Cristiano Ronaldo’s second-ever Manchester United hat-trick ensured it was the Red Devils who took three points against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, with a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Harry Kane’s penalty and a Harry Maguire own-goal had got Spurs back on level terms twice, but it was the outstanding Ronaldo who ultimately decided the outcome of this one.
It was an entertaining first half at Old Trafford, in which Ronaldo opened the scoring after 12 minutes when he dropped deep and picked the ball up from around 25 yards out, before unleashing a powerful strike which flew beyond Hugo Lloris.
United then went close again via a Paul Pogba strike and a Ronaldo header, while Spurs saw a chance cleared off the line when Diogo Dalot headed away Eric Dier’s effort.
It was the visitors who then found the next goal of the game, when Dejan Kulusevski’s cross was handled in the box by Alex Telles. Kane stepped up for the resultant spot-kick, and placed it excellently into the corner.
But that lead only lasted three minutes, with Ronaldo slotting in at the back post following Jadon Sancho’s cross, after the England international beat Tottenham’s offside trap.
But the second half didn’t have quite the same vigour and pace, and it took until the 66th minute for a chance of note to be created, when Ronaldo’s shot on target was saved by Lloris.
United took their foot off the gas in the early stages of the second half, while Spurs also weren’t at the same level after the break, although it was the London side who grabbed the next goal of the game.
Maguire slid in to try and prevent an offside Cristian Romero from netting, but inadvertently poked it into his own goal.
The points looked set to be shared as the game entered the latter stages, but Ronaldo had one more trick in his locker, and it was the 37-year-old who rose highest in the box on 81 minutes to head in Alex Telles’s cross.
1. David De Gea-6
Was forced into a few saves in the first half, but was largely untroubled after the break. De Gea could do nothing about the two Tottenham goals.
2. Diogo Dalot- 6
Offered an out ball on the right, and played well without being spectacular.
3. Raphael Varane-6
Kept Kane relatively quiet and dealt well with the physical battle.
4. Harry Maguire-5
Looked awkward on a number of occasions and accidentally put the ball into his own net after the break. But he did deal well with the threat of Kane and cleared a number of crosses.