Tottenham player’s stinker goes under radar after Cristian Romero red card vs Man United
Tottenham are in a relegation battle after losing 2-0 to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Whether fans in N17 like it or not, Spurs’ defeat at Old Trafford surely means they’re now fighting to survive the drop in the English top flight.
Cristian Romero made life difficult for his teammates after being sent off at around the half-hour mark for his foul on Casemiro, with Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes subsequently punishing the North London outfit.
The Lilywhites are now level on points with Leeds United, and with West Ham United beating Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor, Thomas Frank has been dragged into something he wouldn’t have expected at the start of the campaign.
Joao Palhinha struggles in Tottenham loss vs Manchester United
While no Tottenham player apart from Guglielmo Vicario and maybe Micky van de Ven deserve to leave Old Trafford with their heads held high, Joao Palhinha was arguably the worst of the bunch.
The Bayern Munich loanee played 80 minutes before being replaced by Mathys Tel, and recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.3 in the defeat.
With 67 per cent pass completion in the opposition half and losing possession nine times, the midfielder put Spurs under pressure on several occasions.
Palhinha is known for his defensive solidity, but against Man United, the Portugal international lost two of his three tackles and six of his nine duels.
| xG | 0.03 |
| xA | 0.02 |
| Touches | 40 |
| Total progression | 8.3 m |
| Defensive contributions | 7 |
The 30-year-old committed one foul, picking up a yellow card, and was dribbled past twice, with the Red Devils easily cutting through the North London outfit’s engine room.
Romero’s red card changed the game for Tottenham, but most players who remained on the pitch failed to show any grit or determination, which will undoubtedly be Frank’s downfall.
Guglielmo Vicario’s game by numbers at Old Trafford
Vicario has come under heavy criticism at Spurs this season, but the Italian shot-stopper was impressive against Man United.
The 29-year-old made eight saves in total for Tottenham at Old Trafford, with three from inside the box.
https://x.com/SpursOfficial/status/2020152226560221621With Mbeumo and Fernandes’ shots arguably hard for Vicario to keep out of the back of the net, his goals prevented rating of -0.44 seems a but harsh.
The Italian goalkeeper made one last-man tackle and won both of his ground duels, but he wasn’t able to change the outcome of the game.