Manchester United vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick
Follow live coverage as Antonio Conte’s Spurs travel to Old Trafford in a pivotal match in the race to finish in the top four of the Premier League
Tottenham travel to Manchester United in the evening kick-off in the Premier League with the outcome likely to be pivotal in the race for a top four finish.
Spurs went down 3-0 at home to the Red Devils last October with both sides under different managers. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nuno Espirito Santo have since been replaced by Ralf Rangnick and Antonio Conte, while Arsenal are the pace-setters in fourth after an impressive run of form from Mikel Arteta’s side, most recently in their slick attacking display at Watford.
Discussion has centred around Conte’s future, which will be decided at the end of the season as the Italian has demaned the club match his ambition with facts and not words: “For sure at the moment there is only one truth - I am committed to this club for another year. For sure it is true that I would like this - to fight for the future, to fight to be competitive, to fight to win and not only to finish fourth in the league, because I repeat, that is not my ambition.
“My ambition is to be competitive and to fight to win. I want this and I know my heart, my soul, my mind wants these things. I hope myself and the club match each other in this situation. For sure, you need in the future to have other important steps and to have ambition. And it needs to be ambition with facts, not only with words.” Follow live goal and score updates, build-up, analysis, reaction and more from Old Trafford below:
Sensational Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick lifts Manchester United past Tottenham to boost top four hopes
For a player whose integration into this Manchester United team has caused plenty of problems, Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals may ultimately solve their biggest one of all. The 805th, 806th and 807th goals of his 20-year-long career not only mean he is now the top goalscorer in the history of competitive men’s football, but also that United’s hopes of securing a top-four finish and Champions League football next season remain alive.
Anything less than victory against Tottenham Hotspur would have made those hopes look increasingly desperate and start a potentially season-defining week in a bad way. Unless Ralf Rangnick’s side took all three points, the decision to overlook Antonio Conte as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s immediate successor would be questioned. A Harry Maguire own goal, adding to Harry Kane’s first-half penalty, appeared to put United on that path.
Yet even at 37-years-old, with a creaking body, a dodgy hip and on the back of a run of poor form, Ronaldo gives you a chance. His record-equalling first had been a thunderbolt out of nothing. The record-breaking second capped a fine team move. The match-winning third was powered in off a corner, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rising highest to meet Alex Telles’ corner and head in.
Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick drags Man United past Spurs to boost top four hopes
Manchester United 3-2 Tottenham: The Portuguese hit a treble to boost the Red Devils’ hopes of securing a top four finish in the Premier League
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
More from Pogba who heaped the praise on Cristiano Ronaldo in a post-match interview with Sky Sports. He said:
Ronaldo was brilliant. I think that’s all we needed – a reaction. We scored beautiful goals. Even when we conceded a goal, we came back and scored again. The mentality was there again today.
“Everybody knows Cristiano – there’s no need to talk about him. That’s what he does. He didn’t play in the last game, but he comes back and scores three goals. Everybody’s happy.
“It was good today. You can hear the fans – they were pushing us and feeling it. I think today was a very good performance as a team and a very good reaction from the City game.
“We kept believing. In the second half we didn’t get the nice passing, and the movement I think wasn’t there. We gave them a bit of confidence, that’s why they scored. But we got a corner and scored the winning goal.
“It’s a boost. We needed it to go again. We want the top four and they were opponents who are looking for the top four also. It was a good win and a good performance.”
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
Post-match reaction from Manchester United’s Paul Pogba who told BBC Sport:
It was a beautiful game and a beautiful reaction from us. We hurt them at the right times and Ronaldo did what he does best.
“He has never been a problem. You have the best striker in history in our team, he cannot be a problem. Today the performance from him and all the team was very brilliant.
“We reacted very well. We kept pushing. The team worked. We found the right play and hurt them like that.”
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
Tottenham have lost five of their last eight Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 20 in the competition.
Manchester United, meanwhile, become the first team to win 400 Premier League games at home.
Cristiano Ronaldo: How many hat-tricks has Manchester United forward scored in his career?
Cristiano Ronaldo hit his first hat-trick since returning to Manchester United, inspiring a 3-2 win over Tottenham at Old Trafford.
The win boosts Ralf Rangnick’s side’s hopes of securing a top four finish and Champions League football next season.
United are now fourth and two points ahead of Arsenal, though the Gunners have four games in hand.
Ronaldo’s opener from long-range secured a Fifa record as the all-time top scorer in men’s football across both club and international matches, with his 805th strike.
How many hat-tricks has Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his career?
The Portuguese hit a treble at Old Trafford to down Tottenham and boost the Red Devils’ top four hopes
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
Not a bad day for this man.
Full-time: Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
90+4 mins: Doherty swings a cross into the box from the right but Varane jumps highest and heads it away. The full-time whistle goes and Manchester United have the win!
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtably the hero today. He needed to score a hat-trick to see off Tottenham and give his team a valuable three points.
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
90+2 mins: There’s a scramble for the ball in midfield and Pogba wins a free kick for Man Utd. They take their time getting it set up and Harry Maguire boots it long down the left side towards Anthony Elanga. He chests it down to Edinson Cavani but he loses possession and Spurs sweep forward again.
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
90 mins: Four minutes of added time to play at the end of this game. It’s going to feel like an eternity for Manchester United.
Man Utd 3 - 2 Tottenham
87 mins: Son chips a free kick into the box for Tottenham but it drops over everyone and bounces out of play without troubling David De Gea.
Harry Winks and Steven Bergwijn are on for Spurs. Bentancur and Davies are off. Last chance saloon for Tottenham now. Can they equalise for a third time?
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