Manchester United 4 in a row was the headline at Old Trafford as the Michael Carrick led side kept up their unrealistic rise with a calm win in over Tottenham, a game that also saw quality football, tactical excellence and a decisive red card that left the whole balance gone in favour of United.

Since the very first words spoken, Manchester United appeared more relaxed, more organized and more assured than a Spurs team who already had an inferiority complex due to a bad streak of performances. On the one hand, the control of the middle line was created by United, where the tempo was set by Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo and Tottenham had to make rushed decisions. There was a sense of faith and not apprehension inside Old Trafford and this was a significant change to months of uncertainty at the beginning of the season.

At this point the breakthrough came in the 38 th minute and this was a goal which underscored the rising influence of Carrick. The creativity of a corner cut helped the ball cut back in an unsafe position and find Fernandes and Mainoo passing each other eventually giving the ball back to the young striker. Bryan Mbeumo put a brilliant finish applying the ball to pass into the helpless goalkeeper and then setting Old Trafford into euphoria. It was not merely an objective, but the signs of readiness and confidence, which are symptoms of a team that is starting to believe in itself once again.

Nevertheless, the turning point of the match came prior to the half-time and turned the situation decisively in favour of the United. Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, who is already facing a reputation-draining accusation in the eyes of the public with his remarks on the hierarchy in his club, threw himself into a challenge on Casemiro recklessly. The Brazilian was caught by the tackle above the ankle and referee Michael Oliver had the only option of issuing a straight red card. The cry of protest by Spurs was short and half-forced and the fact soon settled down upon them: their leader had thrown them out on their own once again.

In their line, with numerical superiority, the mature and not the reckless playing was characteristic of the case with United after the break. Nevertheless, it was not a match that was grounded on mere time keeping. As Carrick encouraged his team they did not give up and persisted with attacking, retaining the ball and still with exploitation of the defensive confusion by Tottenham. The trembling, yet strong Casemiro held the middle ground with apparent shyness, and the coolness of Mainoo, who control through the narrowest openings, matched his youth.

To their credit, Tottenham tried to remain compact and hope to get some moments on the counter, yet their work was getting harder and harder. At last, the decisive second goal came late in the play when Diogo Dalot provided an inswinging cross on the right side of the field which was dangerous. Fernandes executed the play to perfection and chipped the ball into the far post to seal the game as well as the fourth victory of the league championship by Manchester United.

To Carrick, three points are not a big deal relating to Manchester United 4 on the trot. It was a fourth consecutive win of the league in a commanding style with balance and cohesiveness, which had been missing to a large extent during the season. Standing chants were indicative of an increasing confidence behind the interim manager, whose more relaxed approach to leadership and ability to well comprehend the culture of the club is permeating among fans.

In the meantime, the ills of Tottenham keep on increasing. The second red card of the season that Romero received begs a very important question of his temper and ability to be captain at a time where the team is already strained by the number of injuries. These are seven games without victory in the Premier League, where the Spurs have earned only four points, and now the risk of dropping into the relegation debate is quite high, which would have been inconceivable a few months ago.

To former players and pundits, Romero did not take long to be castigated in terms of his behaviour being representative of the greater fail of Tottenham lack of discipline and composure. The loss of a captain in four matches including a more important north London derby will only worsen their situation. This, together with the possibility of lacking critical defenders, implies that the future of Tottenham is not very promising unless some radical changes are implemented.

Lastly, the wider story is that of Manchester United. Four consecutive wins have seen them securely inside the top-four discussion and confidence is back with both the players and the fans. Football is a good thing, is good, but it is deliberate, coherent and more effective. This course of action can soon turn into something more meaningful, should this trend persist and eventually Manchester United 4 in a row may become more than that as the season enters its defining parts.

Old Trafford is smiling once more, and United led by Carrick is providing its fans with the real cause to believe that lighter times might, perhaps, be coming back.

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