Tottenham Hotspur puncture Manchester United’s revival

Old Trafford side had won six straight going into contest

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck, left, attempts an overhead kick during an English Premier League football match against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Andrew Yates / AFP
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Manchester, ENGLAND // Just along from Sir Alex Ferguson Way, in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and the watching Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United received their latest, unwanted reminder that Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory days have swiftly been consigned to the past.

Old Trafford was Ferguson’s fortress. It has become David Moyes’ house of horrors. Like West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Newcastle before them, Tottenham conquered United’s historic home on Wednesday to render his time in charge still more troubled.

Thanks to goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen, Spurs surged to a second successive win at Old Trafford.

It was a setback with unfortunate similarities for United, whose lack of power in the midfield was highlighted by the contrast with the athletic Mousa Dembele.

It was another occasion when they were slow to respond after conceding and where Old Trafford, scene of so many famous comebacks, was strangely flat until, belatedly, the team stirred from their slumber. Until a frantic finale, there was a certain fatalism around the place.

This was a day to suggest United’s recent revival was merely the product of a favourable fixture list.

Moyes’s men had won their previous six games but none of their domestic victims represented elite opponents and leaders Arsenal remain the only team in the top nine United have beaten in the league. The bare facts are that the serial winners are 11 points behind the leaders and, having dropped only 25 points last season, have dropped 26 already in this campaign.

For a buoyant Tottenham, it was not merely the best result of Tim Sherwood’s fledgling reign, but of their year. The expensive underachievers are now only two points off the top four and threatening to achieve their ambitions. Sherwood has given Spurs confidence and this gave a rookie manager credibility.

His boldness is best illustrated by his decision to select two strikers. Adebayor and Roberto Soldado tended to be common denominators in their most promising attacks, the Spaniard showing his passing ability to act as a skilled provider.

The opening goal was a case in point. Soldado dropped deeper to find the advancing Eriksen and when he crossed, Adebayor leapt above a back-pedaling Chris Smalling to angle a header back across goal and in.

Yet Spurs’ counter-attacking menace had already been highlighted when Adebayor led a swift break before finding Soldado. The latter steered a slide-rule pass into the path of Aaron Lennon, whose low shot drew a fine save from David de Gea.

Their combination should have brought a second goal, a stretching Soldado unable to provide an accurate enough finish to Lennon’s cross.

The electric, elusive Englishman dominated his duel with Patrice Evra and, inevitably, was involved when Tottenham doubled their lead.

Soldado picked out the accelerating winger, who burst into space. A sliding Nemanja Vidic deflected Lennon’s cross, but Eriksen was able to stoop and head it in.

United were the more forceful side at the start, but they turned pressure into only a solitary noteworthy chance, when Smalling accepted Antonio Valencia’s pass and drilled a shot that Hugo Lloris blocked with his thighs.

But they were muted for long periods either side of half time, their desperation seemingly summed up when Danny Welbeck dived as Vlad Chiriches was careful not to challenge him. Howard Webb, the referee, did not fall for the theatrics; nor, sadly, did he show the striker the yellow card he deserved.

Welbeck provided a more positive contribution with a deftly chipped finish after Adnan Januzaj picked him out with a perceptive pass.

It followed a bold double change from Moyes as he adopted a policy of all-out attack. He took off a holding midfielder, in Michael Carrick, and his right-back, Smalling, for the striker Javier Hernandez and Shinji Kagawa, who played on the left wing.

Rooney, relocated to midfield, tested Lloris with a low shot. So did Vidic with a header that the Frenchman saved brilliantly.

Tottenham prevailed and United tasted the familiar feeling of defeat at home.

sports@thenational.ae