Lamela in spotlight as Spurs keep Foxes in their sights

LONDON — Manchester United were completely overrun by Tottenham Hotspur during a scintillating seven-minute period of the second half and went down in a humiliating 3-0 defeat. We look at how Tottenham destroyed United, who was Man of the Match, and whether Spurs can still win the title.

DID DELAY SAVE UNITED FROM EVEN WORSE BEATING?

That the roads around White Hart Lane can sometimes be a little heavy with traffic would not have surprised any of the 36,000 fans who did manage to arrive on time for the kick-off, but it still did seem to catch Manchester United out.

The game had to be delayed 30 minutes, but the change seemed to initially impact more on the Spurs players who were left hanging around, rather than those of Manchester United, who had started after only a shortened warm-up. Spurs lacked their usual initial intensity and United, who may well face a Premier League fine for their lateness, were at their sharpest in the early exchanges.

WAS THERE ANYTHING POSITIVE FOR VAN GAAL?

Yes. Timothy Fosu-Mensah. Okay, he was ultimately playing for the team that lost so heavily, but it was surely no coincidence that the match was still goalless until his departure on 68 minutes and then, only eight minutes later, Manchester United were 3-0 behind.

All three of Spurs’ goals also came from the left flank that he had earlier patrolled to such impressive effect. Fosu-Mensah is only 18 but his physical strength is already obvious and it was a measure of his influence that United should capitulate almost immediately after his departure.

CAN SPURS STILL WIN THE TITLE?

Anything but victory here and it would have been impossible to see how Spurs could recover, but a gap of seven points still just keeps the title race alive, especially as they would be assured of a superior goal difference should they catch Leicester.

A trip to Chelsea is the most obvious remaining danger, but Spurs are certainly good enough to win their remaining five matches. That would then still make them champions if Leicester only take eight points or fewer from their remaining five fixtures. Unlikely, but certainly not beyond the realms of possibility in this most unpredictable season.

WHO WAS MAN OF THE MATCH?

Erik Lamela. Yes, he delivered a convincing contender for miss of the season, but his wider performance was excellent.

His aggression and edge were critical in the second half, as was his selfless running, and he delivered a wonderfully weighted free kick for the second before scoring the third.

WHAT TOTTENHAM, UNITED MUST WORK ON THIS WEEK

For Tottenham, they need to recover their intensity from the start of matches. Spurs lacked their usual rhythm throughout the first half and might easily have found themselves chasing the game had United’s finishing been better. It really did seem as if they were affected by the delayed kick-off.

They then looked almost like a different team during the second half and simply played at a pace that Manchester United could not match.

With a virtually clear fixture calendar, Spurs should be able to maintain their second-half energy now for the rest of the season.

For United, it is a quick turnaround before their FA Cup replay against West Ham on Wednesday.

It is a competition that quite possibly now represents Louis van Gaal’s last chance of ending this season — and perhaps even his tenure as United manager — with something tangible.

Confidence will be the biggest issue after such an emphatic defeat. Van Gaal must emphasise the seeds of hope from a first-half performance that did at least show some creative spark and defensive resilience.