FA Barclays Premiership
White Hart Lane, 4 February 2007
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 4
Ronaldo (pen), Vidic, Scholes, Giggs
04/02/2007 17:45, Report by Adam Bostock
Report: Spurs 0 United 4
United turned on the style to regain their six-point lead over Chelsea, blowing away Tottenham with three second-half goals after Cristiano Ronaldo had edged the Reds in front with a first-half penalty.
Nemanja Vidic and Paul Scholes stunned Spurs with their strikes soon after the interval; Ryan Giggs then completed the Reds' second 4-0 win of the week with his effort 13 minutes from time.
Sir Alex Ferguson sent arguably his strongest eleven onto the turf at White Hart Lane, a happy hunting ground for the Reds in recent years with five wins from the last five.
The closest calls saw Patrice Evra recalled at left-back in place of Gabriel Heinze and Henrik Larsson, a scoring sub in midweek, getting the nod over fit-again Louis Saha.
A typical foul by Paul Scholes just outside the United area put the Reds under some early pressure. Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick was initially defended well by Gary Neville but Lee then forced Tottenham’s first corner in only the 2nd minute.
The home fans predictably booed Cristiano Ronaldo and their former player Michael Carrick as the creative pair tried to get hold of the ball in the opening exchanges.
Referee Mark Clattenburg resisted the temptation to book Didier Zokora when the Ivory Coast international impeded Neville’s promising surge in the 6th minute. Unfortunately United couldn’t punish him either, as their free-kick came to nothing.
Clattenburg’s consistency was questionable when he took the name of Nemanja Vidic for a similar foul on Jermaine Defoe in the 9th minute.
Ronaldo fired a shot across Paul Robinson’s bows but it lacked the accuracy needed to chalk up his 15th goal and win his personal bet with Sir Alex. Larsson was involved in the next threat to Tottenham’s goal, breaking into the box where he fell under a clumsy challenge by the gangling centre-back Anthony Gardner. A penalty seemed certain but Clattenburg ignored the appeals from Carrick, Ronaldo and others, so play controversially continued.
Spurs responded to their lucky escape by putting some pressure back on United. Berbatov brought Edwin van der Sar some long-awaited action when he managed to squeeze a shot across goal after being forced wide by Ferdinand. The Dutchman made a sprawling dive to his left and diverted the ball away from his far post.
Rooney’s frustration at the referee’s performance spilled over with a foul on Lee and a costly yellow card – he’ll now miss the Reading FA Cup tie through suspension. The United striker had previously been on the receiving end of another unpunished foul, Dawson stepping across him as he charged towards the box.
Not that Tottenham had it all their own way as far as the officials were concerned. Neville’s wrestling hold on Chimbonda in the area wasn’t spotted and then Chimbonda himself was booked for a foul on Larsson, moments after Ronaldo’s goal.
The winger cut inside Lee but the full-back might have recovered had former Fulham star Steed Malbranque not stepped in with an unhelpful challenge. Ronaldo dropped to the turf and Clattenburg, at last, pointed to the spot. United’s top scorer picked himself up and coolly tucked his 12-yard kick inside Robinson’s right-hand post.
Clattenburg still had time for one more booking, and his most inexplicable yet, before blowing for the interval. Larsson was the unlucky one, completing a first-half hat-trick of United cautions, after Dawson went down injured.
The boos for Ronaldo were even louder when the action resumed - the penalty incident had unwisely been shown on the stadium’s big screen. But undeterred as ever, the Portuguese winger raced forward and triggered a passage of play that brought United their deserved second goal.
It started when Ronaldo’s ferocious cross-cum-shot was pushed out for a corner by Robinson at the near post. Giggs swung the setpiece in from the right and when Spurs failed to clear, Carrick slipped the ball to Vidic on the edge of the ‘D’. The Serbian defender hit a brilliant first-time shot but Robinson superbly tipped it over.
Vidic returned the favour to Carrick at the next corner, flicking the ball on to the far post where the former Spurs midfielder had a second header saved by Robinson.
The third corner in quick succession cracked the Spurs keeper. Again it was Carrick and Vidic linking up, as the former delivered a corner from the left and the latter buried it with a bullet header that left Robinson, on this occasion, rooted.
Ronaldo’s next run to the byline brought United’s third goal. The build-up was glorious, as Larsson controlled and laid off Neville’s long pass to the winger on his right. Ronaldo sprinted past Lee, crossed low and hard and when the ball slipped past Robinson, Scholes prodded it into the empty net from inside the six-yard box.
United were by now picking their passes with ease and when Larsson fed Rooney, the younger man bent a shot just beyond the far post. Almost an hour gone, and almost 4-0 to the rampant visitors.
The overworked referee had another penalty appeal to consider at the other end when Berbatov stumbled in front of Ferdinand. But the Spurs fans, desperate for a glimmer of hope, were not to be obliged by Mr Clattenburg.
Berbatov was back in the box moments later to receive a fine through-ball from Huddlestone but even though the striker controlled it well, he couldn’t beat van der Sar with the shot. It was an excellent save and an important one for the Dutchman desiring his first clean sheet since the 3-0 win at Villa on 23 December.
He produced an even better stop in the 75th minute, palming away a header from the same striker following a great cross by Hossam Ghaly.
Sir Alex took the opportunity to rest his talismen for the last 20 minutes or so, sending on Saha for Rooney and then Park for Ronaldo.
Spurs boss Martin Jol had previously made two substitutions, in one fell swoop. Keane made his mark in the wrong way, picking up a yellow card after catching former Leeds team-mate Rio Ferdinand as he tried to clear.
Saha’s introduction was much more positive as he held off a couple of challenges and threaded the ball through for Giggs to score a fantastic fourth goal. It was Ryan’s last action before he was replaced by John O’Shea in the 80th minute.
With three subs used, there was a worrying moment when van der Sar was laid low after making a near-post save from Keane. The Republic of Ireland striker caught the Dutchman in the face as he tried to hurdle him.
Van der Sar received treatment but he was in no fit state to continue, so O’Shea pulled on a spare green jersey and goalkeeping gloves for the last few minutes.
The buoyant away fans chorused "You'll never beat O'Shea" after big John saved from Keane with his feet. They might have sung "You'll never beat United" after this excellent performance yielded a sixth win in six visits to this corner of North London.
Team Line-ups
Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Young-Pyo Lee, Dawson, Gardner, Lennon, Huddlestone, Zokora (Ghaly, 56), Malbranque, Defoe (Keane, 56), Berbatov.
Subs not used: Cerny, Murphy, Rocha.
United: Van der Sar, Neville, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Ronaldo (Park, 68 ), Carrick, Scholes, Giggs (O'Shea, 80), Rooney (Saha , 64), Larsson.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Heinze.
Attendance: 36,146
