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Liverpool manager Arne Slot couldn't resist a cheeky dig at Manchester United - whether intentional or unintentional - ahead of his Anfield Champions League debut against Bologna.

While the Reds' soared to the top of the Premier League table at the weekend by beating Wolves 2-1 at Molineux, United slumped to a second successive 3-0 undressing at Old Trafford.

Slot's Liverpool hammered the Red Devils at their home stadium last month and Tottenham matched that same scoreline on Sunday to leave Erik ten Hag's team 13th in the table after six games, eight points adrift of their Merseyside rivals.

Slot has made it clear he does not feel Liverpool have faced a truly top-tier side in the Premier League yet, with all of their opponents so far 10th or lower, and took a cheeky dig at United as he hinted they are a "bottom half team".

He stated: "I see things we definitely have to improve if we want to stay where we are with the fixture list that's coming up.

"Every fixture is difficult in the Premier League but everybody tells me that a top league table team is a bit more difficult than a lower league table team.

"Which we can all understand. We have not faced one of them yet. We have to do things better but one of the reasons we can stay up there is because we have a lot of players with a lot of individual quality."

Slot is eager for his Liverpool players to show the Champions League what it has been missing now that they're back among the continent's elite after being in the Europa League last year.

Liverpool, six-time European Cup champions, are set to host Italian side Bologna and are aiming to build on their victory over AC Milan last month.

This match will be Slot's inaugural experience of a European night under the lights at Anfield.

He said: "I am privileged enough to work at Feyenoord where Champions League nights last season were also really special.

"People tell me it will be even more special here. What I expect from our players they have missed out on the Champions League for a year so when they step out on the pitch tomorrow I want to see this, I want to feel like they feel 'Ah, we missed it for a season'.

"A club of this standard has to be ready and I'm hoping and expecting the same from our fans.

"They have missed it for a season and I am hoping they feel this desire to show to Europe again 'They missed us because of this' and that combination should hopefully lead to a very special night for everyone involved at Liverpool."

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Slot admitted he wasn't delighted with the final 15 minutes of their win at Molineux, saying he grew frustrated about missed opportunities to kill the game off late on.

"We as a team, if you have so much quality, you cannot accept mediocrity," he said.

"You have to ask from yourself every second of the day, every second of the game, the highest standards that this shirt brings.

"I and we as a staff have to set those standards very clear and that 15 minutes when we lost the ball so many times in promising positions or moments that could lead to promising positions is maybe not acceptable."

Ex-Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick's sage advice on transfers is echoing through Old Trafford with Erik ten Hag's latest recruitment drive having failed to stem the tide of underwhelming performances. Despite a vote of confidence and hefty financial investment from new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which included a contract extension and a war chest of nearly £200million, Ten Hag's third season at the helm has kicked off disastrously.

The Red Devils have stumbled out of the gate with just two victories in six matches, including humiliating 3-0 defeats to arch-rivals Liverpool and, more recently, Tottenham. New signings such as Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte, despite their potential, have not yet made a significant impact.

During his tenure, Rangnick issued a stark assessment, conceding that the club required a thorough overhaul and that any new acquisitions must be carefully chosen and fitting to bridge the gap with the Premier League's front-runners. His wise words, following a crushing 4-0 loss to Liverpool in 2022, still seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

"If you look at those two clubs who are currently dominating the Premier League [Manchester City and Liverpool], they did exactly that [rebuild]," Rangnick had declared post-defeat.

"They brought in two managers, but not only did they bring in two managers, but they also changed the whole thing with regard to formation and what kind of players we need. I mean, the headline of everything was, 'how do we want to play?' The team needs a rebuild, and therefore, for me, it's clear that there will be six, seven, eight, maybe ten new players.

"Before you sign those players, you need to be aware of who you want to play and what kind of football the new manager wants to play. Then, take it from there. Bring every single player fitting into that kind of profile."

Alas, the United board did not heed this advice, and Rangnick's tenure ended as he moved on to the Austrian national team set-up in April. Upon his departure, Rangnick didn't hold back on the board's reluctance to secure offensive reinforcements, candidly naming the players he believed would have made a difference.

