Welbeck goal puts United on easy street against Spurs

Local boy Danny Welbeck led a second-half scoring spree as Manchester United answered the title challenge of neighbours City by belting three goals past Tottenham at Old Trafford.

It had been a frustrating night for Sir Alex Ferguson’s young troops until 20-year-old Welbeck, raised just a couple of miles away in Longsight, rose to guide home Tom Cleverley’s cross.

Welbeck’s impudent back-heel set up Anderson for the second and Tottenham had given the game up for dead by the time Wayne Rooney netted from close range.

“The second-half performance was absolutely fantastic,” said Ferguson. “It was a fast game in the first half, it was end-to-end. Tottenham had a lot of possession, but in the second half we just took off.”

The United manager was again pleased with his young players, most notably Welbeck. “The first half he didn’t play as a centre-forward. He was too much in midfield,” added the Scot. “We needed more presence up front, a target up front and in the second half he was better that way. He’s always had great ability Danny.”

With Ferguson sticking to his pledge of naming Phil Jones and Jonny Evans as the replacements for injured duo Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, United’s major surprise came on the bench, where Javier Hernandez was included two weeks earlier than expected after a bout of concussion.

Missing Luka Modric – who wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play – Tottenham began with a hesitancy which United came close to exposing through Cleverley. However, as the half wore on, United’s attacks reduced in potency, their approach play lacked direction and Spurs grew in confidence.

Rafael van der Vaart and Niko Kranjcar started to get hold of the ball in areas of some concern so, after a difficult start to his time in England, David de Gea picked the perfect time to show off the ability that persuaded Ferguson to pay £18 million to sign him from Atletico Madrid.

De Gea made decent stops from Van der Vaart look routine rather than spectacular and with Tottenham opting against peppering him with high balls, as was the case at West Brom last week, De Gea was able to perform with an assurity so obvious in his opposite number Brad Friedel.

Either side of half-time, 40-year-old Friedel denied former Aston Villa team-mate Ashley Young with smart stops as United struggled to impose themselves.

Part of the problem was that the most experienced member of their back four, Patrice Evra, has never found Aaron Lennon an easy opponent to subdue.

Unfortunately for Spurs, what Lennon possesses in pace, he lacks in awareness. After skipping clear of a stumbling Evra, Lennon could have rolled a pass to an unmarked Van der Vaart, who was screaming on his inside. Instead, he attempted to drill a cross through a crowded penalty area to Gareth Bale and succeeded only in blasting straight at Evans.

After the frustration came that familiar sinking feeling for Spurs. Appearing to run down a blind alley, Cleverley rescued the situation by whipping over a superb cross for Welbeck, who rose majestically between Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul to glance a fine header into the corner.

Tottenham, who face Hearts in the Europa League in their next match on Thursday, had Friedel to thank for not being blown away. Twice the veteran denied Welbeck, the second occasion following a Nani shot he had also saved, and then Evans, who had launched a fizzing volley from his far post station.

United were worthy of their second though, which came thanks to a brilliant piece of skill from Welbeck, who returned Anderson’s pass with an impudent back heel that the Brazilian finished into the bottom corner.

It wasn’t quite plain sailing as De Gea’s struggles under the high ball returned to present Jermain Defoe with a chance that he smacked against the post. But with Friedel saving from Nani and Rooney scooping over from three yards, United remained on top. Rooney’s late header merely emphasised their superiority.

Manchester United: De Gea, Smalling, Jones, Evans, Evra, Nani, Cleverley (Giggs 81), Anderson, Young (Park 81), Rooney, Welbeck (Hernandez 81). Subs not used: Lindegaard, Berbatov, Carrick, Fabio Da Silva.

Tottenham Hotspur: Friedel, Walker (Corluka 46), Dawson, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Livermore (Huddlestone 74), Kranjcar (Pavlyuchenko 74), Bale, Van der Vaart, Defoe. Subs not used: Gomes, Jenas, Bassong, Townsend.