Erik ten Hag cut a frustrated figure after Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham and insisted their wasteful display showed why Rasmus Hojlund was signed.
The Red Devils went down in the capital on Saturday night after Pape Sarr slid home the opener in the 49th minute before Lisandro Martinez deflected the ball into his own net late on.
United could have easily been ahead by this point with Marcus Rashford denied by Guglielmo Vicario and Bruno Fernandes heading wide from six yards, while Antony curled against the post minutes after Sarr’s goal.
Tottenham did also create plenty of opportunities in the first half but stepped up their display after the break to earn new head coach Ange Postecoglou a maiden Premier League win.
It left United to reflect on what might have been and Ten Hag, who watched them claim a nervy 1-0 win over Wolves on Monday, pointed to injured £64million forward Hojlund as a reason for optimism.
“You have seen today, the performance first half (was) very good, but you have to understand you have to score a goal,” he insisted.
“Because of the meaning of the first goal, players have to take responsibility. Focus, passion and desire in this moment to keep the overview and score the first goal.
“It’s about belief and we believe these players because of last year as well. They can score goals.
“But it is obvious why we signed a striker. If everything goes well, (Anthony) Martial is on (his) way back, Hojlund is coming, so we have more players capable to score a goal, but also the players on the pitch, they can score goals.”
Hojlund, who joined from Atalanta in a deal that could rise to £72million, is currently absent with a back injury and missed the Spurs clash.
Ten Hag named two goalkeepers on the bench with Harry Maguire out with a minor injury and Brandon Williams and Donny van de Beek also not considered due to the futures of the trio being uncertain.
He added: “Yesterday in final training, H (Maguire) was out with a small issue. So after September 1 everything can change, but we need players who are totally with their heads in our team.
“I won’t say the players you mention, they are not, but it’s also obvious that in this moment they are looking for something else.
“But when they are here they always do their best, every training (session).”
While United, playing under the cloud of continued talk about Mason Greenwood’s future, will go back to the drawing board ahead of Nottingham Forest’s visit next weekend, Spurs fans are back on cloud nine.
It has been a difficult 2023 with a disastrous March extending the club’s trophy drought and record goalscorer Harry Kane leaving to join Bayern Munich earlier this month.
A protest with hundreds of Spurs fans occurred before kick-off, arranged by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, over the club’s decision to increase matchday ticket prices for this season, but there was a lively atmosphere inside the stadium.
Postecoglou credited the home crowd for helping his young, new-look team navigate their way through some nervy opening stages, but they delivered a superb display after with Sarr firing home from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross before Ben Davies’ scuffed effort was diverted past Andre Onana by Martinez.
“The atmosphere was incredible. Our supporters were outstanding. The energy they created in the stadium right from the first whistle was brilliant and it helped us. In the first half we just looked a bit nervous,” Postecoglou said before he reflected on taking everything in post-match.
“But we got them in at half-time and settled them down a little bit. Then I thought the boys were brilliant.
“You want to win and that gives everyone the joy they need but I felt the manner in which we played, it’s a great starting point so when the final whistle goes from my perspective that’s a fantastic fertile ground for me to get going.
“You want to feel that moment because I have always said, to me I love what football does to people, particularly in those moments.
“So, you kind of take a moment to think about the 60,000 here or the ones who were watching at home because they will be smiling for the rest of the week.
“I love that it does that, the game. For me that moment is just about appreciating I am pretty blessed to be doing what I am doing, being in the middle of a stadium leading a fantastic football club and then you start to think about next week, mate.”
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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