Premier League: Tottenham Defeat 10-Man Man Utd, Piling Pressure on Ten Hag

Tottenham heaped further pressure on Erik ten Hag’s position as Manchester United manager with a commanding 3-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Spurs got off to a blistering start when Brennan Johnson finished off a surging run from Micky Van de Ven just three minutes into the game.

Tottenham had chances to extend their lead before United were reduced to 10 men, with captain Bruno Fernandes receiving a straight red card in the 42nd minute.

Dejan Kulusevski doubled Tottenham’s lead just two minutes into the second half, and Dominic Solanke sealed the win with a third goal later in the match.

Ten Hag had already faced scrutiny this season after barely surviving an internal review at the end of last season. His job was reportedly saved by an unexpected FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, despite United finishing eighth in the Premier League.

This latest loss, United’s third in their first six league matches, drops them to 11th place in the table, and Ten Hag’s position as manager looks increasingly precarious. United now face tough away matches against Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League before the international break, a period often used by clubs to change managers.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou had been under pressure just over a week ago himself, but Spurs have now won four matches in 12 days, delivering one of their best performances under the Australian’s leadership.

Van de Ven’s impressive run from deep inside his own half set the tone, as his cross found Johnson, who scored for the fourth consecutive game.

Despite missing their injured captain, Son Heung-min, Spurs could have secured the win even earlier, but Andre Onana made crucial saves from James Maddison and Timo Werner, while Johnson struck the post.

United’s best chance to equalize came when Joshua Zirkzee was denied by a fine low save from Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

United’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Fernandes was sent off for a reckless challenge on Maddison, raising his studs as he slid in after losing his footing.

Ten Hag responded by substituting Zirkzee for Casemiro at half-time, but the Brazilian was involved in the defensive error that led to Tottenham’s second goal. Solanke outmuscled Casemiro before feeding Johnson, whose deflected cross was flicked into the net by Kulusevski.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, United showed some fight, with Casemiro nearly reducing the deficit. However, more poor defending allowed Solanke to score Tottenham’s third from a corner.

Solanke nearly added a fourth, but Onana denied him in another one-on-one situation.

The visiting Tottenham fans mocked Ten Hag with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” as the game wound down.

Just three months ago, United’s leadership extended Ten Hag’s contract, but with results spiraling, it seems only a matter of time before they reconsider that decision.