Tottenham Hotspur claimed a huge 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
United fashioned the first real sight of goal after the opening 10 minutes as Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho forced decent saves from Guglielmo Vicario.
However, Spurs took the lead barely two minutes later, with James Maddison on hand to fire home from close range after Andre Onana saved Lucas Bergvall’s strike.
United took a pop at Vicario’s goal through Zirkzee and Garnacho in quick succession, but neither posed any significant threat to the Italian on his return to action.
January arrival Mathys Tel came close to doubling his side’s lead after drawing a smart save from Onana in what was Tottenham’s final attempt of the first period.
Spurs came out with real intent in the second half and were nearly rewarded with a second goal as Tel once again called Onana into action.
Evidently keen to make an impression on his full home debut, Tel was in the thick of things moments later when he fluffed perhaps his best chance of the afternoon.
After a lively start to the second 45 minutes, the game settled into a more subdued contest, but not for long, as chances followed at both ends either side of the hour mark.
Garnacho threw away arguably United’s best chance to draw level, having been played through on goal by Joshua Zirkzee.
Rodrigo Bentancur was unable to punish Garnacho’s wastefulness as he made poor contact with his attempt shortly afterwards.
Having cut a largely peripheral figure in the opening hour of the contest, Zirkzee was starting to have more of an impact on the game.
He should have restored parity in the 72nd minute when he sent a header off-target from point-blank range.
United manager Ruben Amorim was reluctant to go to his bench and made his first throw of the dice in second-half stoppage time, bringing on teenage sensation Chido Obi.
However, it was too little too late for United to get back on level terms as they fell to a 12th defeat of the campaign which leaves them 15th in the Premier League table.
Tottenham have moved above United in the standings to 12th place to hand Ange Postecoglou a temporary reprieve off the back of a tough couple of weeks.
