Not another one!

Manchester United returned to action after the extended international break with a huge chance to shake off their previous disappointments against bottom of the table Tottenham, and add to their poor start, however after a terrible opening 40 minutes, United suddenly found themselves 1-0 up in the 73rd minute, and when Bentancur saw red in the 78th minute, it looked like United were going to somehow claim victory despite their underwhelming performance.

That didn’t happen however and United once again retreated into themselves against a 10-man opposition, a terrible trait of this team in recent years, and leaves United with only a point which in some ways feels positive but after watching the full 90 and seeing how close United were to a victory it feels more like defeat than anything positive this weekend.

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Teams

Manchester United: Lammens, Shaw (Heaven 90′), Martinez, Maguire, Yoro (Dalot 59′), Mainoo, Tielemans (Baleba 59′), Cunha (Rashford 90′), Fernandes, Amad (Zirkzee 59′), Mbeumo

Subs: Darlow, Santos, Mount, Lacey

Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Udogie (Van de Ven 74′), Senesi (Fernandes 89′), Van Hecke, Gray, Tonali, Bergvall (Bentancur 66′), Savio, Gallagher (Maddison 74′), Kudus (Marmoush 66′), Solanke

Subs: Dubravka, Davies, Tosin, Tel

Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United were left to rue another frustrating afternoon at Old Trafford as Tottenham Hotspur snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw in Saturday’s Premier League clash. Bryan Mbeumo looked to have secured a much-needed victory for Michael Carrick’s side with a second-half opener, only for Dominic Solanke to spoil the celebrations with a stoppage-time equaliser. Despite Tottenham being reduced to ten men following Rodrigo Bentancur’s dismissal, United failed to see out the game, leaving the home supporters with more questions than answers. It was a result that summed up the struggles of both sides, with neither manager able to find the consistency needed to turn their respective campaigns around.

Tottenham started the brighter of the two teams, showing greater energy and purpose as United struggled to establish control in midfield. The visitors created several promising opportunities, but their familiar problems in front of goal continued to undermine an otherwise encouraging performance. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was fortunate to escape punishment after a nervy moment in possession, while Dominic Solanke and Archie Gray both came close to giving Spurs the lead. United looked disjointed for long periods, struggling to connect their midfield and attacking players, and the frustration around Old Trafford was evident as the hosts headed towards the break without finding their rhythm. Carrick’s men improved after half-time, however, and began to show more attacking intent as they searched for a breakthrough.

That breakthrough finally arrived in the 73rd minute, when Matheus Cunha did brilliantly down the left before delivering the ball into the penalty area for Mbeumo. The forward showed excellent composure, turning sharply before firing a low finish into the bottom corner to send Old Trafford into celebration. United appeared to have seized control of the contest, and their hopes of holding on to the lead were strengthened five minutes later when Bentancur was shown a straight red card following a heated confrontation with Luke Shaw. The Tottenham midfielder’s dismissal followed a reckless challenge and an ensuing altercation that brought players and staff together in an ugly flashpoint. With a numerical advantage and the finish line approaching, United seemed perfectly placed to collect three precious points, but they failed to manage the closing stages with the authority the occasion demanded.

Instead, Tottenham produced a spirited late response, refusing to accept defeat despite their disadvantage. In the 92nd minute, Sandro Tonali delivered a dangerous cross into the box, where Solanke battled with Lisandro Martínez and rose to head the ball beyond Lammens. The equaliser silenced the home crowd and sparked jubilant celebrations among the travelling Spurs supporters, who had watched their side fight back when defeat looked inevitable. For Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi, the point offered encouragement after a difficult start to the season, although his side remain desperate for their first league victory. For United, the disappointment was even more acute: having taken the lead and played against ten men, they had let a golden opportunity slip away. The final whistle brought another frustrating afternoon for Carrick and his players, who must find greater composure, cohesion and defensive resilience if they are to turn their season around.

Talking Points

We have to start with the huge disappointment of more dropped points against 10-man opposition, and something about this team where they struggle so much against teams who go down to 10-men. Errors, retreating and a huge sense of fear and lack of cohesion overwhelms this United team at key moments, and while United would have been hugely fortunate to get a victory in this game, to not come away with a win from the position they were in with 10 minutes to go is simply unfathomable.

Manchester United now have a huge week ahead that could define Michael Carrick’s time at the club. With another international break not too far away, suffering 2 defeats in the games against Atletico and Leeds in the week ahead could well seal Carrick’s fate as Manchester United manager, as we could reach a tipping point where the performances are not matching what we saw at the end of last season, United look off the mark across all areas of the pitch and continue to struggle against teams even in moments where games should be won.

If we are to take anything positive for United from this game, we could argue that it’s not defeat, and United picking up points isn’t too bad but ultimately this feels like defeat. The more notable positive spin would be that Amad returned to action from his injury, and while it might be a while before we see regular starts for him, he put in a decent shift on his return. Meanwhile, we saw some exciting moments in the Carlos Baleba cameo as he received his first minutes in a United shirt. Within seconds of arriving onto the pitch, he brought the energy, control and physicality that the midfield had lacked prior to his substitution. While he may have managed minutes in the upcoming fixtures against Atletico and Leeds, fans will be keen to see more after this decent start.