Spurs recover twice to leave Old Trafford with fully-merited point
Manchester United (2) 2 Hojlund 3, Rashford 40
Tottenham (1) 2 Richarlison 19, Betancur 46
Spurs fought back after twice trailing to share the spoils at Old Trafford in another of those pulsating games that have become the norm under Ange Postecoglou.
A first half header from Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur's second half strike ensured parity on an afternoon of many positives for the north Londoners.
They had to make do without a lot of their usual creative figures, with Heung-Min Son on Asian Cup duty and Dejan Kulusevski absent, along with James Maddison, of course. They also did not have Pape Sarr, who was outstanding in Tottenham's 2-0 home win over United at the start of the campaign.
But they still had enough about them to worry United, especially at set pieces and debutant Timo Werner provided good options down the left. The former Chelsea player claimed an assist for the second equaliser.
Spurs should not have been behind at the break. They recovered well from going a goal down and were starting to boss the game when they fell behind again.
Richarlison's header past Andre Onana - who delayed his trip to the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations to play in this one - was not the only goal they should have had. Cristian Romero's near-post header clattering the crossbar was one of several near misses. Werner also sent in a dangerous header early on.
The optimism felt by those travelling Tottenham fans, knowing their favourite central defensive pairing of Micky van de Ven and Romero were once again reunited, was punctured after just two and a half minutes.
That was all the time Rasmus Hojlund needed to cash in on loose ball to fire handsomely into the roof of the net - the ball having run free after Destiny Udogie tackled Marcus Rashford on the edge of the area.
Richarlison - who put in a tremendous shift - bagged his sixth goal in as many Premier League games with a glancing header from a Pedro Porro corner, but for all their growing assurance they lost the initiative.
Soon after Udogie had headed a Rashford cross against his own post, Spurs succumbed to a neat one-two between Rashford and Hojlund that the England striker finished with a fine low shot across Guglielmo Vicario.
But a minute into the second half and we were once again all-square when Bentancur took a short pass from Werner, cutting in from the left, and the Uruguayan duly dispatched it.
That deserved equaliser was followed by another encouraging half that merited reward - even if it still needed Scott McTominay to head a good United chance over in the closing moments.
United: (4-2-3-1) Onana - Dalot, Varane, Evans (Martinez 63), Wan-Bissaka - Eriksen (McTominay 58), Mainoo - Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford (Antony 87) - Hojlund
Spurs: (4-3-3) Vicario - Porro, Romero, van de Ven (Emerson Royal 89), Udogie - Skipp (Dragusin 85), Bentancur, Hojbjerg - Johnson, Richarlison, Werner (Gil 80)
