Cristiano Ronaldo shines brightest at Old Trafford as Tottenham Hotspur lose ground in the top four race.
Two teams met at Old Trafford with the top four battle on the agenda. Both Manchester United and Tottenham have been inconsistent throughout the 2021/22 season but still have Champions League qualification in their grasp. Cristiano Ronaldo recovered from a persistent hip problem to start for United whilst Antonio Conte made just one change to his Spurs side with Ryan Sessegnon injured and replaced by Sergio Reguilon who scored after coming on from the bench against Everton on Monday, March 7, in a 5-0 win.
Tottenham’s Inconsistency Continues as Cristiano Ronaldo Shines
Comfortable Tottenham Undone by World Class Ronaldo Strike
The opening exchanges made it clear that Spurs would sit deep but also look to leave space for Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to counter-attack. In the first five minutes, there were warning signs for United with Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg playing a simple ball over the top for Son Heung-min, who picked the ball up on the left and drifted past Diogo Dalot as if he wasn’t there. He linked up with Kane who could have shot but instead tried to pass the ball and United broke up the play.
United needed to up the tempo and had a shout for a penalty turned down after Ronaldo had hit the ball against Eric Dier. VAR did check for a penalty but the distance between Ronaldo and Dier was so close that the decision was never going rule in favour of the home side. The incident came about after Matt Doherty, who has been in good form of late, totally misjudged the flight of the ball and will have been the most relieved man inside Old Trafford that his error didn’t give United the kind of start they were looking for following a harrowing defeat last time out in the Manchester derby.
From Relief to Despair as World Class Strike Lifts Old Trafford
That relief was then shattered though by a thunderous strike from Ronaldo. It was like one of his famous free-kicks with little back lift and the ball moved all over the place leaving Hugo Lloris with no chance at all. It was simply a world-class goal and lifted what was a sullen and quiet Old Trafford from its slumbers. The world of football again saw that in the face of criticism, Cristiano Ronaldo shines brightest. Tottenham had been comfortable until that point and looked to up their tempo. Ben Davies thought he had quickly got Spurs on level terms but he had strayed offside. The warnings were still there for Ralf Rangnick’s side and Kane nearly levelled but his header was cleared off the line before Rodrigo Bentancur was set up by his former Juventus teammate Dejan Kulusevski but didn’t quite connect with the shot.
Kane Penalty Levels Match But Ronaldo Strikes Again
After going ahead it looked like United were trying to sit on the lead as they dropped off Spurs and the away side just kept coming with wave after wave of attacking football. Their reward came after a shocking error by Alex Telles who inexplicably handballed a Kulusevski cross and it was a clear penalty. VAR had a very quick look but the decision was never in doubt and Kane fired Spurs level. The flow of the game pointed to Spurs being in control but you can never write off Ronaldo and in a flash, United were back in front. Reguilon was caught ball watching and when the ball finally reached the Portuguese maestro he simply couldn’t and didn’t miss. Conte and Spurs were somehow heading into the break 2-1 down and had another defensive lapse to blame for that being the case. United had one man to thank for going in in the lead but Rangnick will have been all too aware of the chances that his side were affording the North London club.
Tottenham Start Strongly Again But Waste Chances to Level
Tottenham picked up where they left off in the first half playing with width and finding far too much space as United were slow in midfield and defence but Spurs were frustrated by their own tardiness in the final third of the pitch. Kulusevski whipped in one good cross but Reguilon was wondering to the ball and the resulting corner was wasted. United sat deeper and deeper and were happy to let Spurs have the ball and even though United were not the better team, they remained ahead and Spurs started to grow more frustrated with Doherty and Reguilon both guilty of wasting opportunities to deliver telling crosses. Son then had a superb chance when Kane found Kulusevski who in turn teed up Son who should have levelled the tie but instead fired wide. Tottenham were getting closer but the wasted chances were mounting.
Lack of Quality and Maguire Struggles Continue
The game drifted into 70 minutes and both teams were struggling to find any flow at all. Giving the ball away, poor crosses, needless errors from both sides and although United looked to be tiring, Spurs just kept wasting their possession much to the frustration of Conte but then United hit the self destruct button when Reguilon crossed and Harry Maguire, who has been struggling for form all season put the ball past David de Gea. It was no less than Spurs deserved on the overall balance of play and suddenly Old Trafford became nervous and quiet. Ronaldo nearly lifted the crowd as he tried to score his hat trick but Lloris was equal to this effort leaving 15 minutes for either side to grasp the nettle and try to seal three points with a draw no good to either side.
Cristiano Ronaldo Shines With Hat-Trick
He may have been criticised by some but Ronaldo was the one player for Manchester United that constantly looked like being the difference for the home side and as soon as Spurs were back in the game and thinking they could take all three points, Ronaldo came up with his third as he powered a header home to make his claim for the match ball. His name rang out around Old Trafford as he was then taken off by Rangnick but it was another goal that from Tottenham’s point of view was avoidable. Cristian Romero and Doherty both failed to get off the ground and if you give a player of that quality a free header there will only be one outcome. United were back in front but Spurs were culpable in their own downfall as has been the case too many times this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo Shines for United as Spurs Guilty of Own Downfall
Tottenham managed to leave Old Trafford with no points and can only blame themselves for that fact. The first goal was world-class but the second and third were down to poor defending from Spurs and it is those mistakes that have meant Spurs are far too inconsistent week in week out and that will cost Tottenham a place in the top four this season.
Tottenham were undone by the now top scorer in men’s football history but Antonio Conte will once again bemoan his players’ lack of discipline in the final third and in defence.
United go into the top four with the win whilst Spurs must now be edging closer to another season with no silverware and no Champions League football. Whether Conte will stick around to take the fight next season remains to be seen.
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