Manchester United needed some late drama to secure victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.The Red Devils looked to have fumbled three points when Solly March scored a late equaliser for the Seagulls and the final whistle even sounded with the scores locked at 2-2.However, in an astonishing moment of VAR drama, the game was restarted in order to award United a penalty for handball, which Bruno Fernandes duly dispatched with nerves of steel.
Man Utd win at Brighton
It was a great escape that could set the wheels in motion for United's second full season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having lost their first league game of the season to Crystal Palace.
And somebody who knows all about recovering from an opening weekend defeat this season is Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho, who coached United between 2016 and 2018.
The self-proclaimed 'Special One' watched his Spurs side come up short against Everton at home, only for them to bounce back with an emphatic 5-2 win on the road at Southampton.
Mourinho changes the goal-posts
Naturally, Mourinho will do everything in his power to propel Spurs into the top four this season, which could mean placing above the side that handed him a P45 less than two years ago.
And it seems as though Mourinho was stoking the flames of rivalry before Tottenham's home tie against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
The Portuguese made headlines earlier in the week after demanding that UEFA changed the goal posts before his side's Europa League qualifier because they were five centimetres too short.
Solskjaer pokes fun at Mourinho
It was a situation that Solskjaer couldn't resist making fun of after the post and crossbar came to United's rescue no less than five times during the win at Brighton.
Solskjaer remarked: "First of all you have to be happy that Jose is not here to measure the goal posts – it might have been a smaller goal!"
Pretty harmless fun, right? Well, Mourinho didn't seem to take it that way as he decided to criticise United for their penalty record during his pre-match interview with Sky Sports' Laura Woods.
Mourinho fires back at Man Utd
Despite the question not even mentioning United, Mourinho replied: "Ole yesterday was so happy and surprised with what happened to his team that he had a joke.
"But I understand that for him, the dimensions of the goal-posts are not important for him, what is important is the dimensions of the 18-yard box. He would never accept to play with a 17-yard box.
"I think he would prefer a 22-yard box. For him, it would be better."
Shots fired.
Man Utd vs Tottenham
United made history in 2019/20 for the most penalties won in a single Premier League campaign, so it's inevitable that their first league spot kick of 2020/21 has been met with eye-rolls.
Nevertheless, considering it was the correct decision under the rules, we think the best thing about this situation is seeing some good old-fashioned mind games for Mourinho himself.
