Tottenham 1-0 Man United – PLAYER RATINGS: Whose error proved pricey? Who continues to make massive strides for Spurs this season? And which Red Devils star felt the wrath of his supervisor?
- PLUS: Mail Sport rates Dorgu’s PL debut and how Casemiro coped on his return
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Tottenham edged out a tense 1-0 win over Manchester United in the battle of the beleagured giants.
Spurs had not won at home in the Premier League side November 3, a span of 105 days, but James Maddison‘s early goal saw all three points stay in London.
This was the first time Spurs had done the double over United in 35 years and while they climb to 12th, the result leaves the Red Devils floundering in 15th.
This was no vintage performance from Spurs but it was a step in the right direction and they were warmed by the return of first-chice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Whose error proved costly for United? Who continues to make big strides for Spurs this season? And which Red Devils star felt the wrath of Ruben Amorim?
Mail Sport’s Nathan Salt was in north London to rate the players.
Tottenham piled more misery on Manchester United thanks to James Maddison’s early goal
The hosts welcomed back first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and kept a clean sheet
United are left to do more soul-searching after slumping to 15th in the Premier League table
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1)
Guglielmo Vicario – 7
Back in after a 12-game absence, the Tottenham No 1 was at full stretch to deny Alejandro Garnacho’s top corner effort in a back-and-forth first half and was sharp again to deny the Argentine midway through the second. His return is a timely boost to this Tottenham side.
Pedro Porro – 7
Was less of an attacking threat than he has previously shown himself to be but he deserves credit for restricting Alejandro Garnacho to little chances of quality over the course of the game. Helped carry Tottenham out of trouble by breaking on the counter as the game wound down.
Kevin Danso – 6.5
Has come in and displaced Archie Gray, Danso looks the part and won plenty of plaudits from his manager when he made a last-ditch sliding intervention to stop Rasmus Hojlund running through on goal with 20 minutes to go. Timed it to perfection.
Kevin Danso looks like a solid defensive option but had to come off towards the end
Djed Spence shone in a confident performance on the left side of Tottenham’s defence
Ben Davies – 6
Cleared one off the line to deny Diogo Dalot’s scuffed shot in the first half but looked the most ragged of the Tottenham back-line. Got booked for a late challenge on Rasmus Hojlund deep in the second half. Booked.
Djed Spence – 8
Continues to make big strides this season and much of his progress was on full display here in a confident performance from left back. Drove forward with purpose and did not shirk his defensive responsibilities. Got away with a push in the area when Casemiro dramatically went down.
Lucas Bergvall – 7
A real gem of a player and by being deployed in a deeper role it means Tottenham have playmakers at every level of the attack. Manchester United missed out on bringing him into their academy due to Brexit rules. Their loss is Tottenham’s gain. Looks mature beyond his years.
Lucas Bergvall is a real gem of a player and looks mature beyond his years – United’s loss is Spurs’ gain
Son Heung-min looked like the Son of old for spells here, never giving defenders a breather
Rodrigo Bentancur – 6.5
Combative as ever, Bentancur kept the pace high with the speed at which he moved the ball. Had acres of space to operate in given Manchester United’s slightly ragged system. Looked to be in discomfort when he came off to be replaced by Yves Bissouma which is cause for concern.
Dejan Kulusevski – 6
Always busy but this game was lacking in final product from the Swede. Provided a good battle with Denmark’s Patrick Dorgu down the Tottenham right but you left with the feeling he came out of it second best.
James Maddison – 7.5
Escaped the attention of Matthjis de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu to react quickest to prod in the opening goal – his ninth Premier League goal of the season. Adds so much to this Spurs team with the neat flicks and his football IQ.
Dejan Kulsevski was lacking in final product and probably lost his battle with Patrick Dorgu
Son Heung-min – 7
His delivery continues to be exemplary and he could barely believe his luck that Diogo Dalot chose to stand off him time and time again. Never gave the United defenders a moment to rest. For spells here he looked like the Son of old.
Mathys Tel – 6.5
Making his Premier League debut, Tel stung the gloves of Onana on his left foot from Son Heung-min’s cut-back after 25 minutes. Looks lively but never appeared to be a convincing goal threat playing as the No 9 here.
