Manchester United strengthened their grip on a Premier League top-four place with a confident 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, a result shaped as much by Cristian Romero's dismissal as by the hosts' composure. Michael Carrick's side made it four wins from four since he took charge, while Spurs' latest setback added to growing concerns over Thomas Frank's increasingly under-pressure tenure.
Spurs captain Romero was sent off in the 29th minute for a rash challenge on Casemiro, capping a turbulent week that had already seen him publicly criticise his club's 'disgraceful' lack of squad depth on social media. United capitalised nine minutes later when a neatly worked set-piece involving Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo allowed Bryan Mbeumo to slot in his eighth goal of a fruitful campaign, before Fernandes finally killed the contest with an 81st-minute strike after a late surge of pressure.
Romero's Turbulent Week Ends in Another Early Bath
Romero had been central to the Tottenham narrative long before kick-off. In midweek the Spurs skipper used social media to condemn what he called a 'disgraceful' lack of depth in a squad already stretched by injuries, comments that immediately put both player and club under the spotlight. Frank publicly defended him, describing the outburst as 'passionate' and rewarding his captain with a place in a revamped back four.