Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham: Spurs heap more misery on Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford as Bruno Fernandes sees red

Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scored the goals as Spurs took apart an appalling Manchester United side, who also had Bruno Fernandes sent off.

After reportedly narrowly escaping the sack in the summer, Erik ten Hag may well be fearing for his job after a weak performance.

From the off, Spurs were first to every ball, and it was no surprise when they took the lead on three minutes, Johnson tapping home at the far post after fantastic work from Micky van de Ven.

Though Spurs didn’t score again in the first half, they absolutely dominated as United shrunk. Then, with three minutes until the break, Fernandes slipped as James Maddison passed him, lunged, and was sent off after his challenge landed higher than intended.

Handed an opportunity to reorganise, Ten Hag will have been dismayed to concede within two minutes of the restart, Kulusevski finishing cleverly after more good work from Johnson.

Then, just as United established a foothold in the game, Spurs made it safe, Solanke sliding in after Pape Sarr flicked on a corner.

In the time remaining, the away end mocked the home fans, team and manager – a state of affairs that sees Ten Hag under yet more pressure.

Consequently, Erik ten Hag will be wondering if he’s just managed his last game as manager –and with good reason. As he’s so keen to remind us, he’s led United to two Cup triumphs, fine achievements. But more than two years in, the players and team are his, but there’s still no sense that he has the chops to challenge the best.

Just last weekend, United produced one of the best halves of his time in charge. and yet they still couldn’t score, an inability to finish a minor improvement on last season’s inability even to create.

But in midweek they were tepid, unable to beat Twente either for effort or for goals, following it with as dreadful a performance as has been seen over the last 11 years – in an extremely crowded field. If he’s still manager when United play Porto on Wednesday, Ten Hag can consider himself a lucky man.

Seized the game with a fantastic gambolling run and didn’t allow United a sniff of goal.

Manchester United: Onana 7, Dalot 3, De Ligt 5, Martinez 4, Mazraoui 5, Ugarte 5, Mainoo 5, Fernandes 5, Garnacho 6, Zirkzee 5, Rashford 5. Subs: Mount 5, Casemiro 6, Eriksen 6, Hojlund 6, Amad 6.

Spurs: Vicario 6, Porro 6, Van de Ven 8, Romero 7, Porro 7, Maddison 7, Kulusevski 8, Bentancur 6, Werner 5, Solanke 6, Johnson 7. Subs: Sepnce 6, Moore 6, Sarr 7, Bergvall 6, Dragusin 6.

Manchester United have scored five league goals in six games, one fewer than Cole Palmer managed in 45 minutes yesterday.

3′ – GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (JOHNSON) Stop me if you’ve seen this one before – Wednesday night for example. Van de Ven dispossesses Rashford and sets off on a glorious run, eluding four United players in the process, before squaring across the face for Johnson to tap home his fourth in four.

19′ – THIS IS A MORE EVEN GAME NOW Though it’d be entirely unsurprising to see United toss in another. There’s a lack of seriousness about them – how can you start such an important game in such pathetic fashion? And, as I speak, Spurs move the ball from one end to the other, both Mazraoui and De Ligt selling themselves, then from one flank to the other, Kulusevski sliding in for Johnson, who shoots low, hard and through Dalot’s legs … but against the base of the far post! United escape!

42′ – BRUNO FERNANDES IS SENT OFF FOR A FOUL ON JAMES MADDISON! He slips as Maddison weaves past him, flails a leg, catches Maddison high, and that’s not going to be rescinded.

47′ – GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (KULUSEVSKI) Martinez misses a lunge and Johnson’s away down the right. De Ligt slides in, doing enough to send the cross looping up – nicely, as it turns out, for the onrushing Kulusevki to leap into an improvised finish, hanging out a leg to lift over Onana’s arm. Again, this could get messy.

77′ – GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (SOLANKE) Bergvall’s corner is a goodun, Sarr applies the near-post flick, and at the far post, Solanke slides in to finish the game. United’s, er, fightback, is over.