Manchester United's best performance of the season so far was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo leaving before the end of the 2-0 win over Spurs.
Bruno Fernandes and Fred got the goals as a buoyant Manchester United side saw off Tottenham on Wednesday evening. But that wasn't even half the story.
Indeed, the headlines will be dominated by unused sub Cristiano Ronaldo heading off down the tunnel with four minutes still to play in his side's 2-0 win, which is a shame, as this was United's most complete performance of the season so far.
Despite coming into the game with a chance of moving within a point of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, Spurs were dismantled by their hosts.
Fred and Fernandes ran the show in the middle of the park, so it was only fitting that they both got on the scoresheet as Erik ten Hag's side put their recent Manchester Derby drubbing firmly behind them and re-established themselves as a legitimate contender for a top-four finish in this season's Premier League.
Tottenham's performance may have been rotten, with Antonio Conte's side once again struggling against one of the big boys, but Erik Ten Hag's United were mightily impressive, and full value for the three points, which draws them to within four points of Spurs with a game in hand.
Below, GOAL takes you through the winners, losers and player ratings from Old Trafford…
Getty ImagesThe Winners
Fred:
The Brazilian's performance had absolutely everything, with Fred both winning the ball back regularly, and using it sensibly. Indeed, he was perhaps unfortunate to not get an assist in the first half when he put a chance on a plate for Rashford in the first half. However, he got his just reward just after the restart. The Brazilian was fortunate to see his strike hit the back of the net via a deflection but he deserved his bit of luck for a dynamic display in midfield.
Bruno Fernandes:
A captain's contribution. Even when things weren't quite coming off for Bruno in the first half, he worked tirelessly to make sure Tottenham didn't have a moment's peace. And then, when it mattered most, with the game still in the balance, he took his chance to seal victory with aplomb. As soon as the ball left his boot, everyone – including Hugo Lloris – knew exactly where it was going, with Bruno bending a bouncing ball into the top corner to seal a huge win for his side.
Diogo Dalot:
Like Fred, he has come in for plenty of criticism in the past but he silenced his critics against Spurs. Pitted against some seriously tricky attackers, the Portuguese proved up to the task. And not only did he nullify the likes of Ivan Perisic and Son Heung-min, he also repeatedly got forward at every opportunity. On a night where United were relentless in everything they did, Dalot embodied exactly the kind of energy and quality that Ten Hag wants from his players at Old Trafford.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers
Antonio Conte:
The Italian has rarely got his tactics as wrong as he did at Old Trafford. Manchester United were sensational but Tottenham were terrible. Had it not been for Lloris, it could've been four or five nil to the hosts at half time and the onslaught didn't stop after the interval. Conte waited far too long to make changes to a team that was falling flat on its face in a game that was perhaps the greatest example of Tottenham being in a bit of a false position at this stage of the season. They're still well in the hunt for a top-four finish, of course, but recent talk of a title challenge looks incredibly premature right now.
Son Heung-min:
Conte's cause hasn't been helped by the drop-off in form of last season's Golden Boot co-winner. It was another performance to forget for the South Korea captain as he hardly had a sniff against a defence that wasn't willing to give away an inch all night. He regularly had the ball taken off him, his passes weren't quite finding their targets and he left Harry Kane stranded in attack on his own. If Tottenham are to put a run together in the Premier League and Champions League, Son desperately needs to get back to his very best.
Cristiano Ronaldo:
It might be surprising to see a Manchester United player labelled a 'loser' after a fine victory, but how else to describe the Portuguese in the circumstances? Ronaldo probably would have been in this section anyway, even before his latest strop, given United turned in such an impressive performance without him. But his characteristically petulant reaction to being left on the bench was unbecoming of a man once renowned for his professionalism. Former United captain Roy Keane may be among those who believe that Ronaldo has been disrespected by the club this season but there is no excuse for such childish antics. The sooner United get rid of Ronaldo the better, because right now he's becoming a dreadful distraction.
Getty ImagesRatings: Defence
David de Gea (6/10): An ideal evening for the United goalkeeper. Hardly called upon because of his side's dominance and, on the odd occasion where he was required, he didn't put a foot – or a hand – wrong.
Diogo Dalot (8/10): One of the stand-out performances of his season and maybe even his career. Combatted the threat of Ivan Perisic and Son brilliantly and contributed effectively going forward.
Raphael Varane (7/10): Quality, composure and control. It was a far cry from the performances of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof as the Frenchman didn't step a foot out of line all game.
Lisandro Martinez (7/10): As Varane was calm and composed, his partner was the opposite, but in a good way. He flew into tackles at every opportunity and seemed to win all of them. His aggressive style compliments the laid-back nature of the man next to him perfectly.
Luke Shaw (6/10): Another solid display from a left-back who is rapidly cementing his spot in Gareth Southgate's starting World Cup XI. Dealt with a very lively frontline well whilst being assured on the ball; he's certainly trending in the right direction again.
Getty ImagesMidfield
Casemiro (6/10): Just as good as the defence behind him. Continues to show exactly why he was the man at the base of that successful Real Madrid midfield but his performance was let down a little bit by a rash challenge that resulted in a yellow card.
Fred (8/10): An all-action performance from his very top drawer. There were so many tackles, interceptions, passes, dribbles and even a goal – albeit a deflected one. He was the stand-out player for the hosts.
Bruno Fernandes (7/10): Feels like a huge goal that he scored in the second half, and an excellent finish too. Struggled in the game until that point but, where his passes and dribbling failed, he made up for them with the kind of relentless pressing seldom seen at Old Trafford recently. On this evidence, it looks like Bruno's back.