47 min: United start the second period in control of the ball, but there’s no way into the Spurs final third. The visitors have looked pretty well organised on the whole.

Late Night Line-Up Early-Evening Line-Up with Joan Bakewell Gary Naylor. “Did you see Jeff Koons’ masterpiece Puppy in full bloom? I can understand it being underwhelming if a bit before or a bit after its peak, but not right on it. A man to provoke varied reactions is Jeff, somewhat like Messrs Carrick and De Zerbi at the mo.”

To be fair to Mr Koons, there’s no point asking me about art. Once inside the gallery, and faced with Yves Klein’s La grande Anthropométrie bleue (ANT 105) (ca. 1960, dry pigment and synthetic resin on paper mounted on canvas, 287.8 x 430 x 4 cm), my instinct was less to consider the concept of representing the nude body without resorting to traditional forms, more recording myself in front of it while singing I’m blue da ba dee. Anyway, I’ve gone well off piste here: suffice to say, dear reader, listen to Mr Naylor and not Simple Scotty.

Half-time postbag. “I’ve assumed all season that once Spurs are playing like a De Zerbi team, they’ll be fine because most teams in the league won’t be able to live with them. Well, Manchester United couldn’t live with them for the first half hour, but Tottenham’s players couldn’t finish their chances. Not to be reductive, but if a football team doesn’t score goals, it won’t win many games” – Kári Tulinius

“Youri Tielemans is 29, but he has 678 matches in his legs - it shows” – Gary Naylor

“It’s all very well for Matheus Cunha to be geeing the crowd up. If the team played better, the crowd would respond” – Adam Roberts

“That 51-years ticker has made my day. Well in, Reds. And this, more than any of the (richly deserved) sanctions to come, is what needs to be done. In the Trump and Johnson era, some shame needs to be reattached to cheating and lying. Long may the pile on continue” – Allan Castle

“The perennial battle for 16th place is doing nothing for the neutral fan today” – Cat in a Rage

“Fouls, poor passing, niggle. Typical relegation six-pointer” – Andrew Goudie

“I’m high on life after coming off on holiday yesterday then watching United, the Dundee variety, move into the top six of the Scottish Premier with a 1-0 win over Hibs at Tannadice today. It’s also United legend Paul Sturrock’s 70th birthday, one of the top 10 players ever to wear the Tangerine, so might celebrate by crying uncontrollably at the realisation that it’s not the 1980s anymore watching videos of him on Youtube all night and opening a bottle of malt. Cheers!” – Simon McMahon

42 min: … so having said all that, here’s another chance for Spurs as Gallagher barrels his way down the inside-right channel, enters the box, and shapes to shoot. But he can’t throw his shape quickly enough, and doesn’t get a shot away, a combination of Tielemans, Martinez, Maguire and Lammens somehow bundling the ball clear.

Manchester United make two changes to their starting XI following the 1-1 draw at Fulham three years weeks ago. Leny Yoro and Amad Diallo are in for Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford, who both drop to the bench. Diallo is making his first appearance of the season. Still no sign of Matthijs de Ligt.

Tottenham Hotspur switch out over half their team in the sepia-toned wake of the dim-and-distant 2-3 home defeat to Aston Villa. Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, Conor Gallagher, Marcos Senesi and Mohammed Kudus are recalled. Omar Marmoush, Mateus Fernandes, Rodrigo Bentancur and captain Micky van de Ven drop to the bench, while Pedro Porro and Andy Robertson are missing through injury.

Manchester United: Lammens, Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Tielemans, Mainoo, Diallo, Fernandes, Mbeumo, Cunha.
Subs: Darlow, Dalot, Mount, Rashford, Zirkzee, Santos, Baleba, Heaven, Lacey.

Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Gray, van Hecke, Senesi, Udogie, Bergvall, Tonali, Savio, Gallagher, Kudus, Solanke.
Subs: Dubravka, Adarabioyo, Maddison, Tel, Fernandes, Marmoush, Bentancur, Davies, van de Ven.