"It was so enjoyable to watch," Erik ten Hag admitted in the aftermath of Manchester United's meeting with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
How often has that been said in recent times with regards to United? Well, not often is probably the correct answer there.
But, on this occasion, Ten Hag had every right to be revelling in what he had witnessed. His side were exceptional - perhaps as good as any United outfit have performed in a number of years.
In recent weeks, there have been a several phases in matches earmarked as being new highs under Ten Hag. But the meeting with Antonio Conte’s side, which saw United win 2-0 in a supremely dominant fashion, felt cataclysmic in many regards.
For the entire match, United were unrelenting against a side third in the Premier League, joint on points with second-place Manchester City.
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Periods within games prior to facing Spurs had displayed football close to what Ten Hag desires, but that was never sustained for the full 90 minutes. Wednesday night was different: from the very early knockings until the final whistle, there was a sense United had their opposition at their mercy.
They showed purpose whenever in possession, with a front-footed approach allowing Spurs little leeway to break out from a defensive structure forced upon them by United. Whenever they had the ball, United were looking to shift it forwards - some distance from passive possessional phases that have often been commonplace under other recent regimes.
There were plenty of shooting opportunities for United as a result of their sustained possession high up the pitch, with more openings engineered in the early stages than in the entirety of the draw against Newcastle United last weekend.
Inside the opening 10 minutes, Hugo Lloris was troubled by Antony and forced into a save by Fred, with the former also hitting the outside of the post. Antony was a threat when able to cut inside onto his left foot, albeit sometimes limited when this was prevented. Meanwhile, Fred - starting again with Christain Eriksen only fit enough for the bench - showed a more assured side to his game which contributed to United's improved poise in possession.
United's ability to mix up their attacks was a particularly useful asset. They were working the flanks in order to attempt crosses into the penalty area, with Luke Shaw almost beating a busy Lloris with a cleanly-hit volley after a Diogo Dalot cross. Balls in behind were another strategy effective in engineering openings.
Marcus Rashford - operating through the middle with Jadon Sancho and Antony out wide - offered additional dimensions compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, who had to settle for a spot back on the United bench. His movement was often excellent again in order to run in behind and find spaces inside the final third, with execution the only thing lacking - though this can be largely mitigated by the fact that he faced up to a defiant Lloris. Once he finds a goal-scoring edge, he will be a force difficult to halt.
End product was the only thing that really wavered for United in the first half, with their 19 shots attempted in the first half more than they had managed in any other previous full match in the Premier League under Ten Hag. It was also a shot tally higher than managed by any other team in the opening period of a Premier League match this term, indicative of United's positive, proactive approach.
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United will have felt aggrieved going into the break without anything to show for their performance. They constantly probed throughout the first half, moving the ball quickly and playing a free-flowing style of football. The pressure applied on Spurs was withstood, with the visiting defence often forced into moments of disarray.
Only two minutes into the second half, it almost felt like retribution that United took the lead, even if it was in a fortunate vein. But it was only fortunate in that the ultimate effort from Fred was heavily deflected off Ben Davies.
United had emerged from the break with the same energy and intent that was a key feature across the first half, with the goalscoring move embodying the purposeful nature of United's showing. And that started from Bruno Fernandes, with whom the move commenced after he won possession back high up the pitch.
Fernandes' role in the goal felt key. United's high intensity was sustained through everything they did throughout affairs - both on and off the ball. Working as a collective, they effectively pressed high up the pitch, allowing Spurs little scope to keep the ball or forge attacks of their own by forcing frequent turnovers. There have often been instances of incoherent pressing, but Wednesday night marked a significant shift with a noticeable structure to the press.
There is no wonder Ten Hag labelled it a "magnificent performance", with numerous of his stylistic staples clearly on display; his side played proactive high-possession football while displaying commitment by applying themselves to the maximum for the entirety of the match.
He will be extremely pleased with the buy-in from his players, who are visibly co-operating to put into action principles conveyed by their manager. Each individual had a clear role that they executed, though they simultaneously managed to operate as a team.
