Mkhitaryan arrives... then departs on a stretcher

Man Utd 1 Tottenham 0: For 80 minutes, Manchester United supporters were left wondering where Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been all their lives as the Premier League’s first and only Armenian masterminded a victory that could kick start their club’s season.

For the concluding 10, after he was stretchered off with an injured ankle following a cynical foul by England full-back Danny Rose, those fans and manager Jose Mourinho must have been hoping against hope he does not face more time on the Old Trafford sidelines.

Mkhitaryan arrived in England with a big £26m price tag, big reputation — the Bundesliga’s player of last season — and the expectation he would play a pivotal role in Mourinho’s United revolution.