Premier League week 15
Manchester United delivered their best performance of the season to beat Tottenham 2-1 on the day Mourinho returned to the club he coached a year ago.
The former Manchester United coach was boasting a strong record of two consecutive wins with Tottenham since taking over from coach Pochettino. His return at the theatre of dreams was very much anticipated.
But England international, Marcus Rashford made sure to spoil the party for the Portuguese manager as his brace was enough to give Man Utd the win.
Long Road to Top 4
Both club are distanced from the top 4 spots in the League with respectively 8 points for Man U and 9 points for the Spurs behind Chelsea…
It will require a strong second half of the season to close the gap and to avoid not playing the Champions League next season.
United coach, Solksjaer on the big win:
“It was excellent. We should have been three or four up and you’re unlucky when you go into half-time at 1-1. It was just about picking the players up again and saying: ‘C’mon that’s the best performance you’ve put on’. Chelsea in parts [was great], Liverpool in parts, but this was a mature performance. We kept the ball, we played through them, we played round them and in behind them.”
Next on the derby:
Saturday again now. It’s Man City. Two days recovery and we go again. We’ve just got to go and get as many points on the board as possible. I said before this game that it’s a great chance for us to show what we can do.”
Spurs coach, Mourinho on his return to Old Trafford:
“I think United deserved to win because they were better than us in the first 30 minutes and because they didn’t make a mistake of the level we made for the second goal.
United were initially more aggressive than us, they started winning more duels, second balls and then we were reactive to that. We had a good 15 minutes between 30 and 45, scored a goal. I wasn’t happy the game went to half-time because we were in a good moment.
Then in the second half, I thought ‘let’s go for it’ but then we conceded that goal which gave United the confidence and conditions to be more defensive and compact in the second half.
Of course, I’m not happy, we’re not going to enjoy our way (journey) back, but that’s the way it is. I will sleep at the training ground and tomorrow we will start working.”
