Tottenham hit 10-man Man Utd for six on Mourinho's return
05 October, 2020
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled Manchester United's humiliating 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday as the worst feeling in 15 years at the club as a new player, coach and manager.
Tottenham cashed in on Anthony Martial's first-half red card to inflict United's worst defeat since 2011 as Jose Mourinho enjoyed a dream go back to Old Trafford.
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane scored doubly Spurs exposed a disorganised United defence at will before Martial was harshly punished for an off-the-ball clash with Erik Lamela.
Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier were also on target for Tottenham, who showed no ill-effects of a draining week in their fourth match in eight days.
"It's an awful feeling, the worst day I've had as a Manchester United manager and player." said Solskjaer.
"It's nowhere near sufficient. I hold my hands up. It's my decision to pick the team I did. Also as a squad, that's not sufficient for Manchester United."
The way in which of the defeat will turn the spotlight onto United ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.
Uruguayan striker Edison Cavani is reportedly set to become listed on the Red Devils, nonetheless it reaches the other end of the field Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men are in desperate need of reinforcements.
Mourinho, who was simply sacked as United boss in December 2018, revelled on what he described as a historic day for Tottenham.
"It really is history for Tottenham, history for my boys and I cannot deny additionally it is history for me," said the Portuguese.
"Some persons can say you play against 10 men for a long period which is true, but also for me it is also true that 11 v 11 we were playing extremely well," he said.
"We were creating huge problems, we were winning 2-1 plus they could not find answers to control us."
- Spurs punish calamitous United -
Mourinho has claimed his old club are too often the beneficiaries of dubious penalty decisions. But he could haven't any complaints when Davinson Sanchez upended Martial within the area in the first minute.
Bruno Fernandes coolly slotted home the spot-kick to seemingly supply the home side an ideal start.
However, within four minutes it had been 1-1 as calamitous defending from Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw presented Ndombele with the opportunity to sweep home an equaliser from close range.
Kane was the provider for all four of Son's goals in a 5-2 win at Southampton fourteen days ago and both combined to perfection once again as Spurs took the lead three minutes later.
Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were caught ball watching as Kane's quickly taken free-kick was simply perfect for the South-Korean to race through and dink the ball over the advancing David De Gea.
Any potential for a United revival went with Martial as he was displayed a straight red card for raising his hands to Lamela's face in retaliation to an elbow from the Argentine, which went unpunished from VAR.
Even that decision, though, cannot mask a disastrous performance from United, who gifted another goal away within two minutes of losing a man.
Kane intercepted Bailly's try to play out from inside his own box so when the ball broke to Son, he unselfishly squared for Kane to slot into an unguarded net.
Son had been a major injury doubt after suffering a hamstring problem in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Newcastle, but he was packed with energy as he burst in to the box to flick his seventh goal of the season between De Gea's legs.
Solskjaer introduced holding midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred at half-time in a bid to stem the tide, but United were cut open again when Paul Pogba didn't track Aurier's run and he fired in to the far corner from Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg's perfect pass.
Pogba was responsible again for the sixth as he dived in on Ben Davies and Kane converted emphatically from the penalty spot.
Another straight home defeat to get started on the growing season drops United to right above the relegation zone in 16th, while Tottenham progress to fifth.
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