By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer
Bruno Fernandes saw red as Tottenham cruised past misfiring Manchester United 3-0 and increased the heat on manager Erik ten Hag.
Sunday’s Old Trafford encounter was a chance for these top-four hopefuls to kickstart campaigns that had begun in similarly topsy-turvy fashion.
But a month that started for United with a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool ended in another Old Trafford loss by the same scoreline as Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke struck for Spurs.
Skipper Fernandes’ sending off for a challenge on James Maddison at the end of a one-sided first half compounded matters, ruling him out of next weekend’s trip to Aston Villa and two further matches.
Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount also went off injured on a nightmare afternoon for Ten Hag, who is under the spotlight as United head to Porto and Villa Park before the international break.
As for Ange Postecoglou, they impressed without injured star Son Heung-min and won consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since March.
Spurs were as impressive as United were disjointed from the outset at Old Trafford, where the visitors went ahead after 155 seconds.
Micky van de Ven capitalised on miscommunication between Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford and drove forwards from his own half having intercepted the ball.
The rapid Spurs centre-back was inexplicably allowed to roar through, eventually sending a low cross to the far post for Johnson to tap home in front of a shellshocked Stretford End.
It was one-way traffic from there. Andre Onana stopped Maddison clipping home and Destiny Udogie lifted over, before Johnson sent a low strike post off the far post after the visitors all too easily beat the press.
Joshua Zirkzee’s tame attempt after smart work in the box by Mainoo was the best United could muster in response to the Spurs onslaught.
Noussair Mazraoui stopped Timo Werner converting a low Johnson cross, with Maddison and Udogie having attempts before Cristian Romero slammed an acrobatic strike just wide.
It felt a matter of when rather than if another goal would come and few expected it to arrive at the other end, which it nearly did when Garnacho met a Rashford cross with a volley off the near post.
Spurs were through at the other end courtesy of some dreadful defending as Onana stopped Werner one-on-one before the incline on United’s uphill battle increased.
Fernandes slipped as he challenged Maddison and his desperate attempted tackle only succeeded in catching the Spurs man.
Chris Kavanagh dished a straight red card out to the perplexed Portuguese, with VAR Peter Bankes confirming the referee’s call of serious foul play.
As if the afternoon was not bad enough from a United perspective, Mainoo headed straight down the tunnel through what appeared to be a hamstring injury shortly after.
Boos greeted half-time, which United returned from with Casemiro on for Zirkzee – a move that failed to stem the tide.
Spurs attacked down the right inside two minutes of the second period getting under way and Kulusevski reacted to direct Johnson’s cross deflected cross past Onana.
“You’re getting sacked in the morning” bellowed the travelling support at Ten Hag before Pedro Porro, Werner and Solanke had attempts.
United were being outplayed but their defiant fans rallied behind them, with ignored handball appeals against Romero only fuelling them.
Casemiro sent a low drive across the face of goal and a Garnacho snapshot was blocked as the heavens opened, but Spurs soon saw off that threat.
Lucas Bergvall’s corner was nodded on by fellow introduction Pape Matar Sarr for stretching Solanke to prod home in the 77th minute.
Onana denied Solanke and Sarr headed wide as the clock hit 90, with substitute Mikey Moore bending narrowly wide.
The final whistle was met by jeers from some of those that remained until the bitter end.
