Manchester United faced a challenging defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, falling to Tottenham Hotspur with a score of 3-0. The game took a turn for the worse for the hosts when captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red card just before halftime.
The match began poorly for United as Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven executed an impressive run to assist Brennan Johnson for a simple tap-in just two minutes into the game. Despite some attempts to respond, United struggled to regain control and were largely outplayed. Goalkeeper Andre Onana made several key saves to keep the scoreline manageable until Fernandes’ sending off for a knee-high tackle on James Maddison.
Immediately after the second half began, Dejan Kulusevski volleyed in Tottenham’s second goal. Later, Dominic Solanke added a third goal, sealing the comprehensive victory for Spurs. By full-time, a segment of the home crowd expressed their frustration by booing the United players as they left the pitch.
The defeat further highlighted Manchester United’s struggles under manager Erik ten Hag. This marked United’s third defeat in six league games this season, leaving them in the bottom half of the table and trailing behind their rivals. Former player Gary Neville criticized the team’s performance as “absolutely disgusting,” while Ten Hag acknowledged that the red card significantly impacted the match’s outcome.
Off the pitch, Tottenham players praised their commanding performance, with both Johnson and van de Ven expressing satisfaction with their game plan and execution. With this win, Spurs moved into eighth place, just behind Chelsea in fourth, while United slipped to twelfth with a negative goal difference.
As the season progresses, Manchester United will need to regroup and find a way to improve their form amid rising scrutiny of Ten Hag’s management and the team’s overall performance.