The Reds were set on course for a stunning away win by a fabulous Cristiano Ronaldo volley in the first half, before Edinson Cavani kept his composure in a 1v1 in the second period and substitute Marcus Rashford finished it off late on.

The result moved Solskjaer's men up to fifth place in the Premier League and only outside the top four on goal difference.

FIRST HALF – RUTHLESS RONALDO

With the match being Tottenham’s closest home fixture to Remembrance Day, the occasion was marked before kick-off by the laying of a poppy wreath and the playing of The Last Post, with everyone inside the stadium paying their respects to those killed in conflicts around the world.

The first opportunity of the match fell to Son Heung-Min in the opening few minutes, when he cut inside and unleashed a shot from rage, which deflected off Fred as he lunged to block it. The Korean took the resulting corner himself, but it came to nothing.

Meanwhile the Reds’ wingbacks were causing issues for Tottenham as both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and then Luke Shaw found themselves in behind the home side’s defence. The latter crossed in a dangerous ball with Ronaldo waiting at the back post to convert, but it was cut out before Spurs desperately scrapped to clear the danger.

Shaw then found himself in the book after hauling down an opponent, before Harry Maguire also had his name taken for a foul, giving Harry Kane a free-kick in a dangerous area. United dealt with it, before Son once again had a shooting chance, but he skied his effort at the near post.

Shortly before the half-hour mark, Spurs had the ball in the net. A corner was flicked on in the centre and met by Cristian Romero who was at the back post to turn the ball in with his body. The linesman, however, correctly raised his flag with the Argentine in an offside position.

At the other end, Fred was denied only by an outstretched Hugo Loris as the midfielder fired a rocket from distance. The Spurs captain successfully turned the ball away, which otherwise would have had the top-right corner of the net bulging.

Another Shaw run in behind began the move that would eventually lead to United’s opener. The hosts failed to clear their lines and having regained possession, the Reds had them penned in.

Eventually Fernandes picked up the ball outside the box and crossed to the back post, where his compatriot Ronaldo had peeled off the shoulder of his marker. Meeting the ball on the volley, he struck an immaculate right-footed effort back across the keeper and into the far corner to take the lead six minutes before the interval.

SECOND HALF – CLINICAL CONVERSIONS

Like in the first 45, it was Son who had the opening chance of the half as Nuno Espirito Santo’s team tried to find a way back into the game. But the Korean's effort was not one that was ever going to trouble David De Gea as he curled it well wide.

Within a minute of that chance, Ronaldo thought he had doubled his tally at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as he broke away from the defender and left Lloris no chance, smashing a shot into the top corner. But the Portuguese had one eye on the linesman as he ran off to celebrate and the official duly raised his flag. Replays showed our no.7 was narrowly beyond the last defender.

Spurs tried a change as they were attempting to pile on the pressure in search of a leveller, with Steven Bergwijn replacing Lucas Moura. But while plenty was being thrown at United's back line, little was breaching it.

Oliver Skipp was on the ball shortly after the hour mark, when Bruno Fernandes stole possession. He fed the ball to Ronaldo who then sized up an immaculate through ball to Cavani. The Uruguayan did the rest, lifting the ball beyond the onrushing keeper to make it 2-0 in front of the travelling fans.

Kane threatened to peg back that advantage and make for a more uncomfortable conclusion to the match as he broke forward from just inside United territory. But the England striker was largely alone in his pursuit and, with few options when he arrived in the box, there were plenty of red shirts back by the time he played in a cross. The industrious Scott McTominay duly mopped it up.

A few minutes before the final whistle, substitute Rashford made sure there would no comeback. Fed in by fellow sub Nemanja Matic, Rashford coolly struck into the bottom right corner to cap off a successful evening in London.

MATCH DETAILS

Tottenham: Lloris (c); Royal, Dier, Romero, Davies; Skipp (Ndombele 66), Hojbjerg, Lo Celso (Alli 73); Moura (Bergwijn 54), Kane, Son.

Subs not used: Gollini, Doherty, Reguilon, Sanchez, Rodon, Tanganga.

Booked: Davis, Romero.

United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire (c), Varane, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Fernandes (Matic 76); Cavani (Lingard 86), Ronaldo (Rashford 71).

Subs not used: Henderson, Bailly, Dalot, van de Beek, Sancho, Greenwood.

Goals: Ronaldo 39, Cavani 64, Rashford 87.

Booked: Shaw, Maguire, Fred.