James Maddison scored the only goal of the match as Tottenham Hotspur recorded a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Sunday's Premier League contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The game's decisive moment came in the 13th minute, when Maddison turned into the back of the net from close range after Man United goalkeeper Andre Onana failed to properly deal with a strike from Lucas Bergvall.
Both teams had chances to add to the scoring in North London, but Maddison's goal held, as Ange Postecoglou's side moved into 12th spot in the Premier League table, dropping Man United to 15th in the process.
The 20-time English champions have now been beaten in 12 of their 25 league matches this season, and it was another poor result for Ruben Amorim, who has now lost nine of his 21 games in charge of the club.
Tottenham have now done the double over Man United for the first time in Premier League history, while Postecoglou is the first Spurs boss in the Premier League era to win three matches against the Red Devils in a single season.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
Man United were missing 12 first-team players for the contest through a mixture of illness and injury, but on another day, they would have claimed at least a point here, as Tottenham were also hugely disappointing for long spells.
Indeed, this match looked like what it was - a contest between two bottom-half teams in the Premier League.
The only positive for Man United is that 17-year-old Chido Obi made his first-team debut late on, but the fact that he was only given the final three minutes when the Red Devils needed a goal was a strange decision by Amorim.
Tottenham needed a win, no matter how it came, and this was a huge result for Postecoglou during a difficult period for him.
Amorim also needed a result, but his team came up short once again, and Man United are fortunate that they are 12 points clear of the relegation zone, as they would be difficult to back if the team were much closer to the bottom.
The Premier League is done and dusted for Man United this season; they may finish as low as 16th, with the Europa League and FA Cup much more important this term, with the team looking to secure a route into Europe for the 2025-26 campaign.
TOTTENHAM VS. MAN UNITED HIGHLIGHTS
James Maddison goal vs. Man United (13th min, Tottenham 1-0 Man United)
James Maddison nets on his return from injury! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/59Q1DG5moD
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 16, 2025
Tottenham make the breakthrough in the 13th minute of the contest, as Maddison turns into the back of the net from close range after Onana could only push a strike from Bergvall into a dangerous area.
MAN OF THE MATCH - DJED SPENCE
© Imago
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario deserves a mention for his contribution, having made some smart saves throughout the contest, but Spence was the best player on the pitch on Sunday afternoon.
The Spurs right-back made two tackles and completed two successful dribbles, while he was also excellent in possession of the ball, boasting a pass success rate of 93%, with the Englishman a huge contributor to the home side's success.
TOTTENHAM VS, MAN UNITED MATCH STATS
Possession: Tottenham 57%-43% Man United
Shots: Tottenham 22-16 Man United
Shots on target: Tottenham 7-6 Man United
Corners: Tottenham 10-5 Man United
Fouls: Tottenham 13-9 Man United
BEST STATS
14% - Of players to have had 10+ big chances in the Premier League this season, Alejandro Garnacho has the lowest conversion rate (scored 2/14). Imprecision. pic.twitter.com/5hsiRlcowf
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 16, 2025
Manchester United have scored just one first half goal in their last 10 Premier League games combined.
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 16, 2025
It was a penalty vs. Brighton. 👀 https://t.co/sxdPRcmCPp
Manchester United have now failed to score in 10 of their 25 games, only Everton (12) have failed to score more often in the Premier League this season. https://t.co/gDhSgQUhas
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 16, 2025
FT: Tottenham 1-0 Man Utd
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 16, 2025
Tottenham do the league double over Manchester United for the first time ever in the Premier League. 💪#TOTMUN | @bet365 | #Ad pic.twitter.com/7dEDZM4wV5
Ange Postecoglou is the first Tottenham manager to do the league double over Manchester United in the Premier League.
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 16, 2025
He's also the first Spurs manager to win three games against the Red Devils in a single season in the PL era.
And he's just the fourth manager after Ruud... pic.twitter.com/GIgcyrwivM
8 - Manchester United have lost eight of their last 12 Premier League games (W3 D1); since the date of the first game in this spell (Dec 4th v Arsenal), the only sides to lose more matches in the competition are the current bottom two, Leicester (9) and Southampton (10). Rut. pic.twitter.com/NgFR7F0Zog
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 16, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Tottenham will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to relegation-threatened Ipswich Town next Saturday.
Man United, meanwhile, will be bidding to bounce back from their latest defeat when they visit a revitalised Everton in England's top flight next Saturday, and there will again be huge pressure on Amorim to deliver a positive result.
Matt Law
