Tottenham 3-0 Manchester United: Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela on target as Spurs keep Premier League title hopes alive with stunning victory at White Hart Lane
- Tottenham kept their Premier League title hopes alive with an emphatic victory over Manchester United at home
- A quickfire trio of goals in the second-half keeps Spurs within seven points of leaders Leicester City
- Dele Alli scored the game's opener with a cool, low finish before Toby Alderweireld added a header
- Erik Lamela made sure of the win in the 76th minute, bursting into the box to meet a darted cross
- United played several of their players out of position and look a far cry from a Champions League side
Football's an easy game, sometimes. Play your best players in their best positions, and get the ball in the box. Tottenham did that, Manchester United did not.
Tottenham scored, Manchester United did not. Tottenham remain in title contention, Manchester United are not. Tottenham are almost certain to play in the Champions League next season, Manchester United…probably not.
Tottenham may not chase down Leicester for the title this season, but this result suggested that have a better chance of winning it short-term, than Manchester United.
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli wheels away to celebrate after scoring the opening goal against Manchester United at White Hart Lane
The England international playmaker bursts into the box to convert a low cross from team-mate Christian Eriksen in the 70th minute
Spurs centre back Toby Alderweireld (centre) rises highest to score his side's second goal against the Red Devils on Sunday
Erik Lamela (left) celebrates after scoring Spurs' third goal against United to help the club keep their Premier League title hopes alive
Lamela (right) loses his marker but sees an earlier effort in the game go over the crossbar as the home crowd watch on in disbelief
Spurs midfielder Eriksen (right) dribbles with the ball ahead of United striker Marcus Rashford at White Hart Lane on Sunday
England manager Roy Hodgson (bottom right) was also in the crowd at White Hart Lane to watch Tottenham beat Manchester United
The faith in Louis Van Gaal this season has been admirable, but ultimately misplaced. United's scrap with Manchester City for fourth place is as intense, if not as meaningful, as Tottenham's bid to catch Leicester, but they did not play like it.
After a subdued start by the home side – the news of Leicester's win at Sunderland seemed to take the wind out of their sails – Mauricio Pochettino rallied his team in the second-half.
Van Gaal, by contrast, delivered another in a series of clipboard riddles. He ditched Marcus Rashford at half-time for Ashley Young and played four forwards. Yet not one was deployed in his favoured position.
This wouldn't be a problem if United then took the game to Tottenham, if they scored, or mounted a sustained threat. Instead, United mustered one shot on target all game.
It came from Anthony Martial, in the 62nd minute, cutting inside from exile on the left and forcing a fine save from Hugo Lloris. One could argue that the score was goalless at the time and, had that gone in, United might have stunned Tottenham into submission. But the fact is, it didn't – and good sides are not going to beaten very often by one successful shot in 90 minutes
Tottenham showed how it should be done. They committed bodies, demonstrated real intent, and scored three times in six minutes. It was a humbling end for United and Van Gaal's reaction did him few favours.
After the third goal, he moved Martial to a central position as if here was an idea whose time had come. His brainwave was as late as the Manchester United team bus, delayed in traffic around Finsbury Park forcing the kick-off to be delayed by 30 minutes.
Not that United's players looked rusty after being sat on a coach for two hours. They actually started rather well – plenty of possession in the first 30 minutes but, as has so often been the case this season, little in the way of goalmouth action. Eric Dier was outstanding in the holding position for Tottenham, but this is a United team that lacks penetration. So many of their routes to goal are unnecessarily complicated.
A first-half free-kick inside Tottenham's half summed it up. Tip-tap it went, short passes, Tottenham pressing high, turning Manchester United's players back to their own goal until eventually United were forced to give the ball to goalkeeper David De Gea, who punted it upfield for the forward line to contest a header in the centre circle.
Now – if the move was going to end up a 50-50 header in a neutral part of the pitch, why didn't United just stick the free-kick into the penalty area and contest a header where it was dangerous? Maybe this information is what Van Gaal has on its clipboard. He didn't appear to be happy with his forwards either way, if the half-time substitution of Rashford for Young was anything to go by.
Spurs defender Danny Rose (left) makes a forceful challenge on Untied midfielder Juan Mata, who takes a tumble to the turf
United striker Anthony Martial (centre) dribbles under pressure during the Premier League clash with Spurs at White Hart Lane
Lamela (left) and United's Morgan Schneiderlin duel for the ball during Spurs' emphatic home victory which keeps them in the title race
United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah (left) tussles for possession alongside Spurs' Rose during the 3-0 defeat at White Hart Lane
There began a portion of the game in which dice appeared to dictate United's forward line. Young, without a goal all season, was the central striker. Martial, a goalscorer, was wide. Jesse Lingard, a wide player, was at number ten. Juan Mata, a number ten, was wide. No such complexities hinder Tottenham.
