Tottenham v Manchester United – story of the match

Posted Thursday, February 01, 2018 by PA

Christian Eriksen scored within 11 seconds as Tottenham brushed aside a below-par Manchester United to seal a crucial 2-0 victory in the race for the top four.

Eriksen’s strike, coming after four Spurs passes, is the third fastest in Premier League history, slower only than Ledley King and Alan Shearer, who both took 10 seconds to hit the net in 2000 and 2003 respectively.

A Phil Jones own-goal then put Tottenham in charge before half-time at Wembley, with United fortunate not to suffer a more emphatic defeat.

Their chaotic display was summed up by Jose Mourinho substituting Marouane Fellaini in the second half, less than eight minutes after the Belgian had been brought on.

Tweet of the Match

AND STILL……. pic.twitter.com/0sc2OyJDkx
— Ledley King (@LedleyKing) January 31, 2018

Man of the Match – Christian Eriksen

Tottenham v Manchester United – story of the match — Christian Eriksen ran the show for Spurs (Adam Davy/PA)

Not only did the Denmark international put Tottenham ahead after just 11 seconds but he was creative and elusive in equal measures throughout the whole contest. United’s backline was rattled by the early strike and he continued to make it an uncomfortable evening for the likes of Chris Smalling and Jones as he helped guide Tottenham to three points.

Moment of the Match

Eriksen set the tone for the evening with his blistering early goal, slotting past David De Gea after just four passes and before Manchester United had touched the ball.

Data Point

🏟️ This evening''s official attendance at @wembleystadium is 81,978 – a new @premierleague record! 🙌#COYS pic.twitter.com/ZaqI25Iiyx
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 31, 2018

A Premier League record of 81,978 fans watched as Tottenham saw off United – beating their own record set at Wembley in their victory over Liverpool earlier in the season.

Ratings

Tottenham: Hugo Lloris 7, Kieran Trippier 7, Davinson Sanchez 7, Jan Vertonghen 7, Ben Davies 6, Eric Dier 6, Mousa Dembele 7, Son Heung-min 7, Dele Alli 6, Christian Eriksen 8, Harry Kane 7. Subs: Erik Lamela (for Son, 80) 6, Moussa Sissoko (for Alli, 87) 5, Victor Wanyama (for Dembele, 90) 5.

Manchester United: David De Gea 6, Antonio Valencia 5, Phil Jones 4, Chris Smalling 5, Ashley Young 5, Nemanja Matic 6, Paul Pogba 5, Anthony Martial 4, Jesse Lingard 5, Alexis Sanchez 5, Romelu Lukaku 5. Subs: Marouane Fellaini (for Lingard, 63) 5, Juan Mata (for Pogba, 63) 5, Ander Herrera (for Fellaini, 70) 5.