On evenings such as these Erik ten Hag must feel he has the golden touch. It was not without a by now customary spot of bother but Manchester United racked up a fourth successive win for the first time this season, the substitute Scott McTominay’s powerful late header helping them to cut the gap to the top four to six points.
Presumably the main question on the lips of fans and the thing whirring around Ten Hag’s head is: why did it take so long to get into this groove?
