Tottenham 2-0 Manchester United
by Bella Katz 
at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium 

ANGE POSTECOGLOU was warmly welcomed to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium for his first Premier League match in charge at home on Saturday evening against Manchester United, who fell flat in a 2-0 defeat. 

A striking Tifo organised by volunteers in the South Stand spelled out “Welcome to N17” in navy and lilywhite, which set the stage for an unforgettable performance under their new Australian manager. 

Earlier this week, Postecoglou downplayed fans chanting his name, saying he felt he needed to “earn it first,” and he certainly did that against the Red Devils on Saturday.  

Aside from the buzz and excitement surrounding the first home game back, a huge number of supporters staged a powerful protest outside of the ground against the ever-increasing matchday ticket prices. 

The protest was organised by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, who led chants among disgruntled fans of “I’m Tottenham ‘til I’m skint,” a sentiment shared by those who wish to continue their trips to the ground to support their club, which has been made more difficult by ticket price increases during the cost of living crisis. 

The return of Tottenham’s trademark-attacking football was evident the moment they stepped onto the pitch. Yves Bissouma, who put in a solid shift against Brentford last weekend, showed his strength against Bruno Fernandes consistently in midfield. 

A possible penalty check was conducted against Cristian Romero in the 27th minute, who returned after leaving the pitch as a precaution for a possible head injury last week, but VAR decided no handball. 

Newly appointed captain Son Heung-Min played the ball into the box but couldn’t quite find the right angle, so he played it out to Pedro Porro, who struck the ball with some force, but it frustratingly clattered against the crossbar. Pape Matar Sarr took it in his stride to have a go, but his effort deflected off of United defender Luke Shaw, and the ball hit the post. 

Without Harry Kane to help finish the job up top following his recent move to Bayern Munich, a number of players stepped up with attempts on goal. As a result, the sense unity within the team and the fluidity between the players appeared much stronger. 

Despite a cagey first half, neither team managed to convert any chances, and the score sat at 0-0. As the players flooded into the tunnel for a pep-talk from their respective managers, the home fans held their breathe and discussed their predictions for the second half over pies and pints. 

It was Spurs who came back with a bang after the break, to the delight of the home support. In the 49th minute, Dejan Kulusevski crossed the ball to Sarr, who cut in on his left foot and sent the ball into the back of the net — his first goal for the club. The reaction and atmosphere was purely electric from that moment on. 

Antony retaliated soon after for the away side but to no avail as he hit the post — a running theme for Ten Hag’s men throughout the match. 

As the sun set over the heaving ground, the game only got more tricky. Spurs were clearly the dominating force with United appearing dejected and tired. They responded by bringing on a triple substitution of Christian Eriksen, Jadon Sancho and Diogo Dalot, who breathed new life into the team — but it was not enough. 

Sarr had a fantastic game getting stuck in at every opportunity, and of course scoring a decisive goal. He left the pitch to a standing ovation after being replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Spurs sealed the game off in the 83rd minute, when Ivan Perisic crossed the ball to Ben Davies, who grazed it towards the direction of the goal, only for Lisandro Martinez to help them out by scoring an own goal whilst attempting to clear the ball. 

Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who was brought in by the club as a replacement for Spurs veteran Hugo Lloris, was really impressive.

A last chance for a consolation goal arose for the Red Devils in added time as Eriksen crossed the ball to Raphael Varane, but Vicario yet again protected his clean sheet, and deservedly so after a consistently strong performance throughout. 

The win marked Tottenham’s first against Manchester United since they moved to their new stadium, and the first since their 6-1 away win in 2020 under Jose Mourinho.

Postecoglou’s version of Spurs is thoroughly enjoyable to watch, and makes you think that losing their key striker might not be so devastating after all.