Tottenham Hotspur increased the pressure on Erik ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager with a commanding 3-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Spurs started in sensational fashion, with Brennan Johnson slotting home after just three minutes following a blistering run from Micky van de Ven.
Tottenham should have extended their lead long before United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, was sent off with a straight red card in the 42nd minute for a reckless challenge.
Two minutes into the second half, Dejan Kulusevski doubled Spurs’ lead, and Dominic Solanke sealed the result, adding a third goal.
Ten Hag has been under scrutiny since the start of the season, having survived an internal review at the end of the last campaign. His position was salvaged by an unexpected FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City, despite United finishing eighth in the Premier League.
This defeat is United’s third in their opening six league matches, leaving them in 12th place and casting further doubt on Ten Hag’s future.
With tough fixtures ahead, including an away trip to Porto in the Europa League and a league visit to Aston Villa, the international break looms as a period when clubs often reconsider managerial appointments.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, who had been under pressure himself just a week earlier, praised his side’s performance after they secured their fourth win in 12 days. “Outstanding,” said Postecoglou. “I thought we showed real belief and conviction. We were aggressive with and without the ball. A fantastic all-round performance.”
Van de Ven’s superb run from deep within his half set up Johnson for a straightforward finish, marking the forward’s fourth goal in as many games. Ten Hag lamented United’s poor start:
“What I saw in first 30 mins is below the level we can expect from an Manchester United team,” added Ten Hag. The players got very stressed after conceding so quick and they made bad decisions.”
Spurs, missing injured captain Son Heung-min, struggled to convert more chances, with United goalkeeper Andre Onana denying James Maddison and Timo Werner in one-on-one situations, and Johnson striking the post.
United’s best chance for an equaliser came when Joshua Zirkzee was thwarted by a sharp low save from Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario.
United’s hopes were dashed when Fernandes, in a moment of recklessness, received a red card after catching Maddison with a dangerous challenge.
Ten Hag responded by replacing striker Zirkzee with Casemiro at half-time, but the Brazilian was at fault for Tottenham’s second goal. Solanke outmuscled Casemiro, sending Johnson down the right, whose deflected cross was skilfully flicked in by Kulusevski.
Casemiro nearly pulled a goal back for United, but more defensive disarray allowed Solanke to score a third for Spurs from a corner.
Solanke almost added a fourth in stoppage time, but Onana saved yet another one-on-one. The away fans sang “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at Ten Hag during the second half. Despite being handed a contract extension less than three months ago, the Dutch manager’s future at Old Trafford now seems increasingly uncertain.