Maddison Marks His Return as Spurs Edge Past Woeful United

Well, that was a bit of a throwback, wasn’t it? A narrow, nervy win against a struggling Manchester United, but hey, three points are three points. And more importantly, James Maddison is back—because let’s be honest, without him, we’ve looked like a band without a lead singer.

Maddison, returning from a calf injury that kept him out for nearly a month, popped up in the right place at the right time in the 13th minute, slotting home after André Onana spilled Lucas Bergvall’s shot. Lovely stuff. The goal itself wasn’t exactly a work of art, but given our recent luck, we’ll take any stroke of fortune we can get.

United had their moments—Alejandro Garnacho, in particular, had two great chances to equalise, including a one-on-one with Guglielmo Vicario—but true to their recent form, they fluffed their lines. Meanwhile, Spurs finally got a much-needed win after two cup exits and a miserable run of league form, climbing to the dizzying heights of 12th, leapfrogging United in the process.

For United boss Ruben Amorim, it’s another miserable day at the office, as his side slumped to a third defeat in four league games, dropping to 15th. And before we get carried away, let’s not forget they’re still a safe 12 points clear of the relegation zone—which, considering the way they’re playing, is about the only comfort they’ve got right now.

Maddison Does His Talking on the Pitch

It wasn’t just Maddison’s goal that caught the eye—he was at the heart of everything positive we did, linking play, moving between the lines, and generally looking like the player we were so excited about before his injury. He lasted 63 minutes before Ange Postecoglou sensibly decided not to push his luck, subbing him off as a precaution. We’ve suffered enough injuries this season, thanks.

Another returning hero was Vicario, making his first appearance since breaking his ankle in November. And what a difference he makes—calm, composed, and, crucially, good at stopping shots. Something United might want to look into.

There was also a promising full Premier League debut for Mathys Tel, who looked sharp, had a few decent efforts, and already seems to have a bit of chemistry with Son Heung-min. Dejan Kulusevski also had a go, stinging Onana’s palms, but it wasn’t quite a performance to write home about.

That said, it wasn’t all plain sailing. We struggled to take control of midfield, allowing United more chances than we’d like. But given how the past couple of months have gone, no one’s complaining too much. A scrappy win is still a win.

United’s Injury Crisis (and Just General Crisis)

While we’re tentatively emerging from our injury nightmare, United’s is still in full swing. Their top scorer, Amad Diallo, has just been ruled out for a long spell. Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, and Toby Collyer all picked up knocks. Christian Eriksen and Leny Yoro were missing through illness.

In the end, Amorim had to throw 32-year-old Casemiro into the midfield against the likes of Maddison and Son. Spoiler alert: it did not go well. And just to underline how threadbare their squad is, the United bench—aside from Victor Lindelof—was made up entirely of teenagers, most of whom had never played a senior match.

Still, they had enough quality on the pitch to get something. Garnacho missed a sitter, Vicario denied him another, and Joshua Zirkzee headed wide late on. But in truth, they never really looked like turning things around.

That’s now 13 defeats in all competitions for United this season and nine since Amorim took over in November. The good news? They still have enough of a gap to avoid a proper relegation battle. The bad news? They don’t look capable of much more than that.

Where Do We Go From Here?

For Spurs, this was a much-needed confidence boost. The last couple of months have been rough, but with Maddison and Vicario back and Tel showing signs of promise, things might just be looking up.

As for United… well, the less said, the better. But let’s just enjoy the fact that, for once, we’re the ones climbing the table while they’re the ones looking utterly lost. Feels good, doesn’t it?