MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was delighted by the commitment of his side after they bounced back from a shock defeat by Huddersfield Town with a 1-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Substitute Antony Martial’s goal nine minutes from time was enough for United to go three points clear of Spurs in second place in the Premier League table.
Mourinho slammed United for a “really poor” attitude after the 2-1 defeat by Huddersfield but the Portuguese boss was far happier with what he saw against Spurs.
“We all feel we have to win every match so that’s why I felt disappointed at Huddersfield,” he told Sky Sports.
“It looked like we didn’t know that every point is a precious point. Today, every ball looked like the last ball of their careers.”
As for Martial, whose United future has been a source of speculation, Mourinho said: “Sometimes he starts the match and his contribution is good but he doesn’t score.
“I don’t understand some reactions when people question ‘are they Red Devils’? The two strikers were up against amazing central defenders, some of the best in Europe.”
There was nothing fancy about Martial’s winner, the forward finishing after a kick downfield by United goalkeeper David De Gea was headed on by Romelu Lukaku.
“Martial scores with a bad shot, but the bad shots can be the most beautiful,” said Mourinho. “To play well against a very, very good team feels even better.”
Former Chelsea manager Mourinho accepted the result could easily have gone the other way, saying: “That was difficult, it could have been a draw. Both teams were trying to win but both knew the opponent was strong.
“We knew if we had one defensive mistake we could lose and that’s what happened to them.
“We tried and we deserved the victory.”
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino agreed with much of Mourinho’s assessment, saying: “It was an even game.
“It was a shame to lose. I think we deserved more. It was unlucky that in the last 10 minutes we conceded our goal. It was our mistake.”
Tottenham were without injured striker Harry Kane but Pochettino insisted his side’s title challenge was about more than the in-form England forward.
“If Dele Alli had scored now the question would be different,” Pochettino said. “It is always about the result. You are always going to miss your main striker but it is not fair to talk about Harry Kane.”
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Mourinho hails players’ desire as Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur
Mourinho hails players’ desire as Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur
US climber scales Taiwan’s tallest building Taipei 101 without ropes
- ‘Free solo’ ascent organized and shown live by Netflix
- Taipei 101 was once tallest building in the world
TAIPEI: US climber Alex Honnold scaled the Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes or safety netting on Sunday, watched by thousands of cheering and waving fans as he clambered up one of the world’s tallest buildings.
“Sick,” Honnold said as he got to the top spire of Taiwan’s tallest building after his 91-minute “free solo” ascent, which was organized and broadcast live by Netflix.
“What a beautiful way to see Taipei,” he told reporters after his mission, which was postponed by a day due to wet weather.
The 508-meter (1,667-foot) Taipei 101, which dominates the city’s skyline and is a major tourist attraction, was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, a crown currently held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The climb, with no safety equipment, took place with the full support and permission of Taipei 101 and the city government.
Honnold said he had once thought of climbing the structure without permission.
“But then out of respect for the building and respect for all the people on the team who’d allowed me access to look at it, I was like, well obviously I’m not going to poach this, I’m going to respect the people and just see if it ever comes together.”
Executive Producer James Smith said it was rare for a building to trust a climber and allow such an event to take place, calling Taipei 101 “a real icon of this country.”
Taiwanese politicians took to social media to thank Honnold and Netflix for putting Taiwan — more accustomed to featuring in global headlines for its semiconductor prowess or Chinese military threats — in the international spotlight with such a different perspective.
“Congratulations to the brave, fearless Alex for completing the challenge,” President Lai Ching-te wrote on his Facebook page.
“Through Netflix’s live broadcast cameras, the world didn’t just see Taipei 101 — it also saw the warmth and passion of the Taiwanese people, and the beautiful hills and scenery of this land,” he added.
This is not the first time Taipei 101 has been scaled.
In 2004, French climber Alain Robert, dubbed “Spiderman” for his ropeless ascents of some of the world’s highest skyscrapers, climbed the building, though did so with a safety rope in a time of four hours.
“Sick,” Honnold said as he got to the top spire of Taiwan’s tallest building after his 91-minute “free solo” ascent, which was organized and broadcast live by Netflix.
“What a beautiful way to see Taipei,” he told reporters after his mission, which was postponed by a day due to wet weather.
The 508-meter (1,667-foot) Taipei 101, which dominates the city’s skyline and is a major tourist attraction, was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, a crown currently held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
The climb, with no safety equipment, took place with the full support and permission of Taipei 101 and the city government.
Honnold said he had once thought of climbing the structure without permission.
“But then out of respect for the building and respect for all the people on the team who’d allowed me access to look at it, I was like, well obviously I’m not going to poach this, I’m going to respect the people and just see if it ever comes together.”
Executive Producer James Smith said it was rare for a building to trust a climber and allow such an event to take place, calling Taipei 101 “a real icon of this country.”
Taiwanese politicians took to social media to thank Honnold and Netflix for putting Taiwan — more accustomed to featuring in global headlines for its semiconductor prowess or Chinese military threats — in the international spotlight with such a different perspective.
“Congratulations to the brave, fearless Alex for completing the challenge,” President Lai Ching-te wrote on his Facebook page.
“Through Netflix’s live broadcast cameras, the world didn’t just see Taipei 101 — it also saw the warmth and passion of the Taiwanese people, and the beautiful hills and scenery of this land,” he added.
This is not the first time Taipei 101 has been scaled.
In 2004, French climber Alain Robert, dubbed “Spiderman” for his ropeless ascents of some of the world’s highest skyscrapers, climbed the building, though did so with a safety rope in a time of four hours.
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