Manchester United beat Spurs on Saturday in a great comeback match. It gave United there much-needed victory and also helped raise their confidence for the upcoming games.
Here are the 5 things we learned from the game:
1) Major formation change
The supporters were in for a surprise as Manchester United announced their lineup. In place of the usual 4-2-3-1, was the defensive lineup of 3-5-2. As stated by one of the commentators, the lineup was more about not conceding goals rather than converting them. United were more compact and harder to break down.
The back 3 were – Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. Luke Shaw, Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan Bissaka played as a 5-man midfield. Cavani and Ronaldo were upfront as joint strikers.
2)Varane starts for the first time after injury
Raphael Varane started for the team after missing the last 3 games due to an injury. The French national has been out of action since picking up a groin injury during the international break. Varane sent a message to supporters after the victory, showing how happy he was to help his team out.
3) Ronaldo scored under pressure
The past week was a tough one for the entire Manchester United team with the club suffering back-to-back league defeats and the most recent against Liverpool. This has caused Manchester United to be under a lot of pressure. His movement to get away from Ben Davies was expert and the volley which followed was sensational. This was a mark of his reliability.
4)El Matador makes it two….
Edinson Cavani started for the second time in the Premier League. The pass from Ronaldo and the first touch from Cavani swept the ball away from Hugo Lloris. The finish which followed was simple as Cavani showed his class to put the ball in the back of the net. The duo of Cavani and Ronaldo displayed promising signs.
5)Next two games are crucial for Solskjaer’s future
Manchester United will be facing Atlanta and Man City in their upcoming two matches. The upcoming 2 matches are crucial for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer whose tactics have yet again been criticised following the 5-0 defeat against Liverpool. The win against Spurs have raised the confidence of the team and it would be interesting to see what Solskjaer plans and how he sets up the team.