"The answer at the time was: 'No, there is no player on the market that would really help us'," Rangnick revealed in May 2022. "But, there were a few, there were a few. [Luis] Diaz, who is now at Liverpool, [Julian] Alvarez who will be at Manchester City this summer, [Dusan] Vlahovic, who at the time still was with Fiorentina, so. Those are just three of them of them that come across my mind now.

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"I spoke to the board and said: 'Shouldn't we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal?' But in the end, the answer was 'no'." As United fumbles early this season, drawing criticism for their lacklustre performances, fans have plastered Rangnick's observations across social media,the Mirror reports.

One supporter stated: "This man knew the problem," while another lamented: "Man Utd signings have been horrendous. It's more like a player having a breakout season and Man Utd decides to buy him. I don't think there's any pre analysis over what kinda player is needed." A third argued that Rangnick should have been awarded a longer tenure at Old Trafford by writing: "Should have stuck with this man and got rid of the rot in the players."

Simon Jordan has called out Gary Neville's 'absurd' commentary during Manchester United's humiliating 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham.

Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominic Solanke scored for the visitors in what was a horror afternoon for United. The performance had Gary Neville fuming, branding it 'absolutely disgusting' on Sky Sports while on live commentary.

United have suffered consecutive 3-0 Premier League losses at Old Trafford, including a loss to bitter rivals Liverpool, with pressure hugely mounting on manager Erik ten Hag. Nonetheless, Jordan has slammed Neville for his choice of words during his commentary.

On talkSPORT, while dissecting United's defeat, ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan said: "People get very critical that our agenda apparently in the studio is to constantly berate Ten Hag. I listen to the commentary from Gary Neville and the language that's being used is absurd.

"It is not a disgusting performance, it is a poor performance. But when you've got Manchester United people, who are the first ones to get very prickly if anyone else says anything about Manchester United, going in full tilt on the nature of performance... It was a poor performance against a very good Tottenham side. It wasn't disgusting. It wasn't an abhorration. You know, it's ridiculous."

Neville was particularly scathing of Ten Hag's side following Bruno Fernandes' contentious red card, remarking: "It is not as bad as I initially thought," he said of the challenge on James Maddison.

"But it sums up Man United first half which has been an absolute disgrace. It's one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag - and that is saying something. It is really bad."

Earlier in the match, Neville vented: "It has been as bad as it gets - no urgency, no life in them. United have all the bodies back there, but they may as well be statues or mannequins. Tottenham are just cutting through at will. Manchester United in this first half-hour are really bad. The crowd aren't engaged at all."

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Post-match, Neville continued his criticism: "The big story today is that in that first half. You can't say it came from nowhere because Manchester United have been inconsistent all season, but they have chosen to put in their very worst performance, their very worst possible showing.

"It was an absolutely disgusting performance in that first half in effort, quality, everything you want in a football team and there are going to be questions to answer for that group (of players) and the manager in the next week."

United now look to regroup as they face Porto away in the Europa League on Thursday before heading to Aston Villa.

Bruno Fernandes has felt the wrath of Paul Scholes after his red card against Tottenham. Scholes criticised theManchester United captain's petulant antics and tendency to vacate his position following his straight red in the first half on Sunday.

Fernandes' sending off for a poor challenge on James Maddison formed part of a dismal afternoon for the Red Devils, who succumed to a woeful 3-0 defeat. The Portuguese star's dismissal is another blow in what has been an underwhelming season for the 30-year-old, who has failed to find the net in nine appearances across all competitions.

Scholes, discussing United's third league loss, criticised Fernandes for his persistent petulance and tendency to abandon his assigned position during games. "Look, I think that he needs to play with more discipline, there's no doubt," Scholes said. "When I say discipline, I mean the position where he plays on the football pitch. As a number 10, he has the responsibility to make his team play good football," reports the Manchester Evening News.

He pointed out that Fernandes often leaves his crucial number 10 spot, dropping into midfield or even appearing at left-back or right-back, which disrupts the team's structure and strategy. Despite his critique, the 11-time Premier League champion showed some understanding towards Fernandes' sending off, claiming that referee Chris Kavanagh was too hasty in brandishing the red card.