MANAGER: Ange Postecoglou – 7
Went into the game under enormous pressure but came out with the win and for that he deserves credit. Unlike his counterpart he had no issue turning to his bench and while this was a far from perfect display, it’s all about results right now for Postecoglou and Tottenham and they got one here.
Ange Postecoglou deserves credit for navigating his side to a win despite pressure and turbulece off the field
SUBS
Brennan Johnson (for James Maddison, 64) – 7
Pape Sarr (for Lucas Bergvall, 64) – 6
Archie Gray (for Kevin Danso, 78)
Yves Bissouma (for Rodrigo Bentancur, 78)
Wilson Odobert (for Son Heung-min, 87)
MANCHESTER UNITED (3-4-2-1)
Andre Onana – 5.5
Saved Lucas Bergvall’s initial drive well but palmed it straight into the path of James Maddison when his defenders were sleeping for the opening goal. Made some key stops as the game went on but his error proved costly.
Noussair Mazraoui – 6
Got caught way too tight on Maddison in the early exchanges but settled down – and he needed to given Son Heung-min was a constant thorn in his side. Continues to be a square peg in a round hole but he got stuck in and that’s all his manager is after right now.
Harry Maguire – 6.5
Produced a number of really clever diagonals and long balls over the top, stepping up with Lisandro Martinez – who normally assumes that responsibility in the back three – out for the rest of the season. Organised the side well as they found a foothold in the game.
Andre Onana’s early mistake proved costly, though he made numerous important saves after
Harry Maguire organised United’s defence well, stepping up in Lisandro Martinez’s absence
Matthijs de Ligt – 6
Fell asleep for Tottenham’s opening goal and copped an earful from Bruno Fernandes as a result. Was pushed out to the left side of the back three due to Leny Yoro’s illness and did grow into the game after his early error. Made some key blocks.
Diogo Dalot – 5
Felt the wrath of his manager all afternoon with the way he juggled both Son Heung-min and Djed Spence down his side. Was nowhere near tight enough to either and it was no surprise to see Ange Postecoglou’s side look to exploit this flank.
Casemiro – 5.5
Made his first start since the 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on December 30 due to injuries. It’s at the point where you feel sorry for him with the amount of ground he’s expected to cover on his own. Routinely found himself left on an island he couldn’t protect. Booked.
Casemiro, starting for the first time since December 30, was left to cover too much ground
Totteham looked to exploit Diogo Dalot as he consistently struggled against Son and Spence
Bruno Fernandes – 6
Was caught between two positions as he was tasked with coming out to double up on the right side to help out Dalot, leaving Casemiro exposed in the middle. One of his sloppier games by his lofty standards but he never cheats for effort and Ruben Amorim badly needs that amid this midfield injury crisis.
Patrick Dorgu – 6.5
Like Tel, Dorgu was making his Premier League debut and swapped over to the left wing, after playing on the right side in the FA Cup win over Leicester City. The fact Spurs got such little joy down his side, either through Porro or Kulusevski, means he deserves credit. Dug in in a real battle. Booked.
Joshua Zirkzee – 7
Best player in a United shirt on the day, even with his late headed miss that really should have gone in. Zirkzee showed flashes of his skill and was positive when he got the ball all afternoon. But the fall-out of him staying so central meant that he did not pick up enough defensive responsibility, adding to the workloads of the likes of Fernandes and Casemiro.
Patrick Dorgu impressed on his Premier League debut and limited Spurs’ opportunities
Ruben Amorim had his hands tied with multiple absences and only made one substitution
Alejandro Garnacho – 5.5
Missed a gilt-edged chance when left free inside the penalty area that really had to go in down 1-0. Had so much time but leant back and blazed it over poorly. Finds himself as the league leader for Big Chances Missed. Gets into so many good positions but his execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Rasmus Hojlund – 5
Looked to get some early joy running the channels but that ray of hope soon faded. Does a lot of thankless running but he doesn’t put fear into opposing defences and that allows them to control him with relative ease. Needs to find a way to become a genuine goal threat.
MANAGER: Ruben Amorim – 6
Arrived with hands tied behind his back with no Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Toby Collyer, Leny Yoro, Christian Eriksen, and more. While this was an improved performance in spells, his decision not to turn to his bench until the 90th-minute spoke volumes of how many players he feels he can rely on.
SUBS
Chido Obi (for Casemiro, 90)
