Man United edge Spurs in perfect pre-season

Manchester United maintained their perfect pre-season record as a superb Angel Gomes goal gave them a 2-1 win against Tottenham in the International Champions Cup.

In a feisty first half, Anthony Martial put United ahead in the 21st minute with a hard drive that beat Paolo Gazzaniga at the near post.

Moussa Sissoko then appeared to stamp on Daniel James during a challenge, but did not receive a booking.

Both sides made wholesale changes at the break – with United changing their entire XI – and Tottenham got a deserved equaliser in the 65th minute as Lucas Moura’s shot was deflected into the back of the net.

But Gomes snatched the victory with ten minutes to go, sneaking a shot in off the far post after some wonderful play to seal a fourth successive pre-season win for United.

Both sides went close in the opening ten minutes. Martial hammered the post after some superb work from James in midfield to set him up, before Dele Alli forced David de Gea into a low, fingertip save not long after.

United then started to dominate and got their reward in the 21st minute in a goal that Tottenham goalkeeper Paolo Gazzaniga will not want to see back.

Andreas Pereira threaded a wonderful ball through for Martial, who tracked wide before hitting a low, hard shot. Gazzaniga looked poised to save at the near post, but it zipped past him and into the back of the net.

Four minutes later, and the already hot temperatures in Shanghai rose even further on the field. The impressive James had been the recipient of a few Tottenham tackles, with Moussa Sissoko going into the back of him on this occasion.

He then got his foot tangled with the body of James and appeared to twice stamp on the 21-year-old. It sparked a confrontation between the two sets of players, but there was no booking for the midfielder.

United changed their entire XI at the break, but were dealt a blow after ten minutes when Eric Bailly was stretchered off with an injury. He slipped while trying to track the run of Heung-Min Son through the area, and was replaced by Axel Tuanzebe.

Spurs had begun the half well and got a deserved equaliser in the 65th minute, although it did have a helping hand on the way through. Son played a Tuanzebe clearance into the path of Moura, who swept the ball goalwards. But it took a big deflection to beat Sergio Romero as United conceded their first pre-season goal.

There were a few half chances for both sides as the game went on, and it took a moment of brilliance from 18-year-old Gomes to seal United’s victory.

He played a lovely give-and-go with Juan Mata before bursting towards the by-line. He then snuck the ball across the face of goal and past Gazzaniga before it nestled into the back of the net via the post.

-Report by skysports