5 talking points from Manchester United’s 2-0 Premier League loss against Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United lost to Tottenham Hotspur by two second-half goals as their poor Premier League away form continues under Erik ten Hag.

Erik ten Hag‘s men lost their first away game of the season, with Matar Sarr scoring his maiden goal in the second half, followed by an own goal from Lisandro Martinez as Manchester United lost at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium for the first time.

United struggled once again to score as they failed to find the back of the net in the game. However, they did come close to scoring, twice in the first half, but Rashford and Bruno Fernandes squandered their chances. Antony also hit the post in the second half.

Read More: Player Ratings: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester United

Let’s look at the five talking points of the match against Tottenham Hotspur:

#1 – Mason Mount’s much-improved performance

The former Chelsea man was criticized for his below-average performance against Wolves in the Premier League opener. The Englishman was paired alongside Casemiro in midfield.

Mount’s excessive pressing led to Spurs’ defence fumbling, which eventually led to Antony having a go at the goal. He also broke the opposition’s attack a few times and, with his iconic half-turn, created a goal-scoring chance.

However, he still needs to communicate well with Casemiro, as a few times, United’s No. 7 failed to track back in time, thus giving away lots of space for Spurs to thrive on.

#2 – André Onana continues his impressive form

Onana continues his impressive form with much more dominance. The No. 24 did everything, from maintaining United’s clean sheet to breaking Tottenham’s press with just one pass.

In the middle of the first half, Onana walked towards the halfway line and switched over an excellent pass to Alejandro Garnacho. He also commanded well in the penalty box, asking his teammates to go forward and take up positions on the pitch.

#3 – Still a shaky defence

Despite putting up a good show in the first half, United’s defence was toyed with by Tottenham Hotspur in the second half. On many occasions, Tottenham’s attack opened up the Reds’ defence.

Wan Bissaka’s lack of awareness gave Spurs the chance to widen their attack and, hence, create more chaos in the box. Manchester United also needs to work on their clearances, as the rest of their players failed to capitalize on the second balls, which eventually helped Spurs launch constant attacks on United’s defence.

#4 – Marcus Rashford doesn’t do well at striker

Rashford was far from his usual best when he was at the top of the United attack against Spurs. The Mancunian earlier revealed that he prefers playing on the left as he gets more freedom.

Rashford seemed much more dangerous on the ball when he drifted towards the wings a few times in the opening half. He also missed a good chance to open the scoring for United, but he headed it wide.

#5 – Lack of a goalscoring threat

Besides a few early chances in the first half, none of United’s attackers posed a genuine threat in the opposition box. Rashford was almost invisible in the game as the lone CF. Alejandro Garnacho performed better than the last fixture but was still not enough to create havoc in Spurs’ defence.

Chances were created, but they weren’t well utilized by United’s attackers. However, Facundo Pellistri showed glimpses of what he is capable of doing and surely deserves to get more game time in the next few minutes.