"It wasn't a sending off, there's no doubt about that. I think the referee acted a little bit hastily, he was a bit too quick to go for it without actually having a little word with his linesman and thinking about it," the former England star added. Scholes, however, lambasted Fernandes' rash behaviour which resulted in United being reduced to 10 men, expressing scepticism over whether the captain can eliminate this aspect from his play.

"But again, it was petulant and it gave the referee an opportunity to do it," said the Salford City co-owner. "We've seen a lot of petulance from our captain over the last couple of years, throwing arms about and he knows himself that it needs to get out of his game, but realistically, is that going to happen?

"He's of an age where you don't really change that much. The captain has to set an example and yesterday just wasn't good enough." Following his dismissal, Fernandes is set to miss United's upcoming three league games next month against Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham.

Dejan Kulusevski has admitted Tottenham should have scored far more than their three goals at Old Trafford on Sunday after beating Manchester United 3-0.

Kulusevski scored the second either side of Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke's efforts as Spurs mustered 24 shots on goal away at United.

The 24-year-old Swede was brilliant and created nine goalscoring chances from a central role - and the 24-year-old is keen to play there more regularly from here on out.

He declared: "This is my position. I grew a lot because now I can defend. Before, maybe, I didn't defend as much and that was why I didn't play in the midfield.

"But now, I'm growing as a player and I can play to my strengths. I'm the best in the middle, I can score goals, I can find good passes and I play with (James) Maddison, who is unbelievable with the ball.

"We have (Rodrigo) Bentancur who, when he plays like he did against United, is an unbelievable player. It looks offensive on paper but it's working really well."

Yet he admitted Spurs were not clinical enough, adding: "That's how we need to play. Our season started now. There are a lot of happy players and it's showing on the pitch. It was not just the result but playing like we did.

"Our pressure in the first half was unbelievable. They couldn't get the ball. We won it every time. We won 3-0 but if we were clinical, we would win by more."

Kulusevski is delighted for fellow goalscorer Johnson, who has now scored in four back-to-back matches. The forward said of his team-mate: "He has been unbelievable.

"It is a good thing he is off social media. He can focus on the right things, to play football. He's been doing really good.

"He's a really good guy, a young guy, and we need him. We need him to perform like this every game, and we're here to support it. I think so much can weigh down on you as a player, because millions of people have opinions on you every day.

""But the important thing is to don't listen to nobody, and just to be with your family and trust in yourself and work hard, then nothing can stop you.

"Sometimes you're questioning everything, but you just have to forget and remember why you started and remember who you are and where you want to go. That's what I'm doing right now."

Paul Scholes has made no secret of his stance that Erik ten Hag was to blame for Manchester United's humiliation against Tottenham on Sunday. Boos rang out at Old Trafford after the 3-0 drubbing that could've easily been twice as bad if not for heroics from Andre Onana and Timo Werner being Timo Werner.

There have been a handful of subterranean lows during Ten Hag's reign, which he has masked with two overwhelming highs in Carabao Cup and FA Cup glory.

But not many, if any, felt as hopeless as when the curtains closed on a cold, wet and miserable evening for the hosts in M16. The curtains could soon close on the Ten Hag era for good.

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United displayed promising signs of improvement across their opening games of the new campaign, yet wins have been hard to come by.

It felt like last season when FC Twente and Spurs visited Old Trafford in the last five days, though, with habits on show that aren't being solved.

Ten Hag has often been criticised for his side looking like one of the most tactically incompetent in the Premier League since the start of last term.

Scholes echoed those concerns after full-time on Sunday, highlighting new £50million midfielder Manuel Ugarte as a worrying example.

"They look uncoached, some of the positions they take, Ugarte, for example, must be difficult for a new player. He's sometimes on the right or popping up on the left," the United icon explained.

He added: "Players looked dead today, they looked flat. They don't know what they want.

"It's just madness the positions they sometimes take on the pitch. That's where Man Utd are, and it's difficult to watch.

