Manchester United took full advantage of Tottenham captain Cristian Romero’s dismissal to extend their flawless run under Michael Carrick to four matches, sealing a 2-0 Premier League victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes brought an end to the Red Devils’ eight-match winless streak against Spurs and reinforced their grip on a top-four place. United moved within two points of third-placed Aston Villa and increased their advantage over sixth-placed Liverpool to five.
Finishing inside the top five is expected to be enough to guarantee Champions League qualification next season, given the impressive performances of English clubs in European competitions.
Spurs’ ambitions of reaching the Champions League via the league have long faded, and this latest setback under Thomas Frank leaves Tottenham languishing in 14th place. The defeat could also have longer-term implications for Romero, whose poor discipline again proved costly just days after a social media rant directed at the club’s hierarchy.
Frank revealed the Argentina international had been “dealt with internally” after he branded Tottenham’s thin squad “disgraceful” following the transfer window’s closure.
Questions had already been raised over Romero’s future as captain, and the 27-year-old now faces a four-match suspension after receiving his second red card of the campaign and sixth overall for Spurs.
The centre-back was dismissed after a reckless challenge on Casemiro, catching the midfielder on the ankle in the 29th minute after losing possession just outside the Tottenham penalty area. United had already been on top before the sending-off and made their numerical superiority tell.
Mbeumo opened the scoring by guiding a shot into the bottom corner for his third goal in four appearances since Carrick’s appointment, following a smart corner routine involving Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo that created space on the edge of the box. United dominated proceedings, with Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha seeing efforts ruled out for offside, but had to wait until nine minutes from time to put the result beyond doubt.
Fernandes led by example with another outstanding display. The captain finished off Diogo Dalot’s cross at the far post to register his 200th goal contribution in 314 appearances for the club.
Before kick-off, Carrick had insisted United must not rush the appointment of a permanent manager. However, the former midfielder—who enjoyed an illustrious playing career at Old Trafford—is strengthening his claim for the role as he continues to guide United’s remarkable revival following Ruben Amorim’s departure last month.
