Tottenham show mettle to snatch a late point at Old Trafford

By Alessandro in Manchester

Man United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Goals: Bryan Mbeumo 73' (M) Dominic Solanke 92'.

Tottenham Hotspur refused to throw in the towel as Dominic Solanke struck a dramatic stoppage-time leveller to earn 10-man Spurs a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Just when Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi’s men looked destined to suffer another damaging defeat, the previously wasteful England international came to their rescue with a late header that rewarded their persistence and punished United for failing to finish the job.

Spurs had every reason to leave Manchester feeling frustrated.

They created promising opportunities in the first half, with Solanke unable to make the most of his chances and Mohammed Kudus offering a threat on the counter-attack.

Yet Tottenham’s inability to find the net meant they went into the break with nothing to show for their efforts, while United gradually grew into the contest.

The visitors continued to look dangerous after the restart, with Sávio delivering threatening balls into the penalty area. Solanke, however, was again guilty of missing an opportunity to put Spurs in front.

And football can be cruel. Having failed to take their chances, Tottenham found themselves behind when Matheus Cunha teed up Bryan Mbeumo, who turned sharply before firing past Antonin Kinsky in the 73rd minute.

The afternoon threatened to get even worse for the north Londoners when Rodrigo Bentancur was shown a straight red card following an altercation with Luke Shaw. Spurs suddenly had a mountain to climb, trailing at Old Trafford and facing the prospect of finishing the match with 10 men.

But De Zerbi’s side refused to raise the white flag.

United had opportunities to put the game beyond their opponents, with Kinsky keeping Mbeumo out as the hosts searched for a decisive second goal. That save proved crucial, keeping Tottenha alive when defeat appeared inevitable.

Then came the moment Spurs desperately needed.

Sandro Tonali delivered a cross into the box in the 92nd minute, and Solanke rose above Lisandro Martínez to guide a header beyond Lammens and silence the home crowd.

It was a precious moment for Tottenham, who showed admirable determination to fight their way back into the contest despite their numerical disadvantage.

While the late equaliser will provide encouragement, Spurs will know that their wastefulness in front of goal nearly cost them dearly once again.

Nevertheless, earning a point at Old Trafford after going behind and losing a man is no small achievement. And they can take heart from their performance having outfought, outthought and outplayed the hosts.

For De Zerbi, the hope will be that this display of character can provide the platform for Tottenham to finally turn their fighting spirit into wins.

Manchester United

Starting XI: Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw; Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes (c), Matheus Cunha; Bryan Mbeumo.

Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Diogo Dalot, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee, Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba, Ayden Heaven, Shea Lacey.

Tottenham Hotspur

Starting XI: Antonín Kinsky; Archie Gray, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Destiny Udogie; Lucas Bergvall, Sandro Tonali, Conor Gallagher; Sávio, Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke (c).

Substitutes: Martin Dúbravka, Tosin Adarabioyo, James Maddison, Mathys Tel, Mateus Fernandes, Omar Marmoush, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Micky van de VEn