We smashed six past Manchester United, at Old Trafford.

 

We smashed six past Manchester United, at Old Trafford.

I predicted 3-1, we ended 6-1winners. And we didn’t even have Bale on the pitch. I’ve been banging on about this, but I see trophies this season. I haven’t been this confident for some time. Even when we went 1-0 down after 2 minutes, the team looked calm and confident, and you could feel that we were going to score, and score we did, in abundance.

At half time, I said, if we get another one (we were 4-1 up) I would get myself a glass of wine… the screen ended up coming in and out of focus… either through excitement or the wine… or both. Brilliant… that is to the score, not my wine drinking.

Anyway, it wasn’t just our result that will capture the headlines, Aston Villa decided to gatecrash our party and put 7 past Liverpool while The spammers beat Leicester City and Leeds drew with Man City.

To the match:

Jose Mourinho returned to his old stomping ground and embarrassed and humiliated his former club as we came from behind to record one of the most famous wins at the Old Trafford ground.

Son (back from injury) and Harry Kane scored twice, with Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier also scored as a 10-man United experienced a defeat on a parity with their 6-1 thrashing at home by Manchester City in 2011. This meant that not only was this the heaviest and crushing defeat since Solskjaer took temporary charge in December 2018 but also the largest United have suffered since Ed Woodward took over as executive vice-chairman in 2013.

This magnificent result leaves United in 16^th place, and us in 6^th, 10 places above United. We outplayed them, we showed them who the new challengers for all that glitters (trophies). Even though they were reduced to 10 men, we had the upper hand before their sending off.

The reason for their ten men was that Anthony Martial dragged his hand across Erik Lamela's face in reaction to an elbow in his neck.

People must also remember that we arrived into this game from a heavy schedule of five games in 11 days. Three competitions with a fantastic four wins and a draw. That is a superhuman endeavour.

Jose was a thrilled man.

In Mourinho's two-and-a-half years as the boss of  United, he only ever saw his team score four in the first half of a Premier League game at Old Trafford once. They never scored five in a game anywhere, let alone six. You could see on Mourinho’s face that he was delighted not only with the way his team responded but in the manner in which they maintained the pressure on their opponents (who, by the way, were at home) as they surrendered.

If there is any criticism – by the critics – then that was in the first half when Lamela's reaction to the incident with Martial. Granted Lamela did not strike Martial in the face, but his response, first holding his face, then falling to the ground when it was evident the contact was minimal did not reflect well on him. But the referee saw it differently and sent the right person off.

When the whistle went, Mourinho went over to Solskjaer, shook him by the hand and gave him a consoling arm around the head. It wasn’t just a brilliant victory on our part, but the humiliation of the United’s boss.

What next for us?

 We have a London derby with West Ham at home on the 18^th October (16:30 BST).

The stats

Manchester United suffered their joint-heaviest defeat in the Premier League - losing by five goals for the fourth time in the competition, and for the first time since October 2011 against Manchester City.

We are the first visiting side to score four first-half goals in a league game away at Manchester United since we also did so in November 1957 in a 4-3 win.

Manchester United have lost their first two home games of a league campaign for just the fifth time in the club's history, with 1986/87 being the previous occasion they suffered two defeats from two at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho equalled his biggest margin of victory away from home as a Premier League manager, winning by five goals for the first time since his Chelsea side won 5-0 at Swansea City in January 2015.

Manchester United conceded six goals in a single Premier League game for only the third time - with each coming in October (1996 v Southampton, 2011 v Man City, today v Spurs).

This was the first Premier League match to see three goals scored in the opening seven minutes since Burnley v Man City in April 2010, and first in which both sides scored in this period since Nottingham Forest v Man Utd in February 1999.

Jose Mourinho picked up his first away league victory against a team he has previously managed in the Premier League (previously D1 L4).

Harry Kane has been directly involved in nine goals in the Premier League this season (three goals and six assists) - only Thierry Henry in 2004/05 has had a hand in more in the opening four games of a Premier League campaign (10).

Son and Harry Kane are the first visiting players since Edin Dzeko in October 2011 to be directly involved in three goals in a Premier League game at Old Trafford.

Son and Harry Kane have now combined for 26 Premier League goals; the fifth-most of any duo in the competition's history, and the most of any current pair.

Bruno Fernandes has scored all 10 of the penalties he has taken for Manchester United in all competitions - today's spot-kick was the earliest penalty goal in a Premier League match (01:37) since Sergio Aguero against Newcastle in February 2015 (01:12).

So, that is all folks…

Until next time, enjoy your two-week break, and I’ll see you back whenever my next blog is out… hopefully, not too long.

I keep being reminded that every time I see Tottenham play, I should be there, not at home watching it on TV. Hopefully soon, very soon I can get up and get going to Spurs or an away match…. Or even abroad.

Best regards, Glenn

COYS