Manchester United earned a key win against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, but they did so in a rather unorthodox way. The visitors ended up pretty comprehensively outplayed by an injury-hit Spurs side, but whenever they looked like they were about to concede, they went up and scored instead.
With the hosts dominating the first half, it seemed like only a matter of time before they'd get the ball into the back of the net, and Emmanuel Adebayor seemingly obliged by retrieving a Louis Saha shot and flicking home. However, Martin Atkinson rather objected to the striker using his arm to control the ball in the buildup, and it was United who scored instead, with Wayne Rooney nodding home an Ashley Young corner in what was virtually their first attack of the game, right at the stroke of halftime.
United extended their lead at the hour mark, absorbing fifteen minutes of furious Spurs pressure before Ashley Young crashed home a wonderful scissor volley from a tight angle. Nine minutes later, the England winger was at it again, this time bending a beautiful curler past Brad Friedel and straight into the top corner.
Despite all of their industry, Spurs knew the jig was up and a late goal from Jermaine Defoe failed to disguise the fact that the match was well and truly lost. It's been a rough couple of weeks for Tottenham, having lost two straight, but they'll look to regroup and consolidate their hold on third place now. United, meanwhile, are right back in the title hunt.