Good afternoon one and all and welcome along to our live coverage of Man United’s Premier League clash with Tottenham from Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho’s side are looking for a first home league win since September while Spurs can move level on points with Man City in fourth with victory this afternoon.
Kick-off is at 2.15pm and we’ll have all the team news imminently.
There are four top-flight games down for decision today with West Brom’s visit to Stamford Bridge the day’s early kick-off.
- Chelsea 0-0 West Brom (60 minutes)
- Man United v Tottenham, 2.15pm
- Southampton v Middlesbrough, 2.15pm
- Liverpool v West Ham, 4.30pm
The teams are in and Mourinho names the same XI that drew with Everton last week. Wayne Rooney returns to the bench after featuring in the Europa League on Thursday.
For Tottenham, Toby Alderweireld makes his long-awaited return from injury. The defender has missed the last eight weeks with injury and made a brief cameo in Wednesday’s Champions League win over CSKA Moscow.
Old Trafford is looking very Christmassy ahead of this one.
Full-time at Stamford Bridge as Diego Costa’s late strike sends Chelsea three points clear at the top of the table. That’s now nine wins on the bounce for the Blues.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. If you want to join in, tweet us: @football_ie and @The42_ie, e-mail ryan@the42.ie or post your thoughts in the comments section below.
The teams are in the tunnel and we’re just about all set for this one. Cracking atmosphere inside Old Trafford, too, so let’s hope the games lives up to expectation.
Kick-off! Tottenham get us underway at Old Trafford, attacking the Stretford End in this first half.
Close! Fast start from United and Hugo Lloris is forced into a fine early save.
Ibrahimovic is released down the right by Mkhitaryan. The Swede picks out Pogba, who looks to guide it home from just inside the area with his left foot but Lloris scrambles across and pushes to safety.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is already causing Tottenham problems. Operating between the lines, the Armenian has seen plenty of the ball in these opening exchanges.
Kane does well on this near touchline to free Son and Tottenham have worked this nicely. With numbers in attack, the South Korean has options but he instead opts to try his luck from range and his effort was always sailing over.
Brilliant ball from Walker towards Dele Alli, who has got in behind Phil Jones. The United defender sticks out an arm and Alli goes down but there’s nothing in it and the ball goes behind.
At the other end, Mkhitaryan looks to test Lloris but his long-range effort his high and wide.
Careless from United. Rojo and Carrick look to deal with the initial danger but the ball out catches Pogba on his heals and he needlessly fouls Wanyama. Eriksen standing over it, 35 yards out.
United don’t deal with it particularly convincingly but Martial eventually clears the danger after Wanyama was left free at the back-post.
The referee penalises the hosts again, Herrera the guilty party this time. Tottenham exerting a bit of pressure here.
De Gea forced into action for the first time as Eriksen’s low free-kick needs to be dealt with. United were so slow in organising themselves defensively and it meant the goalkeeper was still on the far post marshalling his wall when Eriksen struck it.
Frustration growing for the home fans.
Tottenham have enjoyed the better of the opening 20 minutes. We’re still goalless.
Chance! Tottenham may have held the upper-hand so far but United have had two clear-cut chances. On this occasion, Carrick creates the opening for Mkhitaryan and his goalbound shot is diverted behind by Vertonghen.
Better from United and another purposeful move ends with Carrick’s stinging drive being deflected behind for a corner. Tottenham hold firm and the hosts have to restart.
GOAL! Man United 1-0 Tottenham (Mkhitaryan)
Out of nothing, United hit the front. Tottenham lose it in midfield and Herrera pounces to set Mkhitaryan away and he finishes past Lloris with devastating effect.
United are good value for their lead after coming alive in the last 10 minutes. It was poor from Kane to squander possession and it left his side vulnerable to the counter, with Herrera and Mkhitaryan combining clinically.
Yellow! Antonio Valencia gives Bobby Madley no choice but to show him a yellow for a late and rash lunge on Danny Rose. The Ecuadorian’s studs were showing too.
His United career is beginning to take off.
Save! Tottenham nearly shoot themselves in the foot again as Valencia counters down the right. His cross makes its way to Ibrahimovic at the back-post, but Lloris gets down well to deny the striker.
A clinical finish.
Save! This time its De Gea’s turn to pull off a smart stop. Son cuts in from the right and is given acres of space to unleash a rising drive from just outside the box. It’s just a bit close to the goalkeeper, however, and he tops it over.