"Teams have come to Old Trafford and looked better coached and today was no different."

United supporters are increasingly losing patience with Ten Hag, who has overseen just six wins in the last 20 Premier League games.

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The Red Devils' dire form has leaked into Europe, winning just once in their last nine outings in the Champions League and Europa League.

Ten Hag will once again view the domestic cups as a potential means to save face this season.

United have been handed a favourable path to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, beating League One Barnsley at Old Trafford in the third round, with Leicester City to visit in the last 16.

But the Dutchman likely won't get the opportunity to reach the end of another cup run if his side seems set for mediocrity in the competitions that matter that little bit more.

Bruno Fernandes accepted that he let down his Manchester United team-mates after being sent off in their 3-0 defeat by Tottenham. The Red Devils captain was shown the first red card of his Old Trafford career in a controversial incident involving James Maddison.

Fernandes slipped into a tackle on the Spurs midfielder but continued to attempt his desperate effort to win the ball. His left foot caught Maddison high on his knee, with referee Chris Kavanagh waving a red card in the direction of the United star.

Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison revealed that Fernandes volunteered to be interviewed after the game, a rare move by a player who has been sent off.

Asked to explain why he had offered to speak, Fernandes revealed: “Just to say I let my team-mates down with the one man down (sending off), I do appreciate everything they do on the pitch. Obviously it was tougher for them.

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“We didn't start the game well when it was 11 vs 11, and when this happens, the result is on its side with the red card. They (Fernandes' team-mates) did very well, they fought and obviously we conceded another two goals. It was difficult to cover all the spaces but it's many good things that we can take from this and I'm very proud of the team."

The 30-year-old praised his colleagues for continuing to try to earn a positive result. He continued: "No one likes to be sent off, it's not a good feeling seeing my team-mates running a lot to try to get a result and to score because that's what they tried to do. They tried to get the result on our side and we ended up conceding another two goals, but they tried everything."

Fernandes also revealed that Maddison did not think he deserved to be dismissed. The pair were seen in conversation as Fernandes headed for the dressing room.

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United were dismal even before Fernandes saw red. At the time, they trailed 1-0 after Brennan Johnson's early goal. Micky van de Ven was allowed the freedom of Old Trafford to surge before before squaring for the winger after just two minutes.

Spurs found it too easy with a man advantage. United barely threatened without Fernandes and they found themselves 2-0 down early in the second half thanks to Dejan Kulusevski's clever finish.

Dominic Solanke added a late third with a finish from close-range. It may have been more, with 17-year-old starlet Mikey Moore curling just wide after a mazy run down the left.

Fernandes will now miss United's next three domestic matches. He will be available to play against Porto in the Europa League, but will then be absent for Premier League clashes against Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag will be facing fresh concerns over his long-term future after watching his side succumb to a 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday. The Dutchman was under pressure to deliver a favourable result but his players crumbled and finished the game with 10 men.

Brennan Johnson fired the visitors in front with only four minutes on the clock as Spurs enjoyed domination at Old Trafford, with boos whittling out from the home supporters. Bruno Fernandes was controversially sent off for a lunge on James Maddison and things took a turn for the worse.

Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 with 47 minutes on the clock, before striker Dominic Solanke prodded home his first league goal for the club to pile on the misery.

Express Sport assesses the Man Utd and Tottenham player ratings from Old Trafford after an afternoon to forget for Ten Hag's men.

Man Utd player ratings

Andre Onana 6/10

Bizarrely stood and watched as Van de Ven sent a low cross within touching distance of his gloves to concede the opener. Twice denied Werner to keep the score down.

Noussair Mazraoui 5

Failed to spot the danger until it was too late from Van de Ven and looked vulnerable against Werner. Made one vital clearance to stop the German making it 2-0.

Matthijs de Ligt 4

Caught out of position several times in the first half and the £43m man appeared to be very nervy in possession.

Lisandro Martinez 4

Gave possession away cheaply in the early moments but showed some fight when his team-mates began to wilter. That quickly turned to petulance. Booked.

