Tottenham vs Manchester United: Marcus Rashford goal the difference as Solskjaer wins battle of would-be managers

Marcus Rashford scored the only goal of the game to give the visitors the win at Wembley

Manchester United gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the biggest win of his fledgling managerial career at Old Trafford as they emerged deserved winners over Tottenham at Wembley Stadium.

Marcus Rashford scored the only goal of the game just before half-time, pouncing on a superb Paul Pogba through ball before rifling past Hugo Lloris into the back of the net.

The result leaves United sixth level on points with Arsenal and just six back from Chelsea in fourth in the race for the Champions League spots.

Here's what we learned:

1. Attack, attack, attack

The new manager could have been forgiven for being a little more conservative as he headed away to a top six team for the first time in his caretaker spell, but the only parked bus at Wembley Stadium was the one outside in the car park as United came to north London intent on attacking from the get-go.

Solskjaer's overwhelmingly positive approach is a far cry from Jose Mourinho's overtly pragmatic point of view and it appears to be paying off with his players clearly responding to it.

One of those is Pogba who has now had a hand in eight of the 15 Premier League goals under the new boss and seems to be a man renewed. His pass for Rashford's goal was a thing of beauty and shows just why he was bought in the first place, something it's fair to say he hasn't done for long periods since his return to Old Trafford.

Attacking is in United's DNA and Solskjaer and his team are being richly rewarded for returning to it.

Rashford scored the only goal of the game (Action Images via Reuters)

2. Tottenham's middling middle

Much has been made of Daniel Levy's reticence to sign anyone this summer but it's hard not to notice the elephant in the room when Spurs are overwhelmed in such a manner like they were today. Harry Winks is a fine player and Moussa Sissoko one of the comeback stories of the season, but there's only so much they can do when they're being asked to carry this side week in, week out.

They looked spent as Chelsea could and perhaps should have made them pay in midweek and were out of energy and ideas today as United comprehensively won the midfield battle. Tottenham badly miss Eric Dier (as well as the Mousa Dembele of 12 months ago, of course) and when Sissoko was forced off injured in the first-half such was the paucity of resources available to him Pochettino was forced into a change of shape he could have done without.

With so little at Pochettino's disposal this midseason stumble is hardly a surprise and in many ways they only have themselves to blame for it.

Sissoko was forced off in the first-half (AP)

3. David the Goliath

The Manchester United experience has been something of a rollercoaster over the last half decade but if there's one thing you've always been able to rely upon it's been David de Gea coming up big in the biggest moments.

There may be more consistent keepers, even ones who've been better this season - fans at Anfield and the Etihad would certainly argue that - but when it really comes to the crunch there are still few shotstoppers you'd rather have as your last line of defence when it matters most.

Today was one of those big moments as time and again De Gea got the better of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Heung-min Son and others as Spurs laid siege to the visiting 18-yard box. United's defending remains a work in progress, despite incremental improvements, but every time those in front of him faltered De Gea showed why he's still the very best get-out-of-jail-free card in the game with a litany of world class stops.

De Gea was outstanding (Getty Images) (Getty)

4. Jan not the man

The return of Jan Vertonghen after missing the last eight games was seen as a huge positive before the game, but that rustiness showed as Rashford in particular looked to profit from that lack of match sharpness early and often.

Time and again United looked to attack the all-too-vacant channel between the Belgian and Ben Davies with Rashford's goal coming as a direct result of, first, Davies being caught too high up the field and, second, Vertonghen being too slow to react to the danger.

Vertonghen is an exceptional defender and his return to fitness will only be a good thing for Spurs going forward but this bad day at the office cost his team dear today.

Solskjaer got the better of Mauricio Pochettino (AP)

5. Solskjaer shows his tactical side

Games against Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Newcastle didn't exactly require Solskjaer to flex his tactical muscles but a trip to the capital was always likely to be the first real test of his managerial chops.

Solskjaer has brought a verve and urgency back to United, with a focus on counter-attacking football playing a key role in this revival. Today, against a somewhat disjointed Tottenham side, United's pace on the break was used to maximum effect to repeatedly catch out their opponents, with the slower Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata justifiably left on the bench.

Both Rashford and Anthony Martial were a danger throughout in the final third, hitting the channels with their speed while harrying Spurs' backline when out of possession.

The nature of Rashford's first-half goal came as little surprise then. An interception, a long, searching ball over the top from Pogba, and a sweet, driven strike from the United youngster. A three-step goal that bore testament to the efficiency, and threat, of the visitors' counter-attacking game plan.