Paul Pogba's impact against Tottenham proves Man United don't have luxury of easing him back into proceedings

Former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho unsurprisingly set up Tottenham – boosted by the returns of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min – to frustrate the visitors and strike on the break. With more than a little help from David De Gea as well as some suspect defending from skipper Harry Maguire, the Portuguese’s game plan appeared to be a success when Steven Bergwijn struck against the run of play in the 27th minute.

United had dominated possession but their struggles to break down teams that defend deep persisted despite the efforts of a lively Fernandes playing as the number 10.

The away side did have chances to score in the first half – Rashford drew a fine save from Hugo Lloris – but it was only upon the introduction of Pogba from the bench just past the hour mark that they really began to turn the screw.

The Frenchman slotted in behind Fernandes and alongside Scott McTominay and the tempo of United’s play was elevated almost instantaneously.

They had two top class playmakers prodding at Tottenham’s waning resolve and it was only a matter of time until they broke through.

Pogba was the architect of the equaliser, squaring up Eric Dier on the edge of the box before dribbling his way past him masterfully and drawing a clumsy foul from the centre-back. Fernandes stepped up and delivered from the spot to secure the 1-1 draw.

But winning the penalty wasn’t the only encouraging aspect of Pogba’s display. He held the ball well in midfield and brought a swagger to United’s play in that area of the pitch.

The threat he posed meant white shirts were obliged to close him down but he was able to fend off their advances and then exploit the space their press opened up.

Then of course there was that moment of brilliance when he chested the ball down and hit it on the half volley with his laces into the path of Marcus Rashford, a quite sublime pass that nearly resulted in a goal-scoring opportunity right at the death.

It wasn’t a flawless performance though. Pogba did have a few missteps and there was a glaring wayward pass to Aaron Wan-Bissaka that went out of play but a little rust is to be expected.

In truth, he didn’t look entirely match fit either, justifying Solskjaer’s decision to start him on the bench. The manager made the point that the plan was always to ease the 27-year-old back into proceedings. On paper, that makes complete sense but is that a luxury United can afford?

Fernandes has had a big impact on the team since his arrival from Sporting but when Pogba was added to the mix, United found a new level, one that may prove irresistible to upcoming opponents who likely plan to sit deep just as Spurs did.

While the Manchester outfit stand a chance of winning the Europa League and with it qualification for the Champions League, securing a top four spot must remain the priority, particularly in terms of their ability to lure in top talent over the summer.

Capitalising on the edge having both Fernandes and Pogba on the pitch provides them has to be Plan A. United have an attractive season run-in but they have to put games to bed early and leave nothing to chance.

That may mean starting Pogba ahead of schedule and looking to bring him off midway through the second half in games instead of the other way around.

United finally have sufficient quality in midfield to make light work of lesser opponents and keep the points dropped for the rest of the season to a minimum. They must lean into this advantage.