John O’Shea has praised a Man Utd star after the win against Spurs for being ‘really consistent’ as he turns his Old Trafford career around again.
Manchester United made it four Premier League wins in a row under Michael Carrick with an impressive 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes were on the scoresheet in a commanding display from the hosts.
Although United began the match strongly, Tottenham soon found their rhythm and enjoyed a spell of dominance until Cristian Romero was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Casemiro just before the half-hour mark.
With Spurs down to ten men, United took full advantage. In the 38th minute, a slick set-piece routine saw the ball fall to Mbeumo, who made no mistake with a composed first-time finish past Guglielmo Vicario.
United maintained their control in the second half and sealed the victory late on, as Diogo Dalot’s inch-perfect delivery was converted by Fernandes to put the result beyond doubt.
“Impressive” Dalot praised by O’Shea
Dalot has always been a reliable performer for the club ever since he broke into the side as the starting right back in the 2021/22 season, usually being available.
After a mixed season so far, the Portuguese full-back has been going under the radar as one of United’s best players under Carrick so far, with this game by far being his standout performance.
Former United defender John O’Shea has picked up on these solid performances from Dalot and given him the praise he thinks he deserves when speaking to club media.
He said: “Diogo, really consistent again today, really solid. He joined in with the attacks when needed, but defensively, he was really impressive, too.
“I think having the staff in behind him to support him and keep it simple for him, I think it’s really affected him.”
The defence has stepped up
After only one clean sheet in 21 games in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils have now recorded two clean sheets in the four games under Carrick.
A lot more credit needs to be given to the backline of Dalot, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, as well as Senne Lammens in goal.
Defensively, they have been like monsters at the back. Maguire and Martinez have provided a strong physical foundation, which began against Erling Haaland a few weeks ago, and was again on display as they kept the Spurs attack at bay.
In possession, the defence has been pivotal too. The ball-playing ability of all four defenders allows the side to recycle the ball and remain calm to prevent the opposition from mounting pressure on United. This is a refreshing difference from the almost basketball-like system under Erik Ten Hag and the seemingly confused-looking setup under Amorim.
A lot of praise has been given to the attack and midfield, and rightly so. However, the assured performances of the United defence have given the entire team the platform to play in this direct and aggressive system.
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