LONDON: Manchester United’s league position hasn’t changed. Everything else has under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Surpassing the great Matt Busby in 1946, Solskjaer has now opened his United reign with a club-record six successive victories after beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the Premier League on Sunday. It was secured by Marcus Rashford’s first-half goal and 11 second-half saves by goalkeeper David de Gea.

“I am just doing my job every single day here until the contract runs out at the end of June, I think,” Solskjaer said. “I’ll have a holiday in there, so I’m not thinking about that whatsoever.”

United remain sixth in the standings, just as it was when Jose Mourinho was fired last month. But thanks to Arsenal’s struggles, United are now behind the London club on goal difference. Chelsea in the fourth and final Champions League place are only six points in front of United and Arsenal.

United is used to far loftier targets winning the league a record 20 times but they have failed to do so in the chaotic years since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

When Mourinho was fired last month, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino emerged as favourite as the long-term successor. But Solskjaer is staking a strong claim to make his loan move from Molde permanent after winning this unofficial audition against Pochettino.

“It’s not ethical to talk about what he is doing or what I [am] doing,” Pochettino said. “It was a game and a battle between Tottenham and Manchester United, because if not, we would need to play him against me, one vs one on the pitch.”

Pochettino’s target is securing a fourth consecutive top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League in a season of disruption with the delay to move back from Wembley into the club’s new stadium at White Hart Lane.

But Tottenham have now lost back-to-back league home games for the first time since 2015 at the end of Pochettino’s first season. The team remains third in the standings, a point ahead of Chelsea, two points behind defending champions Manchester City and nine adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Rashford beat Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris from a tight angle in the 44th minute and Paul Pogba impressed but the performance of the Spanish goalkeeper De Gea, who produced superb saves to deny Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld, will live long in the memory.

His heroics enabled United to hang on for a first away league win against Tottenham since 2012.

“I said to David at halftime, ‘You might have to make a save here, you have to keep your concentration,’” Solskjaer said. “He didn’t have to keep his concentration because he was never allowed to relax. He is a fantastic goalkeeper. I think he’s the best in the world.”

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019