Chapter 537: No More White Hart Lane
Three days later, in the fourth round of the FA Cup, Manchester United, with a rotated squad, secured a 4-0 away victory over League Two side Yeovil, advancing to the last 16. Lingard, Mata, Herrera, and McTominay each scored.
In the last two days of January, the Premier League's 25th round continued.
United's opponent this round was Tottenham Hotspur. Although Spurs' performance this season wasn't as impressive as last season's, after 24 rounds, they were still above Arsenal, sitting fifth in the Premier League standings, performing quite well overall.
This was Harry Kane's first time facing his old team after transferring to United, but the venue was no longer the familiar White Hart Lane but the new Wembley Stadium.
Facing his old team again, Harry Kane was not in a good mood because he was greeted with overwhelming boos from the home fans before the match began. The stands were filled with insults directed at him.
"Do you remember who developed you? It was Spurs, Harry! You can't treat us like this!"
"United pays you more, so you go with them, you ungrateful dog!"
"Traitor!"
Spurs fans believed Harry Kane had betrayed the team.
The abuse from Spurs fans made Harry Kane look unhappy.
...
As the match began, Spurs launched a fierce attack on United's goal. They had kickoff and took the opportunity to continuously press United's goal.
Dele Alli was particularly active, frequently calling for the ball from his teammates. Once he got the ball, he used his sharp dribbling to threaten United's goal.
Not long after the match started, Alli received the ball on the left flank. Instead of passing, he faked a move to the baseline, then cut inside and took a long shot from outside the box. De Gea made a save, earning loud cheers from Spurs fans. They hoped their team would beat United and give Kane a harsh lesson: You thought United was stronger and could win titles? Now we beat you, what do you think?
Bruno Fernandes was worried about the current situation, fearing it might inspire Spurs players to perform exceptionally well. Spurs were a young team, capable of going on a spree once they got into a rhythm, posing a challenge even for teams like United and City. Last season, United had lost at Spurs' ground, delaying their title win.
Bruno didn't want to lose again today. Not only would it end their winning streak, but losing to a team that had often been easy to beat would be a disgrace.
However, Bruno knew that rather than trying to stop Spurs, United needed to score first.
...
Bruno had been playing in the Premier League for almost two years. His skill had earned him respect from the Spurs coaching staff, and his impact on United was evident. Pochettino instructed Spurs' midfielders to closely mark Bruno, not allowing him any freedom.
When Bruno had the ball, he faced tight defense. Mousa Dembélé, a well-rounded midfielder, had the main task of marking Bruno.
Spurs started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Eric Dier was responsible for organizing attacks, while Dembélé focused on defending Bruno, with teammates helping as needed.
Bruno and Dembélé engaged in a midfield battle. When Bruno got the ball, Dembélé pressed him. Bruno shielded the ball, while Dembélé kept him from turning easily. Eric Dier then joined in to double-team Bruno. Instead of trying to outmaneuver them, Bruno passed the ball sideways, but Alli anticipated this and intercepted it before Mbappe could get it.
Mbappe was surprised, still waiting for the ball to turn and break forward, not expecting Alli's quick interception. Alli glanced back at Mbappe after stealing the ball.
...
Bruno didn't complain to Mbappe but instead turned to chase down Alli. Knowing Bruno would try to recover the ball, Alli quickly passed it away before Bruno could catch him, leading to a Spurs attack that ended with Morata's shot being saved by De Gea.
Bruno soon realized that whenever he had the ball, Spurs players surrounded him. No matter which direction he passed, it risked interception.
In simple terms, he was trapped in a strategy Spurs designed for him. Dembélé stuck to him but wasn't the primary ball-winner; that role rotated among Dier, Alli, or even defenders, and sometimes Son or Morata dropped back to help.
This was tough for most players, but for Bruno, the greater the difficulty, the more opportunities it presented. Why? When Spurs players crowded around him, other areas of the field would be open.
Despite being surrounded, Bruno kept looking for these open spaces. It was challenging, leading to occasional intercepted passes or rushed, inaccurate passes. Yet he persisted, believing that a successful pass could significantly threaten Spurs' goal.
...
Seeing Bruno's struggles, his teammates moved closer to support him, reducing the distance and easing his passing burden. However, this led to a disjointed attack, with forwards like Kane and Rashford having to drop back, distancing themselves from Spurs' goal and reducing their threat.
During this period, United's attack stagnated due to the midfield struggle. Spurs, a formidable team in Europe, matched United in this tug-of-war. Occasionally, Spurs would launch counterattacks from midfield interceptions, but due to the central congestion, support for their forwards was limited, resulting in few real threats to De Gea.
...
After 25 minutes, the game was still deadlocked in midfield, with neither team scoring. United manager Mourinho was content with this, as a draw at Wembley was an acceptable outcome. He didn't expect United to win every game and knew their winning streak would eventually end. Securing 24 consecutive wins from the start was already beyond his wildest dreams; losing today wouldn't be disastrous.
Mourinho, watching from the sidelines, made no adjustments, believing the players needed only minor self-adjustments, not major tactical changes.
However, Spurs manager Pochettino couldn't sit still. His team couldn't afford to waste time in midfield battles with United. With 14 league games left and a fierce battle for Champions League spots with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal, every game was crucial.
The strategy to target Bruno now seemed counterproductive, limiting both Bruno and Spurs' offensive threat. This "kill a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred" tactic wasn't worth it.
With half the first half gone, Pochettino signaled from the sidelines for Spurs' full-backs to push forward more.
If midfield battles stalled, using full-backs to open up the game could change things.
...
Trippier, a strong attacking full-back, and Ben Davies, though not as strong, had solid passing and shooting abilities. Spurs' full-backs' advances immediately changed the dynamics.
With both sides locked in midfield, Spurs' full-backs' attacks stretched United's defense, causing De Gea to make several crucial saves, making him United's most featured player on TV.
In the 40th minute, Bruno received the ball in midfield, again closely marked by Dembélé, with Alli nearby and Dier closing in. Dembélé continually harassed him, making any mistake likely to result in losing the ball.
Bruno had to pass backward, giving the ball to center-back Van Dijk. Assessing the situation, Van Dijk realized relying on Bruno wasn't sustainable and looked to the flank for relief, planning to pass to a full-back.
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