“Lads, it’s Tottenham.”
Those were the words of Sir Alex Ferguson before one meeting between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, and the quote just about sums up the hold United had on Spurs for so many years. The ‘Theatre of Dreams’ is a daunting venue for any team, and Tottenham just couldn’t seem to find the winning formula when heading to the north west.
Over the last decade or so, the script has been changed slightly. Spurs have recorded four victories over United at Old Trafford in their last 10 Premier League visits — a marked improvement. So, with the two sides set to do battle once again in the coming days, and with fans eagerly examining the Man Utd v Tottenham bet market, let’s take a look at those four wins Spurs have earned at Old Trafford in recent times.
September 2012 – Manchester United 2-3 Tottenham
With Manchester United having lost the title to Manchester City in agonising circumstances on the final day of the previous season, they were eager to make amends at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign. Tottenham had other ideas though. A Jonny Evans own goal and a Gareth Bale strike had the Londoners in a commanding position by half-time.
Then things got a little manic. A second-half scoring blitz saw Nani pull one back for United, Clint Dempsey restore Tottenham’s two-goal buffer and Shinji Kagawa net another for the Red Devils — all in the space of three minutes.
Hanging on for the rest of the game was a real test of resolve for André Villas-Boas’ side, but despite the Stretford End willing the ball into the net for United, Spurs held firm and notched a memorable win at their bogey ground.
January 2014 – Manchester United 1-2 Tottenham
The following season, Tottenham repeated the trick. It had been a turbulent time for the club following the sacking of Villas-Boas and the appointment of Tim Sherwood, but a victory at Old Trafford shone a ray of light through the gloom.
Emmanuel Adebayor opened the scoring for Spurs with just over half an hour on the clock, and the visitors controlled the game well into the second half. Christian Eriksen added a second with 25 minutes to go, which looked to have sealed it, but Danny Welbeck’s instant response meant it was another nervy ending for Tottenham, but they held on for the win.
August 2018 – Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham
A few years later, the landscape at Tottenham was completely different. Hope was high with Mauricio Pochettino in the hot seat and a talented group of players at his disposal. Spurs would go on to reach the Champions League final in the 2018-19 season, and one of the early indicators that a special year was in store was a commanding 3-0 win against José Mourinho’s Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Tottenham were dominant throughout the match, but it wasn’t until the second half that they truly kicked into gear. Harry Kane opened the scoring with a neat finish before a Lucas Moura double rubbed salt into Manchester United’s wounds. A memorable Monday night for Spurs and their travelling supporters.
October 2020 – Manchester United 1-6 Tottenham
If that 3-0 win was cause for celebration, what about Tottenham’s 6-1 demolition job at Old Trafford a couple of years later. The caveat to this win was that it came behind closed doors as the sporting world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic, in a season that saw several surprising results — indeed, Liverpool’s 7-2 humiliation at the hands of Aston Villa occurred right after this fixture.
Take nothing away from Tottenham’s performance though. Despite falling behind early on to Bruno Fernandes’ penalty, Spurs took control of proceedings and didn’t let up for the whole 90 minutes. A brace apiece for Kane and Son Heung-min were garnished by goals from Tanguy Ndombèlé and Serge Aurier, as United crumbled under the weight of Tottenham’s blistering attack.
