Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag avenged his heart-breaking defeat to Tottenham Hotspur three years ago by beating the north Londoners 2-0 last night.
Second half goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes ensured that Antonio Conte’s wait to avoid defeat as a manager at Old Trafford would go on.
The Red Devils produced a dominant performance against the Lilywhites, and it was undoubtedly our best display during the tenure of the former Ajax manager.
In his first managerial meeting against the Italian, the Dutchman’s team completely outclassed and outfought Spurs.
But Ten Hag would have been forgiven for feeling uneasy at the sight of Conte bringing Brazilian Lucas Moura of the Spurs bench in the 82nd minute
Erik ten Hag gets Tottenham Hotspur revenge three years after Champions League heartbreak
After beating Raphael Varane and Casemiro’s Real Madrid in the last-16 before seeing off Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus in the quarter-finals, Ten Hag’s Ajax side came up against Christian Eriksen’s Spurs in the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals.
After winning the first leg 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to a strike from Donny van de Beek, the Dutch giants were seconds away from facing Liverpool in the Champions League final during the second leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
But a 96th-minute winner from Moura, who netted a hat-trick, sent Mauricio Pochettino’s side through to the final to leave Ten Hag and his young side crestfallen.
Spurs won 3-2 in Amsterdam and advanced to the final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on away goals.
The 52-year-old will no doubt be hoping to lead Manchester United to several Champions League finals during his reign.
But while he won’t admit it, last night’s win against Spurs would no doubt have given Ten Hag that sense of revenge and may have gone some way to easing the pain and anguish he felt three years ago.
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