Three points stolen....

-Rahul

Manchester United defeated Tottenham Hotspurs last night 3-1, but the scoreline flattered the Red Devils. The United central mid-field of Carrick and Scholes were obscured for large periods in the first half, and the defencive line was not as solid as expected, but the Lancashire men showed why they were champions with a bit of clinical finishing and luck.

  The first half saw a small, minute spell of United domination, but then on it was Spurs’ game to lose. They were easily the better team and should maybe have gone ahead early as an Aaron Lennon shot from outside the D sailed just above the cross bar. The minutes following saw a collapse from the Reds’ defence and at times the gap between the midfield two and the central defenders was almost half the pitch. A ‘not exactly great' clearance from David de Gea saw Sandro pick it out and play to Adebeyor who passed trough the back four with ease before the Spaniard executed a brilliant save.

  Spurs then got a free kick right outside United’s D, but Kaboul’s curling effort yielded no gains. Spurs however had the ball in the net in the 37^th minute though as a Lennon run into the D past Phil Jones, who went down for the challenge easily, found Emanuel Adebeyor back heel the ball into the roof of the net. White-Hart Lane erupted but the spirit was quickly drowned when Mark Atkinson ruled it a hand-ball and thus a free kick United’s way. Replays showed that Atkinson was right and Adebeyor did in fact clearly handle the ball.

  That didn’t stop chants from the White half of, ‘One Nil To The Referee’ when United took the lead through a Ashley Young corner converted by Wayne Rooney who was poorly marked by Kyle Walker. The younger Englishman was more involved in preventing Rooney’s movement than the ball in from Young. Thus the three Englishman ensured that United went into the break in front.

      Spurs resumed probing after the break and came close when Livermore’s rasping shot took a thin deflection off Saha’s leg to threaten De Gea, but the Spaniard reacted sharply to get low down and block impressively with his arm. Tottenham kept coming and Benoit Assou-Ekotto was next to get sight of goal, whipping in a free kick from the right flank that swerved and dipped but just cleared the bar. 

 United though were soon doing their share of probing, and a Spurs defencive collapse saw Jones throw fall to Nani, who easily got past Luka Modric into the penalty area and played the ball in. Friedel almost got a touch, but the ball rose to find Young who calmly slotted it, far post. Poor Brad Friedel at that time was inside the goal and marked by his own men.

 White Hart Lane faithful hadn’t yet got out of shock, when 9 minutes later, Young, unpressed on by the Spurs defence, calmly curled into the top corner. Those who saw United-Arsenal ( 8-2) will know what I’m talking about. The Englishman has been having quite a week, scoring against the Dutch for his country at mid-week and a brace here.

  Consolation came though as a Defoe shot found the back of the net, past the watching De Gea, who was easily the man of the match.

    The final whistle all but swept away Spurs title hopes as they are now 13 points off the top with11 games to go, and City and United don’t look like they are stopping any time soon. Now even their third pace finish is bothered by Arsenal who are looking over their necks at the moment and have a bigger number in the goal difference column.

 

    For United however, the win was a clear signal to their neighbours that they are still there, and as United’s fixture list from now to the end of the end of the season is relatively easier, it means that suddenly United are favourites. United showed that they can churn out a result even when they are far from their best.