Man Utd vs Tottenham: Complete head-to-head record

“Lads, it’s Tottenham.”

Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous team talk delivered to his title-winning stars has come to define Spurs in the modern day. Bereft of silverware and denoted as seemingly incapable of delivering on the big occasion, the ‘Spursy’ tag will continue to be used to beat one of England’s most significant and historic clubs.

Ferguson enjoyed plenty of success against the Lilywhites, losing just four of his 42 encounters with the north Londoners while in charge of Manchester United. As a result, the Red Devils have dominated the head-to-head duel in the Premier League era.

Despite their modern superiority, these two sides have played out a whole host of memorable duels, and United’s post-Fergie demise means Spurs, like every other Premier League club, have started to enjoy more success against the Red Devils.

Here’s a rundown of Tottenham’s head-to-head record against Manchester United.

Manchester United had little to fear when they hosted Tottenham on the final day of the 1998/99 Premier League season with the title in their sights.

Spurs had beaten the league’s supreme force just once since the competition’s inauguration – a 4-1 victory on the first day of 1996 – and they were bound for a forgettable mid-table finish. Spoiling United’s party also meant Arsenal would’ve got their hands on their second successive league title.

Overall, there was little incentive for the visitors to triumph, but it was Tottenham who took the lead midway through the first half via Les Ferdinand’s clever lobbed effort.

The dominant hosts restored parity just before the break as David Beckham whipped home a divine equaliser. Andy Cole was then introduced at half-time, and it was the striker who produced the decisive moment so soon after entering the fray. Cole’s lob wasn’t quite as ingenious as Ferdinand’s in the first half, but his two touches to set up the chance were glorious.

Cole’s smart finish delivered United the title – the first leg of their historic treble triumph.

A contest that defined the fortunes of both clubs while Sir Alex Ferguson was at the helm.

Having rarely enjoyed success against the Red Devils over the previous decade, Tottenham supporters were in dreamland when their side raced into a 3-0 half-time lead over Fergie’s imperious unit at the start of the 2001/02 campaign.

“We came in at half time and I remember the manager not saying a word for 15 minutes,” the suspended Roy Keane later recalled. “Then, once the bell went, he said: ‘Okay, you’d better go out there and win the game’.”

An early second-half goal from Cole filled a once delirious White Hart Lane with dread. They knew what was coming. Laurent Blanc netted United’s second before the hour and Spurs’ lead had evolved into a deficit by the 77th minute. Beckham then capped off the visitors’ utterly remarkable comeback in the closing stages.

Spursy.

United were forced to come from behind as Tottenham once again failed to end their long winless run at Old Trafford despite racing into a 2-0 lead.

Ferguson’s side were off the boil in the opening period, but as soon as they grabbed the first goal of the second half, there was little doubt over the eventual outcome.

Cristiano Ronaldo struck from the penalty spot just before the hour mark and it’d take the hosts only 11 minutes to go in front. Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo again saw United overturn their deficit in a blink of an eye.

Rooney completed his brace just minutes later, and Spurs’ sudden misery was compounded by former striker Dimitar Berbatov adding a fifth for the Red Devils.

Andre Villas-Boas arrived at Tottenham in 2012 hoping to build on Harry Redknapp’s stellar work. Spurs had established themselves under the Englishman, finishing fourth in 2011/12, although the exits of Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric meant a mini-rebuild was necessary.

Expectations weren’t exactly through the roof when they rocked up to Old Trafford in September, and an early 2-0 lead did little to convince supporters that this was Tottenham’s time to finally end their hoodoo.

Jan Vertonghen and Gareth Bale scored wonderful solo goals, and they preserved that lead up until a whirlwind 139-second period in which three goals were scored at both ends. Clint Dempsey struck for the visitors in between Nani and Shinji Kagawa’s finishes as Spurs took a 3-2 lead into the final 40 minutes.

The travelling fans were surely waiting for the inevitable collapse, but the Lilywhites left their Spursy gene in N17 on this occasion as they robustly held on for their first victory at the Theatre of Dreams in 23 years.

Sure, Man Utd were in dire straits at the start of the 2020/21 season in which teams weren’t given ample time to recover from the previous Covid-hit campaign, but that shouldn’t take away from a ruthlessly efficient display.

An early Bruno Fernandes penalty was expected to have started a procession for the hosts, but this Super Sunday bout quickly unfolded into a nightmare for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his side.

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham had never looked so dynamic, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min combining to claw the visitors back into the contest before sailing well beyond the beleaguered hosts, who were reduced to ten men in the first half when Anthony Martial received his marching orders.

Son and Kane each bagged braces in Spurs’ emphatic victory as they were joined on the scoresheet by unlikely goal-getters Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier.

Man Utd vs Tottenham – Complete H2H record

Man Utd vs Tottenham – Complete Premier League record

Top scorers in Man Utd vs Tottenham fixtures

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