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After achieving a breakthrough early in the second half, the next test was for United to display a more ruthless edge than they often have done after going ahead in matches. They certainly didn't allow themselves to enter any sort of passive mode as they have been known to do, instead displaying a shift in their mindset and pushing for another goal to try and consolidate their lead.
And avail was gained from this as Fernandes stepped up to the mark to give United a two-goal lead just over 20 minutes after Fred's opener. It was, once again, legacy of an aggressive attack, which was epitomised by a drive from Antony. There was another element of fortune as Fred saw an attempt blocked, but there was nothing lucky about the manner in which Fernandes beat Lloris with a curling effort from the edge of the 18-yard box.
It was a big goal for Fernandes, who has gained a wrath of stick for his lack of prominence in terms of goal contributions in recent times. While he hasn't had many goals or assists to show for it, Fernandes has still remained key to the functionality of this United outfit; he is always productive with regards to trying to make things happen, also important when it comes to doing 'dirty work' (as shown for United's first goal).
Large amounts of the criticism of Fernandes, who has taken on the burden of the captaincy in Harry Maguire's absence, is unjust. While he is wasteful and erratic at times, he is still a major creative source. By the climax of the victory over Spurs, he had created nine chances - the most by any player in a single Premier League match since September 2021.
He could have had a second goal too if it wasn't for a marginal offside call. Rashford played a through ball to Fernandes, who rounded Lloris and finished only to learn that he had narrowly mistimed his run.
United, credit to their attitude, continued to push even after going two goals up.
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Ignoring the matter Cristiano Ronaldo exiting the substitutes bench before the conclusion of the match without permission, there is a clear sense of improved camaraderie among the squad. At full-time, there were a number of warm embraces between players.
Fernandes saying, "The defence was massive - Licha, Rapha, Casa, and the two full-backs" personified that sense of togetherness in the squad, emphasising the appreciation that different departments within the squad have for their team-mates.
United's attacking game took the limelight against Spurs, but the defensive structure offered a platform that allowed the rest of the side to thrive. Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane marshalled the attacking threat of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane into anonymity, once again proving themselves as a stable, balanced pair.
Ahead of the defence, Casemiro offered a valuable level of protection at the base of midfield. After initially failing to get into the side ahead of Scott McTominay for a period, he has seamlessly adapted since gaining a regular starting place. For defensive security purposes, he has quickly become an invaluable presence in midfield, contributing to United winning the midfield battle.
The role of the full-backs was also integral, quelling the threat of Spurs' wing-backs - a key asset in all of Conte's sides. The aggressive, attacking intent of both Dalot and Shaw meant both Ivan Perisic and Matt Doherty were unable to attack as they would have liked.
While Tyrell Malacia was effective in a selection of matches after Shaw dropped to the bench following the opening two games of the campaign, Ten Hag has established a good balance between full-backs since reintroducing Shaw to the fray. Also applicable to Dalot, Shaw has shown the virtue of his all-round ability - he is offering a high intensity while displaying quality going forward and contributing with his defensive ability.
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Overcoming Spurs at Old Trafford marks United's third win over a traditional 'big six' side on home turf this season. It would be premature to describe it as a fortress once more, but there are concrete signs that United are finally en-route to becoming a side who pose a dreaded away trip once more.
Ten Hag certainly isn't one to get carried away, declaring post-match that he hopes his side have "set a new base" and that such a performance "has to be the standard".
In many ways, he is completely correct. At a club of Manchester United's stature, such domination over and dismantling of visiting opposition should be common practice.
Still, this was arguably United's most complete performance in years. Ten Hag showed tactical nous to devise a winning gameplan, with his players executing that gameplan impeccably.
There remains an ongoing process at United, and things won't always go so swimmingly - proven against Newcastle. But discussion is presently often about new levels being reached, which is a positive indictment as to continuous development under Ten Hag's management.
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