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PICS: United scrape past Spurs to end perfect tour

July 26, 2019

IMAGE: Manchester United's Angel Gomes celebrates scoring their second goal against Tottenham Hotspur during their International Champions Cup in Shanghai, China, on Thursday. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

Manchester United's Angel Gomes grabbed an 81st-minute winner to secure a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the International Champions Cup as they ended their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia with a fourth win in four games on Thursday.

 

United youth product Gomes, 18, struck after Spurs' Lucas Moura cancelled out Anthony Martial's first-half opener and gave the 20-time Premier League champions another victory after they beat Perth Glory, Leeds United and Inter Milan.

However, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's joy was tempered by a knee injury to central defender Eric Bailly, who was carried off 10 minutes after his halftime introduction.

United had the better of the opening exchanges against last season's Champions League runners-up, with Martial hitting the post after four minutes, although Spurs midfielder Dele Alli then forced David De Gea to turn a low shot around the post.

United kept Tottenham's defence under pressure, however, and Brazilian Andreas Pereira slid the ball to Martial who took advantage of goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga's poor positioning to slip the ball home at the near post after 21 minutes.

 

IMAGE: Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane square off during the International Champions Cup match. Photograph: Fred Lee/Getty Images

New United signing Daniel James threatened with his pace and Paul Pogba went close with a long-range effort as the Old Trafford side ended the first period in the ascendancy.

Solsjkaer changed his entire lineup for the second half with Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino switching six players.

The Londoners equalised in the 65th minute when Moura's shot from the edge of the area took a deflection off Luke Shaw that wrong-footed substitute goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

But Gomes had the final word when the jet-heeled winger burst into the box to pick up a return pass from Juan Mata before slotting a shot across Gazzaniga into the bottom corner.

Pochettino apologises to Man United for tough tackling in loss

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino apologised to Manchester United for his team's robust tackling in a 2-1 pre-season defeat on Thursday, but said their Premier League rivals were not blameless in the feisty encounter in Shanghai.

United youth product Angel Gomes sealed victory in the 81st minute after Spurs' Lucas Moura cancelled out Anthony Martial's first-half opener but a number of tough tackles from both teams threatened to overshadow the pre-season contest. 

Moussa Sissoko risked being dismissed for a challenge and subsequent stamp on Daniel James that left the United winger writhing in pain while Dele Alli and United's Andreas Pereira were also guilty of poor tackles.

"I apologise to United on behalf of our players. I expect the same because there was some action in the second half that they made to us," Pochettino told reporters.

"I was a bit annoyed about some situations ... because you can arrive late and something can happen. Sometimes you need to be aggressive, play with passion but the focus is on building fitness and developing the way we want to play."

Pochettino was concerned that his players would pick up injuries in a heated clash where United defender Eric Bailly hurt his knee when he tried to block Son Heung-min.

"Of course I was worried ... Bailly got injured and I'm sorry for that ... when players start to build their fitness and fight for their place, when something happens in pre season it's always tough," the Argentine added.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the prognosis for Bailly, who has been plagued by injuries in his time at Old Trafford, did not look encouraging.

"It seems that he's twisted his knee so we have to do some scans and checks on him. At first sight, it doesn't look great but let's see how it goes," the Norwegian told the club's television channel MUTV.

However, Solskjaer said he had no problems with the tackles his players faced.

"It's a competitive sport and we're preparing for the league. There was no tippy-toe football ... we didn't just receive. We gave as well. I thought it was a good game."

Source: REUTERS
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