What for three-quarters of this game was a tight encounter ended anything put as three goals in six second half minutes handed Tottenham a convincing victory and left the Reds once again following a short run of form with a huge step back.
United's coach had been stuck in the North London traffic, forcing kick-off to be put back by half an hour. The Reds didn't appeared hindered by the enforced short warm-up, however, and took the game to Spurs in the early stages. There was a lack of clear-cut chances, however, and it was the home side who came closest to scoring when Lamela found space on the United right and might have done better when he headed wide of the post.
The second half continued to be a frantic affair, offering little space for the creative players to operate, although a superb mazy run into the box from Martial came closest to giving United the lead. When offered a similar opportunity, Spurs didn't pass up on it. Eriksson's clinical pass inside found Dele Alli, who poked the ball past De Gea to give the Londoners the lead.
It got worse for the Reds when Alderweireld rose above Rojo at a free kick to double the Spurs lead, then much worse when Rose's cross fed Lamela, who made up for his earlier miss by drilling his clinical shot past the United keeper.
The three goals had been conceded following Fosu-Mensah's enforced departure through injury. Coincidence? Probably, but there's no question the youngster had been heavily involved in ensuring the gaps that now appeared in the United defence hadn't been there earlier on. After his departure, his team simply fell apart.
Spurs might have added to their lead had it not been for a fine save from De Gea denying Alderweireld his second. In the closing stages Dembele also came close to adding a fourth. United were frankly woeful in these later stages, leaving Reds fans looking forward only to the final whistle and the end of this deeply disappointing Premiership season.
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