Wladimir doesn’t look overly impressed. He also looks like a hitman preparing to carry out a job.
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He’s been the standout player of the first half.
One minute of added time at Old Trafford.
Half-time: Man United 1-0 Tottenham
United lead at the break and you can’t deny they deserve to have their noses in front. Tottenham have seen more of the ball but haven’t really done anything with it against a Mourinho side set-up to be solid and compact.
The hosts have then looked to counter with pace and precision and that was demonstrated when Mkhitaryan latched onto Herrera’s delightful ball and smashed it past Lloris.
Back underway at Old Trafford! No changes on either side.
Tottenham have come out for this second period with a bit more purpose — and the away supporters away in the corner have found their voices too.
Save! Nice build-up from Tottenham as Ali, Walker and Eriksen combine before the latter shoots straight at De Gea.
Chance! Wanyama ghosts in behind and away from Pogba to have a gilt-edged chance to level proceedings but he gets it horribly wrong and heads Eriksen’s set-piece delivery straight into the turf rather than goalwards.
The game has really opened up in the last few minutes. Tottenham still enjoying more of the possession and they introduce Moussa Sissoko for Son.
Off the bar! Tottenham concede a free-kick just outside the area and Pogba stands over it. He strikes it beautifully but his curling effort cannons back off the upright with Lloris rooted to the spot.
Save! Lloris denies United again as the hosts push forward. Herrera makes good ground down the right and pulls it back for Pogba, who strikes it into the turf and the goalkeeper gets across to parry.
From the rebound, Vertonghen clumsily goes in on Herrera and United want a penalty but the referee waves away the appeals. In frustration, Pogba rashly scythes down Wanyama and goes into the book.
United have gone close twice in the last few minutes but their lead stays at 1-0. Pochettino, meanwhile, makes his second change as Harry Winks is on for Dembele.
Valencia inexplicably gifts the ball to Tottenham inside the United area but the visitors can’t capitalise initially until Rojo rashly fouls Kane right on the edge of the area. This is Eriksen territory.
But De Gea is equal to it as he gets down low to his right to push the ball to safety. Tottenham beginning to ask a few more questions as we enter the final 20 minutes.
Time for Mourinho to make a change with Martial being replaced by Marcus Rashford.
Sissoko is causing Darmian all sorts of problems down this near side.
Rashford swings in a delightful ball but Ibrahimovic is well-marshalled and the chance is snuffed out. As Tottenham look to break, Mkhitaryan stops them in their tracks with a cynical foul and becomes the third United player to go into the book.
Ironic cheers from Old Trafford as Walker is shown yellow for pulling Rashford back. Pogba floats the free-kick in but Tottenham’s defence has dealt with the aerial threat of Ibrahimovic well today.
That’s not what you want to see, or hear. Fellaini is sent out to warm-up and a section of the home support decide to boo their own player. It’s quickly drowned out by applause but that’s poor.
This is an unfortunate way for Mkhitaryan’s day to end. He bursts down the right and is chopped down by Danny Rose. The England international goes into the book but the United man requires treatment and the stretcher has been called for.
Seven minutes remaining, and it’s still on a knife-edge.
Bailly is the player on in Mkhitaryan’s place and he makes an important first contribution, stepping in to stop Tottenham in their tracks.
Spurs, meanwhile, have made their final change with Eriksen making way for N’Koudou.
Plenty of stoppages in the second half so you wouldn’t be surprised if there was at least four minutes of injury time.
Six minutes of added time as a collective groan goes around Old Trafford. Mourinho is very animated on the touchline as he knows what’s at stake.
United have managed this pretty well so far. It’s all very scrappy and that’s exactly what the hosts will have wanted. Three minutes left on the clock.
Danny Rose wins a corner deep into stoppage time and United are hanging on a bit now. The delivery is poor but the hosts are penned inside the own area as Tottenham throw everyone forward.
Rose drives into the area and he beats two defenders before Jones comes across and times his tackle perfectly. There were a couple of Tottenham players asking the question of the referee but Jones got it spot on.
Mourinho is throwing Fellaini on, with Herrera coming off.
Full-time! Man United 1-0 Tottenham
That’s a big win for United, who move within three points of Tottenham with their first home league win since September. Thanks for joining us this afternoon and we’ll have a full report and reaction from Old Trafford to follow shortly.
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