Manchester United
Lucas Moura’s new role, Mourinho’s future – 3 key talking points from Tottenham’s big win vs Man United
Three talking points from Manchester United’s meek surrender at the hands of Spurs
Well, this was supposed to be the night for Manchester United to turn a corner after their humbling defeat last week. But as it turned out, Jose Mourinho’s men endured another morale-sapping loss at home to a very good Tottenham Hotspur team.
The Red Devils were better of the two in the first half, and striker Romelu Lukaku should have scored that open goal. However, Spurs came back into the game late in the opening period before taking full control in the second half.
A brace from Lucas Moura after Harry Kane’s fantastic header puts Mauricio Pochettino’s men in dreamland. For Mourinho, the attritionality continues, his team looks disjointed, and one may wonder – what next?
Hera are the three talking points from a game which will resonate around the world:
1) Jose got it wrong with Herrera
First of all, playing at home against a near rival and fielding three defensive minded midfielders didn’t really make sense but as they say, it is the “Mourinho way.” Ander Herrera was apparently deployed on the right-hand side of the back-three which looked all over the place throughout the game.
Ander Herrera
It is not the Spaniard’s fault to be at a point of no communication with either of Phil Jones or Chris Smalling, rather it should be up to the manager to drill them into that system before deploying. As the game went on, it felt like Herrera was just told to be an extra body in the defence without any rehearsal during the week. So, we can say it was a gamble that didn’t pay off.
That difference between Herrera and other players while creating an offside trap sums up what has been said above. It was just amateur stuff in all honesty.
2) Pochettino surprised everyone with Moura’s position
Almost everyone expected Lucas Moura to play on either wing and look to break from the channel runs. However, there was one man who thought about this differently – and that was Mauricio Pochettino.
Lucas Moura
The Argentine was clever here, as he knew Harry Kane doesn’t have the pace to make runs in behind on the break. So he put Moura alongside the England captain, just so that the latter takes different positions to win the physical battles, and the former makes probing runs to cause trouble.
It paid off to an absolute perfection with the former PSG man scoring a brace at Old Trafford by combining well with Kane.
3) What next for Mourinho?
Oh the third season bite is back at it for Mourinho and the plot thickens on the negative once again. Can we actually see him last the season? Will United sack him after giving a mega new contract in January? Questions are aplenty and there seem to be no answer for any of them.
Read More: Food for thought: Three Premier League managers who are likely to get the sack this season
Whatever it is, the atmosphere at Old Trafford is toxic and something drastic needs to be done as soon as possible.
Manchester United Women travel to Germany on Wednesday evening looking to maintain their perfect Champions League record against a Wolfsburg side that sits three points behind them in the League Phase standings.
Predicted Lineups
Wolfsburg Women (4-2-3-1): Johannes; Linder, Dijkstra, Kuver, Levels; Kielland, Minge; Huth, Popp, Zicai; Beerensteyn
Manchester United Women (4-3-3): Middleton-Patel; Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme, Toone; Park, Rolfo, Malard
Wolfsburg’s Fortress Mentality
Wolfsburg exploded out of the blocks in this season’s Champions League with a commanding 4-0 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain, before edging Valerenga 2-1 on matchday two. Their perfect start ended in last week’s 3-1 defeat to record European champions Lyon, though Stephan Lerch’s side bounced back with Saturday’s 3-1 DFB-Pokal victory over Freiburg.
The German side will draw belief from their impressive record against English opposition at home as they’ve avoided defeat in all seven previous Champions League matches against WSL sides at the AOK Stadion. Captain Alex Popp remains the heartbeat of Wolfsburg’s attack despite turning 34 earlier this year.
United’s European Excellence Masks Domestic Struggles
Manchester United have established themselves as one of three teams boasting perfect records at the League Phase halfway stage, alongside Barcelona and Lyon. Marc Skinner’s side started with narrow 1-0 victories over Valerenga and Atletico Madrid before claiming a crucial 2-1 triumph against PSG at Old Trafford last week.
Their European exploits have seemingly come at a domestic cost. United have lost their last two WSL matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City, with Saturday’s 3-0 derby defeat particularly painful. The loss leaves them third in the table.
