United rediscover killer punch

Manchester United 3 Tottenham 0

It has been a long time coming, but perhaps Manchester United can be the real deal under Louis van Gaal after all.

The Dutchman, a championship winner in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, has flattered to deceive in his first season in the Premier League, with his United side looking a pale shadow of the one that regarded the Premier League title almost as their own personal property under Alex Ferguson.

United are rebuilding following the end of Ferguson’s tenure and the lost year under David Moyes, but Van Gaal has still invested around €200m in talent to produce a team that, despite climbing into the top four, has utterly failed to convince. Until yesterday.

This was supposed to be a moment of truth, as United faced a Tottenham side with their own hopes of Champions League qualification after a run of five wins in their previous seven league games had lifted them to within three points of United before kick-off.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City also lie in wait in their next four fixtures, but United could not have passed the first stage of that stiff examination more impressively.

They blew Tottenham away with three first-half goals, when they produced some of the best football seen at Old Trafford since the Ferguson era. What’s more, they are now only two points behind defending champions City.

“We have waited a long time for such a victory,” admitted Van Gaal. “The performance was very good against a very good team, so I am pleased.

“We played like a team and were very determined and that is nice after a defeat against Arsenal that you can do that in the next game like this; a massive important game against a competitor, so I am very pleased with the players.

“We have to go step by step. It is a rat race and we are now two points from the second position. The first position is, in my opinion, eight points and still a game to go, so that is too far away. We have to look step by step and the next game is Liverpool. I believe Manchester United has not won too often the games in Liverpool, neither the games against Tottenham at home.”

Tottenham had won on their last two visits to Old Trafford but a hat-trick never looked likely as United returned to the kind of form that had seen them go unbeaten in 22 league games against Spurs before the tide briefly turned.

United were without Angel di Maria, suspended following his sending off against Arsenal, as well the injured Robin van Persie, while Radamel Falcao started in what is increasingly becoming his regular spot on the bench.

In their place, Fellaini has taken added responsibilities as an attacking alternative and again produced the goods playing just behind Rooney, again in his preferred central striking position.

Michael Carrick’s first start since late January, sitting just in front of a solid-looking back four, was also key to United’s performance as they moved the ball quickly and played with a tempo and intensity that has been missing for most of Van Gaal’s reign.

And it was a pass from former Tottenham midfielder Carrick that released Fellaini after nine minutes to beat Hugo Lloris with a low, left footed shot to give him his fifth goal of the season.

Fellaini repaid the compliment, after a fashion, as Carrick doubled the lead 10 minutes later with his first goal in more than a year. The 33-year-old managed just one last season and matched that tally for the current campaign with a perfectly-placed header after Fellaini’s initial effort from Ashley Young’s corner wasn’t cleared by Nacer Chadli.

Tottenham’s performance was riddled with mistakes and they were guilty of more poor defending when Rooney put the game beyond them 11 minutes before half time. Nabil Bentaleb lost possession just inside his own half and Rooney was allowed to run almost unchallenged into the penalty area before slotting past Lloris for his 19th goal of the season.

His celebration, a flurry of punches followed by a collapse to the floor, poked fun at reports which claimed Rooney had been knocked out by former United defender Phil Bardsley in an impromptu boxing bout in his kitchen.

Van Gaal refused to comment on the story, instead praising Rooney for the speech he gave to his team-mates on Saturday night.

“The players know this game was of massive importance so I think a captain has to do something to help the players or help the manager or help the club. I was very pleased,” the United manager added.

Mauricio Pochettino admitted his side produced “maybe” their worst performance of the season with their only shot on target coming in the final minute. Top scorer Harry Kane was denied a goal for the seventh successive away game by the legs of David de Gea.

MAN UNITED (4-1-4-1): De Gea 7; Valencia 7, Smalling 8, Jones 7, Blind 7; Carrick 8 (Rafael 87); Mata 8 (Pereira 77), Herrera 8, Fellaini 8 (Falcao 83), Young 7; Rooney 8.

TOTTENHAM (4-3-2-1): Lloris 6; Walker 6, Dier 5, Vertonghen 6, Rose 5; Bentaleb 5, Mason 5 (Lamela 64, 5), Townsend 4 (Dembele 31, 5); Chadli 5 (Adebayor 79), Eriksen 6; Kane 5.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg 8