Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now leads the Premier League sack race odds after Man Utd were thrashed by Spurs
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now leads the Premier League sack race odds after Man Utd were thrashed by Spurs

Man Utd 1-6 Tottenham: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leads sack race odds after Spurs thrashing


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now 5/4 favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job after Manchester United were thrashed 6-1 by Tottenham.

Even before United striker Anthony Martial was sent off after half-an-hour, Spurs had recovered from conceding a first-minute penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted, to lead 2-1 thanks to goals from Tanguy Ndombele and Heung-min Son.

With Tottenham already threatening to run riot, the red card triggered a complete implosion from the hosts as Harry Kane and Son added further goals before the break.

Despite a double half-time change from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to shore United up defensively, Serge Aurier fired home a fifth before Kane grabbed a second from the spot to inflict the Red Devils' joint heaviest Premier League defeat.

The result further darkens what was already a bleak mood at Old Trafford, and has seen Solskjaer's odds on being the next Premier League manager to leave his post tumble.

Having been 18/1 with Sky Bet, and 25/1 in some places, at close of play on Saturday, they had him priced as short as 6/4 following United's embarrassing defeat.

The Norwegian was already coming under increasing pressure after his team had looked all at sea in their opening two games but this performance was a new low.


Next Premier League manager to go - Sky Bet odds

  • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - 5/4
  • Scott Parker - 9/4
  • Sean Dyche, Slaven Bilic - 10/1
  • Chris Wilder, David Moyes, Frank Lampard, Roy Hodgson - 16/1

Odds correct at 1900 BST 04/10/20


While up until this point the majority of the focus aimed at United has surrounded their lack of transfer activity, Solskjaer's position must come under scrutiny after such a devastating result, especially at the hands of the man he replaced at Old Trafford - Jose Mourinho.

United are reportedly close to bringing in Porto full-back Alex Telles and Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, but will need significantly more than that to abate the growing discontent that will follow this latest catastrophe - their worst defeat since Manchester City triumphed 6-1 nine years ago.


How United collapsed at Old Trafford

Son Heung-min celebrates scoring at Old Trafford
Son Heung-min celebrates scoring at Old Trafford

United had gone in front through another Fernandes penalty in the opening two minutes, however it quickly descended into disaster.

They had to play 60 minutes with 10 men as Martial was sent off, and were cut apart by a rampant Tottenham, with Son and Kane scoring twice and Ndombele and Aurier also bagging.

Victory will be sweet for Spurs, who have scored 11 goals in their last two away games and still have Gareth Bale to come into their side after the international break.

This win comes on the back of four games in eight days, but they showed that under Mourinho this season they could challenge at the top end of the league.

Mourinho has made several sly digs in the media recently about the amount of penalties United get, but even he would not have expected referee Anthony Taylor to point to the spot after only 31 seconds.

The Portuguese cannot have too many complaints with this one, though, as Davinson Sanchez clearly tripped Martial and Fernandes as ever made no mistake from 12 yards.

But that was as good as it got for United as their afternoon descended into one of their worst in recent memory.

Two minutes later Harry Maguire mistimed his header back to David de Gea, with Ndombele eventually firing in. There was a second goal almost immediately as Kane took a quick free-kick to play Son in and the South Korean coolly finished.

Martial was then sent off for grappling at a corner with Lamela, who appeared to put his forearm towards Martial’s neck, with the Frenchman retaliating by slapping the Spurs attacker in the face.

Three minutes later, Eric Bailly’s misplaced pass was intercepted by Kane, who curled home beautifully. Mourinho’s men then became the first ever Premier League team to score four first-half goals against United as Son turned in an Aurier cross.

Solskjaer made two changes at the break, bringing on Scott McTominay and Fred, but they could not stem the tide.

Aurier made it five in the 51st minute with a powerful strike, and with 11 minutes remaining there was a sixth.

Ben Davies was wiped out by Paul Pogba in the box, leaving Kane to convert his ninth goal of the season.

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