Manchester United picked up a massive and vital victory against Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side on Sunday afternoon.
It was a close fought encounter but Mourinho’s men deserved their win to move within three points of the Lilywhites in the Premier League table.
It was a much needed win, United hadn’t won in the league for over a month and pressure was mounting on Jose Mourinho, who many tipped would bring title success back to Old Trafford this season.
That might be a step too far for the Red Devils given Arsenal and Chelsea’s magnificent form but we reckon United will still be challenging for the Champions League spots come the end of the season, especially if they continue to show the steely determination they did on Sunday.
What can we take from the win then? Have Manchester United really turned a corner? Or was this performance a one off?
Here are the FIVE things we’ve taken away from Sunday’s match…
Hugo Lloris is an excellent goalkeeper
If not for Lloris, Spurs would have been on the end of a much heavier defeat at Old Trafford. He made 4 saves across the 90 minutes, most notably from Pogba who got shots on target twice.
Spurs could have been behind within minutes had he not extended himself to beat away Pogba’s effort and then in the second half made another smart as Pogba smashed a shot from close range.
Everyone knew he was a great goalkeeper before going into this game but the Frenchman reaffirmed his status as one of, if not the best, Premier League ‘keeper.
Mkhitaryan CAN be the future for Man United
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has worked hard to force his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans. Now he’s there, he’s doing everything he can to keep his place.
The attacking midfielder has been involved in 4 goals in his last 4 games, having been involved in none in 8 games prior to that.
It’s a transformation that is delighting United fans. The Armenian has been a popular figure despite the early poor form coming out of the summer.
Everyone at Old Trafford will be hoping the injury he sustained late on isn’t as bad as was feared when he got stretchered off.
Mourinho isn’t done yet
A lot has been said about Mourinho recently. Not a lot of it has been good. The Man United boss was under serious pressure heading into Sunday’s game against what is a very decent Spurs side.
Had they lost, many would have written them off for Champions League places. They would have been 9 points behind Spurs in 5th, never mind the teams above that.
Mourinho isn’t done yet though. It was a wily, dogged Man United performance and one that showed the Portuguese manager may be starting to get things right at Old Trafford.
Pogba is still Man United’s midfield king
Paul Pogba put in another exceptional performance in a Man United shirt. Not only did he have a higher passing percentage than anyone in United’s midfield but his driving runs cause Spurs problems all afternoon.
He forced two excellent stops from Lloris as discussed but also hammered the crossbar with a beautiful free-kick that deserved to bulge the net.
Even when United have been playing poorly he’s shone brightly, so how good is he going to be if the rest of his team hit form too?
United do have team spirit
Questions have been asked this season whether Man United have the team spirit or cohesiveness to be a top side in the English Premier League.
United held on to their 1-0 lead for 61 minutes and never really looked like drawing. It was a team performance and one that can only be achieved if their’s harmony in the dressing room.
There’s a long way to go for them of course but Sunday’s match could be the makings of their Premier League season going forward.