Tottenham 1, Manchester United 0
Manchester United lurched into another crisis after James Maddison’s first half strike condemned them to defeat at Tottenham.
Embed from Getty ImagesMaddison was there to tuck away the loose ball from 3 yards out after Andre Onana had spilled Lucas Bergvall’s low strike after the Reds failed to stop Son Heung-min’s cutback from the left after just 13 minutes.
And victory meant that Spurs had completed the league double over United for the first time in 35 years
And with the Reds’ 12th defeat in their first 25 league games of the season marking the first time it had happened since the 1973/74 season when United were relegated.
Both sides had been hit by injuries in recent weeks but it was striking that United’s bench was populated almost exclusively by academy youngsters who had never made a senior appearance for the Reds.
30 year old Victor Lindelof was United’s only substitute while veteran Casemiro was brought back from the cold to start a Premier League game but looked short of match fitness in a midfield which he all too often had to hold the fort by himself.
But after Maddison’s goal the depleted Reds failed to get back into the game after they could not finish off the chances they created.
Alejandro Garnacho had United’s best chances to equalise but blazed over in the first half and had a couple of long range efforts saved by Guglielmo Vicario who was making his first appearance in months since Spurs beat Manchester City at the Etihad in November last year.
Joshua Zirkzee was also wasteful, mistiming a header from Noussair Mazraoui’s right wing cross.
In any event, the only debutant from the United bench was feted striker Chido Obi – was only given 3 minutes of injury time at the end to make a difference on his debut.
Defeat meant that United slumped to 15th in the Premier League as Spurs leapfrogged them into 12th place.
The Reds are now a point behind Everton in 14th – and will be meeting former boss David Moyes in their final visit to Goodison Park on Saturday.