Goalscorer Bruno Fernandes says “the energy is different now” as Manchester United beat Spurs 2-0 to extend winning run [video] | OneFootball

Bruno is in great form (Getty Images)

Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United have won four Premier League matches in a row for the first time in two years, after comfortably seeing off Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes scored the clinching goal from a Diogo Dalot cross to ensure United overcame João Palhinha’s Spurs, who spent most of the match with ten men following captain Cristian Romero’s early sending off.

It has been just over a month since United sacked Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim after a fallout with the club hierarchy. The initial response of the team under caretaker manager Darren Fletcher was to slump to a 2-2 draw with Burnley and an FA Cup defeat at home against Brighton and Hove Albion. However, under interim boss Michael Carrick, the Red Devils have embarked on a tremendous run.

The task to overcome Spurs, who had Palhinha in midfield, was made easier when Romero was given a straight red card on 29 minutes for a clumsy challenge on Casemiro. United then broke the deadlock on 38 minutes with a perfectly-worked corner routine: Fernandes slid the ball to Kobbie Mainoo near the byline for the young midfielder to pick out Bryan Mbeumo, who slotted home.

United rarely gave Spurs much of a sight of goal, but there was clear relief when Fernandes made it 2-0 ten minutes from time. Dalot received the ball on the right flank and delivered a low cross to the back post, which was met by the United skipper’s precise finish into the far corner to maintain Fernandes’ record of scoring or assisting in all six matches since his return from injury.

Bruno praises Carrick

United remain in 4th place but closed the gap between themselves and Aston Villa to just three points this weekend after the Midlands side dropped points. Having defeated Manchester City, Arsenal and Marco Silva’s Fulham already, the three points against Spurs continues Carrick’s 100% record in his second interim stint in charge.

“We’ve had moments where it’s not great and it still [today] was like that,” Fernandes told TNT Sports after the match. “Obviously not at the end of the game and obviously the energy is different now because we’re winning games. When you win games, everything looks brighter. We’re very happy ourselves and also to give this to the fans.

“How have things changed so quickly under Carrick? This is football and football changes from one game to another. Michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players some responsibility but also the freedom to take decisions on the pitch which were needed. He’s very good with words.

“I think he still remembers what I told him last time he was manager. I was sure Michael could be a great manager and he’s showing it. We hope we can help him even more, so everyone can see that not just we are good players, that’s why we’re at Man United, but also the staff is very good.

“Helpful that Carrick understands the club? No I think everyone understands the pressure of playing for this club. If you don’t understand you start to understand very quickly, because this is a massive club and everyone knows the expectations around it. So I don’t think that’s changed. But obviously Michael has won everything here and he knows what it means for the club to win.”

United travel to London on Tuesday evening looking to extend their winning run against Nuno Espírito Santo’s relegation battlers West Ham, who this weekend cut the gap between themselves and safety in the Premier League to just three points after a 2-0 win at Burnley.