Tottenham secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday in a matchup between two struggling Premier League sides. The win lifted Spurs to 12th place in the table, overtaking United, and gave them their third victory over the Red Devils this season.
James Maddison was the hero of the night, scoring the only goal in the 13th minute. His effort came after Manchester United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, failed to properly clear a shot from Lucas Bergvall, leaving Maddison with an easy finish.
The result provided some relief for Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, who has been under pressure following his team’s early exits from both domestic cup competitions this season. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s struggles continued, as they dropped to 15th place in the standings. Despite their poor form, they remain 12 points above the relegation zone.
The match took place in a tense atmosphere at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs fans once again voiced their frustration towards the club’s ownership. Before kick-off, a large section of supporters displayed a banner that read, “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – Time for change,” calling for chairman Daniel Levy to step down.
However, Tottenham’s mood was lifted before the game when several key players returned from injury. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made his first appearance since November, while Maddison also returned to the starting lineup. Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, and Wilson Odobert were named on the bench, giving the team a much-needed boost.
On the other hand, Manchester United faced their own injury concerns. Amad Diallo and Lisandro Martinez were ruled out for the rest of the season, while Kobbie Mainoo was sidelined for a month. As a result, manager Ruben Amorim had to include eight teenagers among his substitutes. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were given starting roles in attack after being left out of the previous league match against Crystal Palace.
Hojlund had an early opportunity to put United ahead but his shot was too close to Vicario, who made a comfortable save. The Italian goalkeeper then denied Alejandro Garnacho with an impressive stop.
Despite United’s early pressure, it was Tottenham who took the lead. Onana could only push Bergvall’s shot into Maddison’s path, and the England international calmly slotted the ball into the net for his 10th goal of the season.
United had chances to equalize before halftime, with Garnacho missing a golden opportunity after being set up by Bruno Fernandes. The Argentine forward continued to struggle in front of goal, as Vicario made another fine save after the break.
Zirkzee squandered a major chance to level the game when he failed to direct a header on target from Noussair Mazraoui’s cross. United’s attacking woes were once again evident, as only the league’s bottom three teams and Everton have scored fewer than their 28 goals in 25 matches this season.
