Mourinho proven right after Martial answers his call to edge out Spurs
Super-sub Anthony Martial delivered the knockout blow to get Manchester United back on track and put a big dent in Tottenham’s title aspirations.
Four of Martial’s six goals this season have come off the bench, but there has been none more important than this one. After drawing at Liverpool and losing at Huddersfield, this was a timely reminder that United will be ready to chase down neighbours Manchester City this season.
The Frenchman’s goal with nine minutes remaining tipped a tight game decisively in United’s favour and was just what Jose Mourinho needed. His decision to replace Marcus Rashford with Martial after 70 minutes when the game was still on a knife-edge was not universally popular around Old Trafford.
But as Martial settled things, Mourinho could reflect on an afternoon when things went in his favour. “I’m happy because we beat a very good team,” said the United manager. “Martial is the same position as Marcus, but he’s more comfortable than Marcus dropping in between the lines.
“I was telling him to have the ball and not just try to attack space. But at the same time I wanted him to play from [Romelu] Lukaku against three very good central defenders, but ones who had a hard game for 60, 70 minutes against Lukaku and Rashford. So he comes on and, OK, it was probably a lucky shot but the movement and the desire was good and he got us two more points.”
So while United strengthened their position in second place with their 100% home record intact, the absence of Harry Kane through a hamstring injury proved too big an obstacle for Tottenham to overcome.
The lack of their talismanic striker could not help but blunt their attacking threat and the words of City manager Pep Guardiola in describing them as the “Harry Kane team” came home to roost.
Yet Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino refused to accept that defeat was simply down to not having Kane. “You’re always going to miss your main striker and Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world,” he said.
“But that is not an excuse. We did not lose because we were missing Harry. Football is a collective sport and you always have to adapt when someone is not fit to play. I was happy with everyone’s performance and I think we deserved more.”
The big question before kick-off had been how Pochettino would replace his star player. The answer was to put Son Heung-min furthest forward with Dele Alli asked to get up and support him.
The headline news for United was Mourinho’s decision to switch to three centre-halves and match Spurs’ system. The biggest beneficiary was Rashford, who was moved from duty on the left-wing and unleashed to partner Lukaku up front. As soon as the match began, there was a speed and intensity to United’s play that had been so badly absent at Huddersfield last weekend.
Hugo Lloris needed smart handling to cut out a dangerous low ball across goal from Lukaku and he took no chances in pushing behind Rashford’s ambitious freekick from nearly 30 yards out.
Spurs weathered that early pressure and came into the game, but they struggled to make chances. Their best of the half came when David de Gea collided with Phil Jones and dropped a cross but Moussa Sissoko ballooned his shot over from the loose ball.
United resumed with greater intent after the break and a poor piece of handling from Lloris almost gave Rashford a tap-in when he spilled Henrik Mkhitaryan’s shot, but Ben Davies produced an excellent piece of defending to clear the danger.
Within a minute, there was another threat as Mkhitaryan got to the deadball line and it needed a slight touch from Lloris to take it beyond the lurking Lukaku waiting in the middle.
As Spurs were struggling going forward, Pochettino made a double change as Fernando Llorente replaced Son up front and Mousa Dembele came on for Sissoko.
The opportunity they had craved all game arrived with 13 minutes remaining. The ball was patiently worked to Christian Eriksen, who spotted Alli’s run to the six-yard line.
The pass was perfect and Alli guided his effort past De Gea, but the wrong side of the far post.
Lukaku then headed against the base of a post from a cross from substitute Jesse Lingard before the Belgian No.9 played a major role in United’s winning goal as, from De Gea’s long free-kick, he flicked the ball into Martial’s path.
The Frenchman’s blistering pace took him beyond Eric Dier and, despite scuffing his left-foot shot, he did enough to beat Lloris and settle this tight encounter.