Solskjaer: We looked like a team on a mission

The Reds responded to first-half adversity after an Edinson Cavani goal was harshly ruled out, following VAR intervention, and an opening strike by Son Heung-Min by scoring three times after the break, through Fred, Edinson Cavani and substitute Mason Greenwood.

It was a tremendous three points to exact revenge for the heavy defeat to Spurs in the corresponding fixture towards the start of the season and the manager had this to say after the game, to MUTV, Sky Sports and at his press conference...

MOST PLEASING ASPECT?
"Character again. When you get the injustice and adversity, that decision [to disallow the goal] is just shocking and to come together. Yeah, we lost our focus for maybe a few moments and minutes and unfortunately conceded a goal. But we came together and composed ourselves. We went there as a team on a mission, we looked like a team on a mission, that this is not going to derail our season."

VAR FRUSTRATION
"That's the game is gone. The game has gone if that's a clear and obvious error. It's a clear and obvious error that he [referee Chris Kavanagh] looks at it. It was a perfectly good goal, you know, I think that kickstarted us though. I know we conceded a goal just after, but the performance from then to the end of the game was so much better. How is Scott [McTominay] running? I run like this [motions] and use my arms when I run. I have to say if my son stays [down] like this for three minutes and gets 10 of his mates around him, if he gets that in the face from one of his other mates. Yeah, he won't get any food [from me]!"

RIGHT RESPONSE
"We did start like a team that looked like it had been in Europe on Thursday night. It was a great reaction, an absolutely top reaction and we played some great stuff in the second half. After they scored, we felt the injustice and adversity and that went into our players' heads. It was good character we showed and we had to come back from it. We can't let those decisions ruin a good season for us."

EXCELLENT EDINSON
"In the second half, especially in the last hour, it was very, very good with quality. The ball never gets tired when you move it quickly. Edinson's was a performance like today that we, as a club, have missed for a few years. We haven't had that type of no. 9 for a long, long spell. We had a little meeting with the boys, this morning, and said we need to use him correctly with his movement. Fred even scored which tells you everything about the performance."

MASON SHINING AS A SUB
"The cross is something we worked on and Edinson's movement, of course he is excellent. And that goal, that shows what Mason has improved on this season. Normally, defenders want to show him down the right side. Okay, if you want to show him down the right, on the outside, he's got a good right foot as well. Great goal."

DIFFERENT PREPARATION
“Our prep was different than normal today, it was done by videos and meetings because we flew back Friday morning, didn’t get back until the afternoon and needed some recovery again on Saturday so we’ve prepared everything – we don’t go too far away from our principles anyway and we know Tottenham, they’re always difficult to play through. You need to earn the space, you need to go from side to side, you need to play round them at times, get crosses in, but also when it opens up, then you play through the middle. The first goal, was some good play through the middle in the end. Second, great cross and then after that more spaces are created because they have to go forward.”

RESPECT FOR JOSE
“I think sometimes some words are being said, sometimes you feel sorry for – the most important thing is that we’re good colleagues and – call it friends, before, after and sometimes during a game you can have a little bit of a dispute and I think we’ve got the utmost respect for each other and I think that’s the point here. Sometimes it’s some words being said that you don’t really [mean] – I had a couple of words I can take back at that time.”

CAN CITY BE CAUGHT?
"It’s not theoretically impossible, but it would take a lot and it would take a miracle, but sometime miracles happen. For us though, we just have to get as many points on the board as possible and keep getting the wins that we need to make sure we’ve improved from last season and we want to at least get as close to them as possible."