Diogo Dalot 4

Inexplicably allowed his marker Johnson to run into the box unopposed for the the opener and struggled to contain the threat of the Welshman in the unfavoured left-back role. Booked.

Kobbie Mainoo 5

Did little wrong, but the 20-year-old was largely quiet by his standards. Substituted for Mount when Fernandes was sent off.

Manuel Ugarte 5

Robbed for being too slow on the ball by Maddison and from there always looked a yard behind the play. A lot to learn. Booked.

Alejandro Garnacho 6

Feeding off scraps on the break, the Argentinian was unlucky to hit the post with a far-post volley. His efforts ultimately weren't enough of the ball to inspire United to a comeback.

Bruno Fernandes 3

Deservedly sent off after a mindless high challenge on Maddison. Still without a goal this season and perhaps more worryingly, he failed to impose himself on the game before the dismissal. What has happened to the United captain?

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Marcus Rashford 6

Despite his efforts being described as "rubbish" by Gary Neville, Rashford showed a willingness to work hard and run in behind. But he just couldn't find the target when United needed him to.

Joshua Zirkzee 5

Anonymous, mainly due to a failure from his team-mates to pick him out when he was unmarked. When he had the chance to score, his effort was saved by Vicario.

SUBS

Mason Mount (on 44') 5

A strange choice to bring on the attacking midfielder after Fernandes was dismissed as he struggled to get into the game. Booked.

Casemiro (on 46') 5

Brought on as a safety net after replacing Zirkzee at half time. Two minutes later, he lost an aerial duel and idly jogged back as Spurs scored their second. Unacceptable lack of effort.

Rasmus Hojlund (on 72') 6

Lacked the proper service to make an impact late on.

Christian Eriksen (on 72') N/A 6

Tried to make things happen late on.

Tottenham player ratings

Guglielmo Vicario 6

Almost a bystander in the first half as Spurs dominated, though the Italian was solid when called upon to deny Zirkzee.

Pedro Porro 6

Had the toughest job of the four defenders up against a lively Rashford but generally coped well with the Englishman. Less comfortable against Garnacho. Booked.

Cristian Romero 7

Kept Zirkzee's influence to a minimum and looked every bit the leader he has become under Ange Postecoglou. The hothead who was sent off against Chelsea last season is long gone.

Micky van de Ven 9

Simply incredible athleticism from the Dutchman to gallop 60 yards with the ball past five players and send in a perfect ball for Johnson to tap home. Magnificent in everything else he did.

Destiny Udogie 6

Looked bright early on before an injury scare forced him to take a more cautious approach to the game. Substituted at the interval.

Rodrigo Bentancur 7

Dictated the play from deep and his presence allowed Kulusevski and Maddison to flourish. The Uruguayan continues to be an unheralded yet essential player in this team.

Dejan Kulusevski 9

Given the freedom to roam in a newly-created central role, the Swede was a constant thorn in the side and deserved his goal for an excellent performance.

James Maddison 8

Bright, engaged and keen to combine with Kulusevski in the early moments. Everything Spurs created in the central areas went through him. Earned his brief break after being replaced by Moore.

Brennan Johnson 8

Right place, right time for the winger as he tapped home for the opener. Unfortunate to see his effort bounce back off the post to deny him a second. Set up Kulusevski for the second. Booked.

Bruno Fernandes' season hit a new low with a red card in Manchester United's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham as he slipped and made a dangerous high challenge on James Maddison.

The Red Devils trailed 1-0 at the time after an insipid first half which Gary Neville labelled one of the "worst performances" under Erik ten Hag.

"It just sums up Manchester United in this first half, to be fair they've been an absolute disgrace. It's one of the worst performances I've seen in Erik ten Hag's time at Manchester United and that's saying something," blasted Neville on Sky Sports.

"It's been really bad. And he will not be able to believe what he's watched. I'm not talking patterns of play, I'm talking application to a football match. And now, his captain sent off.

"When players react like that, it means something has gone on that we haven't seen initially. He's gone knee high Bruno Fernandes. I think he slips just before the tackle but he's not going to get away with it."

