard thunderbolt and followed it up with second goal when he tapped in Jadon Sancho’s cross. Had two efforts saved by Lloris but bagged his hat trick with a scruffy header from an Alex Telles corner.
Anthony Elanga (on for Marcus Rashford, 68): 6. Popular choice as far as the crowd were concerned and provided more of an outlet for the Reds than Marcus Rashford did.
Edinson Cavani (on for Nemanja Matic, 80): No time to mark
Victor Lindelof (on for Cristiano Ronaldo, 83): No time to mark.
GOALS – Manchester United 3, Tottenham 2
Man Utd 1, Spurs 0: 12. Cristiano Ronaldo fired in a thunderbolt beyond the reach of Hugo Lloris after Raphael Varane’s pass was flicked into his path by Fred. Lloris had no chance.
Man Utd 1, Spurs 1: 35. Harry Kane inevitably hit the spot kick leveller inside the left post despite De Gea’s best efforts to get there after Dejan Kulusevski’s cross hit Alex Telles’ hand.
Man Utd 2, Spurs 1: 38. Cristiano Ronaldo put United ahead again with a tap in finish after Nemanja Matic released Jadon Sancho who put in an inch perfect cross for him – VAR didn’t rule it out despite a suspicion of offside.
Man Utd 2, Spurs 2: 72. Harry Maguire stuck his leg out and put Sergio Reguilon’s cross past David De Gea after Heung-min Son slid him through – a very unfortunate own goal for the under fire United skipper.
Man Utd 3, Spurs 2: 81. Cristiano Ronaldo forced himself up to meet Alex Telles’ corner and headed home his first hat trick for United since 2008.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 3, Tottenham 2
Man Utd: De Gea, Dalot, Maguire (C), Varane, Telles, Matic (Cavani 80), Fred, Sancho, Pogba, Rashford (Elanga 68), Ronaldo (Lindelof 83)
Man Utd Subs not used: Henderson, Bailly, Jones, Mata, Lingard, Wan-Bissaka
Bookings: Fred, Pogba 85 (foul on Harry Kane)
Goals: Ronaldo 12, 38, 81
Tottenham: Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies (Bergwijn 88), Doherty, Bentancur (Winks 88), Hojbjerg, Reguilon, Kulusevski (Moura 78), Son, Kane
Tottenham Subs not used: Gollini, Sanchez, Royal, Rodon, White, Scarlett
Booking: Dier 30 (foul on Cristiano Ronaldo)
Goals: Kane 35 pen; Maguire own goal 72
Referee: Jonathan Moss