BRUNO’S SPOT ON FOR OLE
Fernandes penalty rescues point for United as sloppy Spurs blow chance to close the gap
THE much anticipated pairing of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba did the trick for Manchester United — although perhaps not in the way imagined.
They didn’t start together, were not even on the field at the same time until the 63rd minute when Pogba came on as a substitute for Fred, but it was a combination of their talents that earned United a point here.
Pogba won the penalty, Fernandes converted it. And the draw was no more than United deserved. They were the better team for much of the game, and certainly the second-half, and it took an exceptional performance from Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham goal to stop them winning.
And Pogba made a difference. There is no doubt of that. One ball he hit to Marcus Rashford in the 85th minute was quite possibly the pass of the night and, even if the penalty looked a tad soft, he won it through persistence and the pressure he placed on Eric Dier.
There were ten minutes remaining, and Tottenham looked to have pulled through — just — when Pogba collected the ball on the right. He teased Dier, took it around him and invited the England man to do something rash — which he duly did. Was it enough to justify the fall? Possibly not. But VAR had a look an agreed with referee Jon Moss that it was a United penalty.
Fernandes stepped up and striking the ball low to the left, sent Lloris the wrong way. It was the only error of judgement he made all night. Fortunately, a very poor call by Moss that would have given
United a second penalty for another Dier foul in the final minute, was overruled in Stockley Park. It may have been the right result, but the wrong way to have achieved it,.
As for lockdown hero Rashford, the government could not resist him but Tottenham could. He should have done better from that pass by Pogba and, sadly, good deeds count for little across 90 minutes.
A screaming full house, an echoing empty bowl, it makes no difference to Steven Bergwijn. This was his third Premier League game at home with Tottenham, and his third straight goal in his new surroundings. Not since Rafael van der Vaart in 2010 has a new signing made such an impact at home.
Pity there was no- one here to appreciate it. His team-mates whooped, obviously. The odd steward applauded. The press box scribbled its notes in silence, but have no doubt of the significance. Tottenham, until that point, had been second best to United.
Once Bergwijn put them ahead against the run of play, however, they looked like a team finally getting its act together under Jose Mourinho. Not just dangerous — Son Hueng-min almost added a second soon after — but resilient and organised, too.
As he proved at Chelsea, and even United given two trophies in his first season, Mourinho can be a very quick maker given the right raw materials. He has the nucleus of a fine side at Tottenham, no doubt of that.
He caught a break when the season was suspended, too. Tottenham’s injury crisis was significant when football stopped, and included Bergwijn with an ankle injury. He wouldn’t have featured in this game, had it gone ahead as scheduled.
Instead, he turned it. United had been impressive early on. There hadn’t been a truckload of chances but, the few created, had gone their way.
In the 22nd minute, a nice United move was completed by a ball from Fernandes that Davinson Sanchez dealt with poorly, almost letting in Rashford. The man of the moment hit a low shot but was thwarted by Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris. A shot from Fred was kept out with considerably greater ease, before Lloris stopped a low strike from Fernandes.
At which point the fourth official signalled the drinks break to be taken. Given it was 13 degrees and had only recently stopped chucking it down, this may have seemed somewhat unnecessary but rules is rules, certainly in the time of covid-19.
What Mourinho put in Tottenham’s heaven knows, for they reconvened a changed side. In less than five minutes they were a goal up.
It was excellent work from Bergwijn aided by multiple errors from United. Lloris belted a goal kick in the direction of Luke Shaw at leftback, whose clearing header was far too lofted but should have been
mopped up by Rashford. ashford.
Instead, a heavy eavy touch sent it back ack into United’s half, lf, to Bergwijn. He e turned and ran, meaningfully, towards the United goal. Fred couldn’t catch him, and Harry Maguire looked horribly heavy-legged as he e sped past him. The he last error was the costliest, mind — David De Gea, getting a good hand to Bergwijn’s shot but succeeding only in diverting it into the net.
In the television studio at halftime, Roy Keane was scathing. Shaw, De Gea, Maguire, no- one was spared.
‘I’m sick to death of this goalkeeper,’ he fumed. There may come a time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is too. If Chris Wilder thinks he is going to get Dean Henderson on loan for another season at Sheffield United, he’s dreaming.
From there, the match changed. Manchester United may have swiftly forced another chance when a Fred free-kick almost found Rashford,Ra who was put ooff balance by SanSanchez before LloLloris saved, but TTottenham were sstronger with ttheir noses in front. In the 32nd minute, Moussa Sissoko broke ddown the right aand picked out SoSon with a lovely crocross, the ball sent back across goal with a powerfulpow header which DDe Gea tipped over. Without a crowd to express their excitement, very good chances can pass almost unnoticed. In the 34th minute, a low shot from Eric Dier was casually flicked towards goal by Sanchez, an excellent opportunity tossed away. One imagines had it fallen to Kane he might have made it count. Still United were not out of it, and the half closed with a dipping curling shot from Fernandes that Lloris made look easier than it no doubt was. In the 55th minute, Anthony Martial picked out the Portuguese once more and his low shot travelled just wide after Lloris had given up the ghost.