Tottenham Hotspur earned a second consecutive win at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as they beat Manchester United 2-1 in the Premier League.
Emmanuel Adebayor opened the scoring for the visitors on 34 minutes before Christian Eriksen doubled their advantage just after the hour.
Danny Welbeck pulled a goal back almost instantly for the champions, but it was not enough to stop them slipping to a fourth home defeat of the season.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams.
Match statistics:
Man Utd:
Shots 16
On target 6
Possession 61%
Corners 13
Fouls 7
Spurs:
Shots 9
On target 4
Possession 39%
Corners 2
Fouls 7
Was the result fair?
While Spurs defended doggedly and stayed organised for much of the match at Old Trafford, it would be hard to say that United did not deserve at least a point. The hosts huffed and puffed for large spells, but they lacked that killer touch that would have yielded a few more goals on another night.
Man Utd's performance
The champions started at a frantic pace and continued that for much of the game on what was a bizarre night at Old Trafford. However, they were wasteful in front of goal and were made to pay the price come the final whistle. Defensively, they sometimes looked shaky and probably should have done better for Spurs' second goal. That said, David Moyes is sure to take plenty of positives, particularly the team's desire to keep fighting until the final whistle - something that has not always been there this season. One area of real concern though is the number of players having to fill in positions where they are not used to playing. Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa were practically holding the midfield together by the end, while Antonio Valencia had to move to right-back yet again. In many ways, this encapsulated United's season so far: frustrating.
Spurs' performance
Tim Sherwood must have been worried after the opening few minutes as United dominated Spurs with the kind of intensity that would have suggested a severe beating for the visitors. It was not to be though, as the away side did their best to stay compact and difficult to break down. They had to ride their luck during the match, but they managed to do so while taking their chances at the other end of the pitch. There was enough there in attack to suggest that Spurs have not lost any of their offensive spark, though it was in defence where they truly excelled as they soaked up huge amounts of pressure to hold on for a memorable victory.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Vlad Chiriches: The Tottenham centre-back was monumental in defence as he blocked, tackled and cleared with the kind of commitment that symbolised the away side's attitude for much of the match.
Biggest gaffe
Manchester United youngster Adnan Januzaj was booked yet again for diving. It is vital for the winger to cut that out of his game as soon as possible.
Referee performance
Howard Webb had two penalty shouts from United that he had to deal with, but the official looked to have got both of them right. Elsewhere, it was a solid display from the man in the middle during what was an intense evening inside Old Trafford.
What next?
Man Utd: The Red Devils start their FA Cup campaign on Sunday when they entertain Swansea City in the third round.
Spurs: Tottenham are in FA Cup action on Saturday as they make the short trip to local rivals Arsenal in the third round.
Jack Prescott
