Furthermore, Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur face a’sick’ reality check. Declan Rice encourages West Ham to soar to big occasions following the Anfield defeat, while Everton regresses.
Cristiano Ronaldo has a habit of stealing the show, but not even his blubbering withdrawal could take the focus away from another encouraging step forward by Erik ten Hag’s players.
Ronaldo, an unused substitute, was displeased with the watching brief he was given as goals from not only Fred but also Bruno Fernandes garnered a deserved 2-0 victory over Tottenham, but his grievances are unfounded when United performs at such a high magnitude.
United took a poor Spurs side to task from start to finish, exhibiting their ongoing adjustment to Ten Hag’s methods with an assaulting display as thorough as any seen at Old Trafford in recollection, let alone since the Dutchman took the reins.
United’s 28 attempts on goal were the most by any team in a Premier League game this season, the most Antonio Conte had ever conceded in his management level career, and also the scoreline would have been even more emphatic if it hadn’t been for Hugo Lloris’ heroics.
With Ronaldo on the seat against Liverpool, Arsenal, and now Tottenham Hotspur, games United have managed to win with apparent ease, it’s clear the club’s transformation to living without the Portuguese is well underway. His pettiness will only hasten the process.
With a point at Old Trafford, Tottenham could have finished second.The problem is that in these big games, the Spurs can appear to be a team that is only interested in winning. It occasionally works, and it is an Antonio Conte masterclass. When it doesn’t, people complain.
This was a bad night for the Italian and his teammates. The defensive switch to 3-5-2 appeared to have worked well in the second half against Everton. The addition of Yves Bissouma freed up Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur to join the attacks more frequently.
It was ineffective against Manchester United. Conte’s team allowed 28 shots, the most in a Premier League game this season. The most goals conceded by a Conte team in a top-flight game – a total of 318 in England and Italy.
In another sense, however, this exceptional case has become a motif. So far this season, they have decided to pick up results against the rest of the league, but whenever Tottenham has faced a stronger opponent, their flaws have become all too apparent.