This was far from their best performance of the season – despite the winning margin and the storied opposition – but the brief spell in which they dismissively swept United from the game showed Pochettino's team at its best.
They had to win, after Leicester's victory at Sunderland left them ten points adrift in second place, so the pressure was huge. Yet Pochettino clearly instilled confidence in his team after a disappointing start.
They finished with a flourish and United had no response to it. The consolation for those disappointed with United's football this season is always that Van Gaal has constructed a strong defensive unit. That claim would seem to have been rather overplayed on this evidence, too.
The fall guy here was Matteo Darmian, introduced after an injury to the excellent youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah at right-back. Fosu-Mensah had been the best of it for United, not least with a magnificent, brave block from Kyle Walker in the first-half.
Limping off after 68 minutes, his replacement gave away the free-kick that led to the second goal, and both others came down his flank. The problems for United stretched beyond one man, though. Certainly not one player.
It was May 2001 when United last lost on this ground, Willem Korsten the unlikely hero on that day. The man making the breakthrough was more familiar. Dele Alli did not have his best game, but in front of England manager Roy Hodgson the opening goal showcased his great strength. Alli finally got in behind United's defence, and Tottenham never looked back from there.
Credit to Harry Kane, too, somehow playing a through ball to Christian Eriksen while engulfed in a midfield morass, scrapping on the turf. Eriksen crossed first time and Alli left Daley Blind for dead, converting easily at the far post, the perfect way to mark his last day as a teenager. He will be 20 on Tuesday. On his 19th birthday, he said, he was substituted playing for MK Dons against Port Vale. It's been a big year.
United winger Jesse Lingard (left) sees his attempted cross closed down by Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele during Sunday's game
Tottenham striker Harry Kane (left) controls the ball under pressure from Untied centre back Chris Smalling during his side's 3-0 win
Alli makes a surge forward to win the ball ahead of United midfielder Michael Carrick (left) during the hosts' 3-0 Premier League win
An animated Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino shouts instructions to his players as they keep up the pressure on Leicester
| Team | Mins | KM | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tottenham | 110.6 | 68.7 | |
| Christian Eriksen | 90 | 11.6 | 7.2 |
| Erik Lamela | 87 | 11.3 | 7 |
| Dele Alli | 89 | 11.3 | 7 |
| Manchester United | 105.9 | 65.8 | |
| Jesse Lingard | 90 | 11.6 | 7.2 |
| Morgan Schneiderlin | 90 | 11.1 | 6.9 |
| Marcos Rojo | 90 | 10.7 | 6.6 |
Within four minutes, Tottenham, and United, were done. Erik Lamela swung in a cross from the left which Toby Alderweireld met with a fine header, rising higher than the nearby Michael Carrick and Marcos Rojo – indeed higher than anyone in the area.
The third, the goal that gave the scoreline a taint of humiliation for United, took just two further minutes to arrive. Eriksen headed the ball on to Danny Rose on the left, he crossed and Lamela hit a low shot, first time.
Leicester won't appreciate having their lead cut from ten to seven points, but they will welcome this win in another way: United's defeat means Claudio Ranieri's team is the first Premier League side into next season's Champions League. United won't be joining them in the draw at this rate.
Even when United were at their best, Tottenham created the better chances and Lamela should have scored with a far post header from an Eriksen cross after 27 minutes. In that moment, it looked like the pressure might tell on Tottenham – instead they ended the game uplifted, even if the task ahead is still enormous.
For now, though, Tottenham remain engaged in the narrative of the Premier League season. United are fading from relevance. The biggest issue is exactly where they go from here – and not just in finding a route home that avoids Finsbury Park.
United's Holland international defender Daley Blind (left) shields the ball ahead of the on-rushing Alli at White Hart Lane
Fosu-Mensah takes on Tottenham midfielder and Belgium international Dembele (right) during United's 3-0 hammering in north London
Fosu-Mensah (right) vies for the ball with Eriksen as Spurs beat United to keep up the pressure on league leaders Leicester
United midfielder and Spain international Mata scythes down Rose (right) with a strong challenge during Sunday's game
Blind (left) challenges Lamela for the ball during Spurs' 3-0 Premier League victory over United at White Hart Lane
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