Manchester United 3-0 Tottenham
Manchester United moved to within two points off second-placed Manchester City thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win over Tottenham. Louis Van Gaal’s bounced back from Monday night’s loss to Arsenal by putting in their best performance of the season as they thoroughly outplayed Spurs from start to finish. Marouane Fellaini opened the scoring after he calmly converted Michael Carrick’s through ball with his left foot.
Carrick doubled United’s lead as he scored his first goal of the season with a header from 10 yards. The Red Devils went into the break 3-0 up thanks to a sublime solo effort from Wayne Rooney, who danced past the Spurs defense with consummate ease to score his 13th goal of the season.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
1. Carrick returns with United’s confidence
When you ask fans as to who United’s most influential player has been over the past few years, many might go for Wayne Rooney. Some might say David De Gea, others at different points may go for Robin Van Persie or Nemanja Vidic. But you would be hard pressed to find someone say Michael Carrick. But the truth is that United are an infinitely better team with him in it, than without.
There are few central mid-fielders as graceful and elegant on the ball as Carrick and against his former club, he gave United something they had been lacking for a long time, a sense of direction. For all of Daley Blind’s qualities, the Dutchman has a tendency to keep possession and go back if necessary rather than risk losing it by going for a more expansive forward ball. As simplistic as it might seem, Carrick’s return has quickened United’s play immensely and the United vice-captain will be key to their chances of finishing in the top four, especially with a tough run of games coming up.