Premier League week 10: Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham Hotpsur
Two of the top teams in the Premier League faced each other in Manchester in chase of the leader Chelsea. The game was hard-fought and defense were strong to stop any initiative from both sides. Forwards would not much space and the draw was slowly coming.
Then Martial stroke. The French super sub scored the sole goal of the game just 10 minutes after entering at the 81th. United stopped the Spurs’ winning streak and remain close to Manchester City after Citizens won again. All the best actions from Manchester and upcoming games can be found at www.fotboll.com
Coach Man Utd Jose Mourinho on the win:
“I think we got what we deserved. It was a difficult match that could have been a draw between two big teams. I think both were trying to win but both knew that they opponent was strong. So try to win but with one eye on the thief. I think the only team that had opportunities was us, apart from their Alli chance. We controlled them very well and I think we had more chances to win the match than they had. But it was a big football match, tactically difficult for both teams and tactically difficult for the players. Good referee. Just one yellow card in a match that was strong, aggressive, and every fifty-fifty was like the last challenge of their lives.”
“I think we all feel [that we have to win] every match. That’s why I was so disappointed at Huddersfield, because it looked like in that match that we didn’t know the responsibility, we didn’t know the ambition, we didn’t know that every point is a precious point. Today if we drew the match, or even in the last minute we concede a goal and lose 1-0, I would never be against the players because I felt that from minute one, every ball was like the last ball of their careers. They gave absolutely everything, so I’m really happy with them and, obviously, the result.”
On Martial’s effectiveness:
“He’s playing well – the same as Rashford, the same as Lukaku. These players work amazingly well. Today we had two strikers playing together against three top central defenders – the best we have in Europe. They had to do the defensive job of pressing them coming out with the ball, which they do really well, because they have big routines of playing with three at the back. And on top of that they gave us solutions to get out of the pressure, to find depth, to win first balls, to press seconds. Then Martial scores with a bad shot, but a bad shot can sometimes be a beautiful one.”
Spurs coach Pochettino thinks a draw would have been fair:
“I feel disappointed because the game was even and the performance was good, the effort was fantastic and I feel proud. It’s painful but we have to keep going and Wednesday we have another big game.
We should be talking in a different way. Dele missed the chance we had and then maybe it would have been 1-0 to us and the result would be different. Football is about small details and when the game is even, small, small things can change everything. That’s football and we have to accept it. I’m disappointed because the players made a lot of effort to win the game and I feel bad for them, the effort was fantastic. We need to learn and try to improve.”
