Player Watch: United's new boys

Owen Hargreaves, Carlos Tevez and Nani all made their first Old Trafford starts in the 1-0 win over Tottenham. ManUtd.com’s Ian Baker kept a close eye on the trio…

Owen Hargreaves

Overall: Hargreaves sat just in front of the back four and was one of United’s stand-out players, despite a shaky start when he gave away an early free-kick and failed to pick up Pascal Chimbonda at a corner. As well as providing an extra line of defence, the former Bayern Munich midfielder also presented an occasional threat going forward, trying his luck with three speculative shots in the first half. The midfield is now a highly competitive area of Sir Alex’s squad but on this evidence, Hargreaves should be able to hold down a place.

Best Moment: Hargreaves' excellent long range drive on 21 minutes was well saved by Paul Robinson, who produced an even better stop to deny Rio Ferdinand on the rebound.

Carlos Tevez

Overall: The man who scored a vital goal for West Ham at Old Trafford worked hard in his first game there for the Reds. Forced to lead the line in the absence of Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha, he certainly made his presence in the first half when he played some nice one-touch football and set up a chance for Paul Scholes with his hold-up play. Tevez was much quieter in the second half, although he was unlucky not to put United ahead after fine work by Nani - his effort was cleared off the line. The Argentine star, substituted on 78 minutes, may relish the chance to play alongside a more prolific partner, hopefully starting with Saha next Saturday.

Best Moment: A minute before deflecting Nani’s winning shot past Robinson, Tevez had a shot of his own cleared off the line by Tottenham’s Jermaine Jenas.

Nani

Overall: After a slow start - he barely touched the ball inside the first seven minutes - Nani created a half-chance for Ryan Giggs with a cross to the far post. He also fired wide himself on 39 minutes after skilfully weaving inside a Tottenham defender. The Portuguese ace was in the wars too, with United physio Rob Swire twice on the pitch in the first half to treat him following collisions. Spurs right-back Pascal Chimbonda proved to be a tough opponent for Nani, winning most of their duels in the second half. However, Nani did find the space to test Robinson once with a cross-cum-shot and then beat the England keeper with that spectacular first goal for the Reds.

Best Moment: Nani's fantastic 30-yard strike was good enough to win any football match. His trademark somersault celebration was equally memorable.