Manchester United welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford today but things got off to a horrendous start as they conceded early on.
Marcus Rashford lost the ball to Micky Van de Ven, who stormed into the box with a slaloming run before laying the ball on a plate for Brennan Johnson to score his fourth goal in as many goals.
Johnson’s goal after 155 seconds is the earliest Man Utd have conceded in the Premier League since August 2023 versus Nottingham Forest (88 seconds).
Rashford was eager to atone for his error and made a dangerous run beyond the Spurs backline, but Guglielmo Vicario stood tall to save his effort.
Tottenham peppered the United goal, and Andre Onana had to be sharp to save a deft James Maddison chip.
Johnson crashed a low shot against the foot of the post in the 20th minute. He was on fire, nearly forcing Noussair Mazraoui into scoring an own goal.
United had a few openings, with Joshua Zirkzee forcing an incredible save from Vicario. Alejandro Garnacho struck the post before Timo Werner fluffed his lines in an excellent one-on-one situation.
Bruno Fernandes slipped into a bad challenge on Maddison just before half-time, and the referee inexplicably deemed it a red card, giving the Red Devils a mountain to climb.
Tottenham went into half-time with a 1-0 lead and immediately doubled it through Dejan Kulusevski after the break. The Swede finished a brilliant run from Johnson before some United fans even took their seats.
United began to grow in the game, showing impetus as they pushed for a late rally. Casemiro fired just wide of the post in the 68th minute.
However, Dominic Solanke bagged a late goal to crown the win for Tottenham and secure only their fourth win at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.
Man United have only seven points from six games – their worst start in the Premier League era – and eight losses from their last 20 games at Old Trafford.
Tottenham Ange Postecoglou will be thrilled after recording four wins on the trot for the first time in his tenure in London.
Man United vs Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings
Manchester United
Andre Onana (8/10) – The United goalkeeper made some terrific saves to keep his side in the tie, and his distribution was excellent. His double save on Solanke and Werner stood out.
Noussair Mazraoui (6/10) – Mazraoui made some crucial interceptions, including one off the line to prevent Man United from conceding. He barely put a foot wrong, even with his teammates capitulating around him.
Mattijs De Ligt (4/10) – Went charging about needlessly on several occasions and didn’t win the ball. His distribution put his team on the edge. It was a poor defensive showing. He did pop up in interesting attacking positions.
Lisandro Martinez (5/10) – The Argentine defender was caught in no man’s land for the second goal and forced himself to play on the edge. He also missed a decent chance to pull one back into the game.
Diogo Dalot (2/10) – He was the worst of the bunch in a catastrophic defensive display from the Red Devils. The Portuguese defender was nowhere near Johnson for the opener and was out of position for the second. It was a shambolic day at the office.
Manuel Ugarte (4/10) – Tottenham’s midfield ran rings around the Uruguayan as he struggled to take charge of the game. He did win most of his defensive duels.
Kobbie Mainoo (5/10) – In his few minutes on the pitch, he managed to create an excellent chance for Zirkzee and was influencing proceedings, but Ten Hag took him off for Mason Mount due to an injury concern.
Alejandro Garnacho (7/10) – Garnacho never took his foot off the gas today, constantly trying to find holes behind the Spurs backline, with or without the ball.
Bruno Fernandes (4/10) – He was unfortunate to get a red card, but he never should have been in that situation. It was a day for the Man United captain to forget.
Marcus Rashford (5/10) – Rashford was at fault for the first goal. His general application was lacklustre, earning a few murmurs from United fans frustrated by his lack of form.
Joshua Zirkzee (5/10) – His movement was great but not in sync with the team. He should have buried his chance to get United back into the tie.
Substitutes
Casemiro (6/10)
Christian Eriksen (5/10)
Mason Mount (6/10)
Rasmus Hojlund (4/10)
Tottenham Hotspur
Guglielmo Vicario (7/10) – He made an excellent save on Zirkzee to keep Spurs alive. His distribution wasn’t top-notch, but he did his job well.
Pedro Porro (7/10) – He was typically buzzing up and down the right flank, questioning Dalot, although his attacking intent made him prey for Rashford and Garnacho.
Cristian Romero (7/10) – The Spurs defender struggled with Zirkzee’s movement at first but later got up to speed. He also had one exciting acrobatic chance to score.
Micky Van de Ven (8/10) – The Dutchman showed why he is one of the best defenders in the Premier League today with some fantastic challenges. The outstanding run for the Johnson goal was absolutely incredible.
Destiny Udogie (6/10) – The Spurs full-back was bright and bubbly but unfortunately pulled up with an injury that forced him off.
Rodrigo Bentancur (6/10) – Bentancur sat deep and mopped up anything in front of his defence, shielding the loose Spurs backline.
James Maddison (7/10) – The Englishman did not score or assist but was influential in midfield, linking defence to attack and creating openings for his teammates.
Brennan Johnson (9/10) – The former Nottingham Forest star has finally started repaying the £40 million fee Spurs paid for him last year, delivering another stellar performance today. Johnson doesn’t take many touches, but he is a dangerman in and around the goal.
Dejan Kulusevski (8/10) – It was another electric performance in midfield for the former Juventus star, who helped Spurs dominate the game with his guile, work rate, craft and creativity. The goal crowned a stellar effort.
Timo Werner (6/10) – Werner wasn’t shabby deputising for Heung-min Son but will rue his missed chance to get on the scoresheet. Other than that, he made some decent runs and took care of the ball.
Dominic Solanke (8/10) – Solanke got another goal to continue his fine scoring form. He held up play well and linked with his teammates. He is beginning to repay that heavy £65 million fee.
Substitutes
Djed Spence (7/10)
Lucas Bergvall (7/10)
Pape Matar Sarr (7/10)
Mikey Moore (6/10)
