Spurs claim New Year's Day win at Old Trafford
Danny Welbeck
By Chris
January 2 2014
2014 started with disappointment for Manchester United as they crashed to 2-1 defeat at home to Spurs on New Year's Day.
Despite Danny Welbeck’s goal, United saw a six-match winning run grind to a halt as the Red Devils failed to fightback from goals scored for the visitors by Emmanuel Adebayor and Christian Eriksen.
The deadlock was broken on 34 minutes as – despite a energetic start from United - Adebayor put the visitors ahead as he nodded home Eriksen's cross.
Spurs doubled their advantage on 66 minutes as Eriksen’s header capped a counter-attack, but United responded almost immediately as Welbeck latched onto Adnan Januzaj and sent a fine, chipped finish over Hugo Lloris.
The strike was Welbeck’s fifth league goal in five matches – and edges him one step closer to the ambitious 20-goal target set for him by David Moyes.
However, there was to be no dramatic comeback against United. The Red Devils enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure late on, and Javier Hernandez went close with a flicked shot, but Tim Sherwood’s men held on to leap-frog United in the table.
United also had a penalty appeal turned down in the closing stages when Lloris challenged Young and made no contact with the ball; a decision which David Moyes, who watched his side lose their sixth league game of the campaign, described as “scandalous”.
Following the defeat, United sit seventh in the Premier League table, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal. Attentions now turn to Cup action, with an FA Cup third round tie against Swansea on Saturday next up, before the first-leg of the League Cup semi-final at Sunderland on Tuesday.
Full Time – Manchester United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Attendance – 75,265