17.28 – Tottenham have a traditionally poor record against United at Old Trafford, so they won’t exactly be going into this game filled with confidence.

They’ve started the season in a less-than-convincing fashion, though United themselves have yet to really take off.

The big news as far as the starting line-ups are concerned is that Wayne Rooney starts on the bench.

17.36 – Tottenham 1-0 Man United (2 mins): Brilliant run forward from Vertonghen and his rather innocuous shot deflects off Evans, totally deceiving Lindegaard in the process and finding the back of the the net.

Perhaps all the bad luck Spurs have accumulated over the years at Old Trafford is finally set to end.

17.46 – Tottenham were almost the orchestrators of their own downfall there.

Dempsey heads it straight to Van Persie, but a timely interception from Gallas prevents the Dutchman from getting a clean shot on goal.

It was quite a rough challenge though, which probably would have been penalised had it not taken place in the penalty area.

Moreover, Van Persie is moving pretty gingerly now, and has had to receive treatment.

17.49 – Another threatening run forward from the lively Vertonghen, but a poor first touch after the ball is played to him allows Ferdinand to intercept.

As is usually the case when Spurs play United, it’s been very entertaining to watch so far.

17.56 – United are starting to come more into this game, and have put concerted pressure on their opponents in recent minutes.

Spurs, though, continue to look dangerous on the counter-attack.

18.05 – Man United 0-2 Tottenham (32 mins): A superb tackle from Sandro allows Spurs to break and from then on it’s all about Gareth Bale.

The Welsh winger uses his pace to evade Ferdinand before finishing consummately, finding the corner of the net with his weaker right foot.

18.09 – Seasoned Tottenham fans will know that this game is far from over.

Spurs have held considerable leads over United in the past and still lost, most notably in the 2001/2002 season.



YouTube credit: PhantomFX91

18.13 – Should United lose this game, questions will inevitably be asked about the age of this United team.

The likes of Ferdinand and Scholes have at times struggled to cope with the pace of the Tottenham attack.

18.32 – So it’s half-time and rather intriguingly, it’s Man United 0-2 Tottenham.

Spurs have approached the game in a clever fashion, defending well and taking full advantage of their opportunities on the counter-attack, with Bale, Vertonghen and Sandro looking particularly impressive.

In contrast, United’s build-up play has looked decidedly laboured at times.

It’d be foolish to write off the home side however, given how they’ve come back against Spurs in the past.

Moreover, they seemed to up the intensity of their play towards the end of that first-half, as a tired-looking Tottenham struggled to hold onto possession and showed signs of weakness.

All of which sets us up for what looks set to be a thrilling second half.

18.47 – Chris Waddle accurately describes this as “like basketball”.

First, Nani finishes coolly after Rooney’s pinpoint cross. Then, Dempsey converts easily after the United keeper can only parry away Bale’s powerful strike.

And finally, a sublime through ball from Van Persie finds Kagawa, who finishes calmly past Friedel.

That was three goals in the space of 140 seconds, apparently.

18.51 – Despite losing 3-2, United look the far superior side at the moment – Tottenham spent a lot of the first-half chasing the ball, and now seem to be struggling to cope with the tempo United are playing at.

And as I type, Rooney has just hit the post with a free-kick.

19.12 – The pressure on the Spurs goal continues, as Gallas does well to head a dangerous cross out for a corner.

Chris Waddle has justifiably compared Paul Scholes to “Pirlo during the summer”.

Scholes has easily been the best player on the pitch in this second half, though Rooney has also made a significant difference.

Meanwhile, Huddlestone replaces Dembele for the final few minutes, as Tottenham presumably look to improve their possession stats.