Injury Concerns
Manchester United remain without Millie Turner and Celin Bizet through long-term injuries. Safia Middleton-Patel will continue in goal after Phallon Tullis-Joyce fractured her eye socket in the Aston Villa defeat earlier this month.
United currently occupy a top-four position that guarantees automatic quarter-final qualification. For Wolfsburg, victory would move them level on six points with United and strengthen their bid for a top-eight finish.
Kick-off: 8:00 PM Wednesday, November 20th, 2025
Venue: AOK Stadion, Wolfsburg
TV: DAZN (UK, Germany) | Paramount+ (USA)
Manchester United
Broken Eye Socket Sidelines Manchester United Women’s Star: Expected Healing Time and Return Date
Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket that could sideline her for several weeks, dealing a significant blow to the Red Devils’ momentum in both domestic and European competition.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce Fractures Eye Socket
The 29-year-old sustained the injury during United’s Women’s Super League clash against Aston Villa on November 11 in an accidental impact that required immediate attention after the match.
While she escaped without a concussion, further medical assessments confirmed the fracture, forcing her to miss Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain and Saturday’s 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.
Marc Skinner confirmed after the PSG match that Tullis-Joyce had experienced “a little bit of irritation” around the affected area. She was spotted on the pitch before kick-off wearing sunglasses and talking with teammates, highlighting the sensitivity to light that typically accompanies this type of injury.
Expected Recovery Timeline
Recovery timelines for a fractured eye socket typically extend several weeks, with rest and protection crucial to ensuring safe healing before a return to competition.
Despite the concerning diagnosis, Skinner struck a cautiously optimistic tone ahead of the Manchester derby. “She should be fine, it’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t get another knock in that area,” the 42-year-old coach said on Saturday.
Impact on United’s Title Push
The timing couldn’t be worse for Manchester United. Tullis-Joyce has been in arguably the best form of her career this season, establishing herself as one of the WSL’s most reliable goalkeepers since inheriting the number one spot following Mary Earps’ departure in summer 2024.
Her absence forces United to rely on backup goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel, who impressed in her second senior appearance against PSG but remains relatively inexperienced at this level. The 3-0 derby defeat to City, where Middleton-Patel deputised again, exposed the defensive vulnerability created by Tullis-Joyce’s absence.
United currently sit third in the WSL table with 17 points from nine matches, but their fixture list intensifies significantly over the coming weeks. Beyond Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Wolfsburg, they face a crucial run of domestic fixtures that could define their season.
Internationally, the injury also disrupts Tullis-Joyce’s upward trajectory with the USWNT. After making her senior debut in April 2025 against Brazil, she’s been a regular in Emma Hayes’ squads and had positioned herself as a genuine contender for future major tournaments. With the United States set to face Italy in a doubleheader on November 28 and December 1, her availability remains uncertain.
Manchester City
Manchester United Women Suffer Unwanted Record for the First Time in 18 Months after Lackluster Display Against Manchester City
Manchester United Women endured their most toothless attacking display in 18 months during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, failing to register a single shot on target for the first time since facing Chelsea on May 18, 2024.
Despite controlling 60% of possession at the Etihad Stadium, United failed to test City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita once across the entire 90 minutes, managing just 11 shots with none finding the target.
Defeat in the derby. pic.twitter.com/6KImmqLhTj
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 15, 2025
It’s a damning indictment of Marc Skinner’s side, especially considering they came into this fixture as the only team with a perfect away record in the WSL this season. That unblemished run is now history, blown apart by Andree Jeglertz’s side who delivered three first-half goals through Rebecca Knaak, Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp.
Creativity Vanished When It Mattered Most
The absence of injured goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce certainly didn’t help defensively, but United’s attacking woes can’t be blamed on personnel. Jess Park started against her former club, Ella Toone was in the lineup, and Melvine Malard came off the bench. Yet none of them could fashion a single effort that genuinely troubled Yamashita.
United dominated possession but lacked any penetration in the final third. When they did manage to get shots away, it was either blocked, wayward, or hit straight at City defenders.
The worrying part is this wasn’t just a one-off. United collapsed 3-2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League midweek despite initially leading 2-0, and now they’ve followed that up with arguably their worst attacking performance of the season.
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