Premier League GW12 - Man United vs Tottenham

Man United vs Tottenham | Picture Credit: Premier League Website

Manchester United took on Tottenham at Old Trafford in a Premier League match that was sure to be exciting. Both clubs had a lot on the line, with United looking to improve their league record and Spurs hoping to finish in the top four.

Man United:

United's season has been uneven thus far, featuring many highs and many lows for the Red Devils. With nine points separating them from the top four at the beginning of the day, they are in no shape to attempt and go closer to those four places. They only prevailed in two of their eight games (D1 L5) in December, however both of those victories were at home. They defeated Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the FA Cup to start the new year, and they'll be looking to build on that performance to improve their league performance.

Tottenham:

After winning the rematch 2-0 in August, Spurs would not only accomplish the Premier League era's first league double against United with a victory here, but they would also pass Arsenal and enter the top four. Spurs have only lost one of their last five Premier League games, winning the other four, after going five games without a win. They also enter this match fresh off an FA Cup success, defeating Burnley 1-0 the previous time around thanks to a late goal.

Line ups:

MANCHESTER UNITED STARTING XI (4-2-3-1):

Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans, Aaron Wan-Bissaka; Christian Eriksen, Kobbie Mainoo; Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Rasmus Hojlund.

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Scott McTominay, Lisandro Martinez, Altay Bayindir, Antony, Omari Forson, Facundo Pellistri, Tom Heaton, Casemiro, Willy Kambwala.

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI (4-3-3):

Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Oliver Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg; Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, Timo Werner.

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Fraser Forster, Radu Dragusin, Jamie Donley, Alfie Dorrington, Brandon Austin, Emerson Royal, Bryan Gil, Yago Alonso.

Old Trafford Stadium | Picture Credit: Sports Illustrated

First Half: Early Drama and Rashford's Brilliance

Hojlund wasted little time in getting United off to a strong start, sending a hard shot into the net inside three minutes. But Richarlison climbed above the defence to nod in an equalizer from a well-delivered corner, and Spurs immediately replied.

United's Rashford demonstrated his talent as the half went on, cutting inside and finishing with precision to give the Red Devils a one-goal advantage. There was a lot of goalmouth activity in the first forty-five minutes, with Romero's header hitting the bar at the opposite end and Udogie's nervous clearance off his own post.

The halftime siren went off with United leading by a slim 2-1 margin. Both sides' offensive strengths were clear to see, but defensive flaws—particularly on set pieces—increased the intensity of the match.

Second Half: Bentancur's Quick Response and Late Drama

In the second half, Spurs wasted little time as Bentancur leveled the score in just a minute. Rekindling the visitors' hopes was a well-executed attack that featured a deft throughball from Romero and a thunderous strike from Bentancur beyond Onana.

Spurs controlled the game with nine corners, which put United's defense to the test. In the last seconds, McTominay had a fantastic opportunity to meet Garnacho's cross unmarked, but his header went narrowly over the bar.

Honors Even in a Pulsating Encounter

The game ultimately ended in an exciting 2-2 draw, which demonstrated both teams' superior attacking ability. Hojlund's early strike, Rashford's calm finish, Richarlison's aerial skill, and Bentancur's devastating debut goal contributed to the drama at Old Trafford.

United, now in seventh place, grabbed an important point, while Spurs squandered the chance to get into the top four. In the upcoming weeks, both teams will compete for the FA Cup, which will heighten the excitement around their individual campaigns.

Fans were left gasping for air after seeing an intricately choreographed show when the final whistle blew.

Hojlund scored with 5 minutes of the match and gave Man United a 1-0 lead | Picture Credit: Premier League Website

Richarlison's goal for Tottenham levelled the score | Picture Credit: Premier League Website

Rashford's goal gave Man United the lead again in the match | Picture Credit: Premier League Website

Bentancur scored a goal for Tottenham, which levelled the score again | Picture Credit: Premier League Website