Fernandes' red card places him amongst a notorious quartet, joining the ranks of Roy Keane, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney as one of only four United captains expelled at Old Trafford in the league's history.

The Portuguese skipper's blunder was preceded by another early setback for United as Micky van de Ven's daring run handed Brennan Johnson a simple finish within the opening three minutes.

Tottenham were in complete control during the first half, with United only managing to hold 37 per cent of the possession and two shots on target.

Things got worst in the second half as Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke piled on the pain for the home team. United managed just two shots on target all match.

Neville added at the end of the match: "Brilliant for Tottenham - and we should say that first. For Manchester United, they are booing the ref, but that is not even half the story.

"In the first half they have put in their worst performance. It was an absolutely disgusting performance. in the first half in effort, in quality - in everything you'd want from a football team. There are a lot of questions to answer. for that group and the manager."

Manchester United were woeful as Tottenham swept them aside at Old Trafford on Sunday, with a red card shown to captain Bruno Fernandes compounding Erik ten Hag's nightmare. Goals from Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke sealed a 3-0 victory for the visitors.

Johnson scored just three minutes into the game, turning home Micky van de Ven’s cross after a fine run by the Spurs defender. United struggled and frustration got the better of Fernandes just prior to half-time, with the captain sent off for a poor challenge on James Maddison.

Ten Hag’s players barely put up a fight and conceded twice more through Kulusevski and Solanke. Here are five things Express Sport took away from the game.

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Man Utd produce ‘one of the worst’ Ten Hag performances

This was United at their dismal worst - reminiscent of some of their shockers under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

As Fernandes trudged off after his red card, United legend Gary Neville summed up the first half on Sky Sports commentary duty. “It (the tackle) is not as bad as I initially thought but it sums up United in the first half - who have been an absolute disgrace. Probably one of the worst halves I've seen under Ten Hag and that's saying something.”

Fernandes will now miss the Red Devils’ next three matches and Kobbie Mainoo may also be absent after limping off injured. Those issues combine to present Ten Hag with further problems in the coming weeks.

Van de Ven exposes soft touch

It took just three minutes for United to allow Van de Ven to wade through their midfield and defence with little challenge. Marcus Rashford was too easily dispossessed with a loose touch in Spurs’ half, while the Red Devils’ midfield were nowhere to be seen.

Noussair Mazraoui was too occupied by Timo Werner on the left wing, presenting Van de Ven with a huge gap between the United right-back and Matthijs de Ligt to break into. Van de Ven’s speed and control saw him to the byline, where he crossed for Brennan Johnson to tap home. Diogo Dalot had failed to track the winger.

United were supposed to have solved the issue that saw teams breeze through them too easily with the signings of De Ligt and Manuel Ugarte - but neither addition showed any sign of improving this weakness in this instance.

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Fernandes compounds Man Utd’s misery

Fernandes might count himself a little unlucky to have seen red for his challenge on James Maddison. But once he continued to attempt his tackle after slipping on the sodden turf, it was wild and out of control, catching the Spurs midfielder high on his knee.

It was an action born out of frustration and summed up United’s first half. Ten Hag could have done with his captain remaining on the pitch for the rest of the game, and won’t thank Fernandes for leaving him without his leader for the next three matches.

Kulusevski shines

The space in United’s midfield was perfect for Kulusevski to take control of the game. Revitalised as an attacking midfielder under Ange Postecoglou, the Sweden international was exceptional at Old Trafford.

He created several chances by driving through the middle of the pitch and scored a wonderful goal early in the second half. His delicate flick left Andre Onana stranded after Johnson’s cross.

Tottenham finally replace Harry Kane

It was a familiar sight for Spurs: A striker attacking a near-post flick-on to score a poacher’s goal from a set-piece. Harry Kane scored so many of those goals but his departure left a gaping hole. Dominic Solanke is more than good enough to do a positive job of filling the England captain’s shoes.

Solanke rounded off this Spurs win by rolling the ball home after Pape Matar Sarr’s flick found him with no alternative but to score. The £55million signing has scored three goals in a week and looks to be the centre-forward Postecoglou sorely lacked last term.