Matthijs de Ligt extended Manchester United’s unbeaten run to five games with a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer against Tottenham, moments after Richarlison looked to have handed Spurs a remarkable victory.
Having been booed by his own supporters for replacing Xavi Simons with Mathys Tel on 79 minutes, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank was vindicated when Tel cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half opener with an 84th-minute equalizer. And when Richarlison headed Spurs into the lead one minute into the six minutes of stoppage time, the home side appeared to have pulled off an incredible fightback to beat United for a fifth successive game.
But Spurs saw three points snatched out of their hands when De Ligt headed home from a corner in the 96th minute to claim a deserved point for United.
Despite the dropped points and restless home crowd, Spurs moved up to third place in the Premier League, while United maintain their push for a Champions League spot in seventh. — Ogden
Another tumultuous day for Frank
Spurs were booed off at half-time for the second weekend in a row. The full-time whistle was greeted with disbelief; the product of three late goals creating the ultimate roller coaster of emotions for all concerned.
When the dust settles, a draw in one sense may feel satisfactory. But on the other hand, conceding a 96th-minute equalizer from a set-piece to a team with 10 men will feel bitterly disappointing.
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Somewhere in the midst of all this, Frank has to process another sign of dissent from the home supporters pointing to the undercurrent of concern that permeates this club at the moment. With Spurs 1-0 down, Frank opted to replaced Simons with Tel on 79 minutes; loud boos greeted the decision, ramping up pressure on the Tottenham boss as his team faced another afternoon bereft of creativity in front of goal.
And so in that context, for Tel to spin in the box and fire a deflected shot past Senne Lammens to equalize just five minutes later will have felt like a huge vindication for Frank. Persevering with Richarlison when many others may have taken him off also paid off, only for Spurs to throw away three points in stoppage time.
The end product is Spurs sit third in the table at full-time, yet Frank knows the job of convincing all connected to the club that he can thrive in the role is far from done. — Olley
Man United will miss Mbuemo and Amad Diallo when they go to AFCON
Mbeumo and Amad Diallo have become crucial members of Ruben Amorim’s forward line this season and their growing understanding was borne out again with Amad’s cross creating Mbeumo’s first-half goal.
Mbeumo has now scored six league goals for United since his £70 million summer transfer from Brentford and he has made the team much more threatening when going forward. Meanwhile, Amad has kicked on since last season by proving himself equally capable of playing on both flanks in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.
But the bad news for United is that both players will head off to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) next month and could be away for almost six weeks. With Mbeumo representing Cameroon and Amad turning out for Ivory Coast, United can expect both players to be involved in the knockout stages, so Amorim must find a way to replace their attacking qualities at busy stage of the season.
Joshua Zirkzee has barely kicked a ball for United this season and Benjamin Sesko is still adjusting to the Premier League following his £74 million summer arrival from RB Leipzig, so Amorim has a big problem ahead unless United are prepared to add to the squad at the beginning of the January transfer window. — Ogden
Richarlison ends goal drought, but Solanke’s return is vital
This was another difficult day for Randal Kolo Muani and, for long periods, Richarlison. The Tottenham pair started together for the first time, Richarlison operating off the left with Kolo Muani through the middle in a 4-2-3-1 shape. They completed just two passes to each other and Kolo Muani left the field at half-time having touched the ball 12 times — the fewest of any player on either team.
Again, mitigation can be found in the fact that Kolo Muani arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day and has subsequently struggled for fitness due to a muscular problem. Richarlison was in a barren run of form but his first goal for club or country in 13 matches, an expertly-glanced header past Lammens, triggered a euphoric celebration containing more than a trace of catharsis.
De Ligt’s equalizer left Richarlison on his knees at full-time in recognition of a lead squandered, but he must hope his goal becomes a turning point.
And yet, the feeling remains that Frank’s fortunes would be improved significantly by the return of Dominic Solanke, who has not played since August after undergoing ankle surgery. There is hope he can play again after this month’s international break. Frank badly needs him not only to start but to get back up to speed as quickly as possible.– Olley
Sesko struggling, but Man United aren’t helping him
Sesko is struggling to prove his worth at Manchester United following his summer transfer and he limped out of this game with an injury having only entered the game as a 59th-minute substitute.
The 22-year-old center forward has registered just two goals and one assist for United this season, and Amorim admitted ahead of this game that the Slovenia international has found it tough to settle at Old Trafford. But while Sesko made a mess of a great chance after being released late on by midfielder Manuel Ugarte — Sesko seemed to injure himself when challenged by Spurs defender Micky van de Ven — United’s use of his talents is not helping the striker.
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Rather than deliver crosses into the penalty area for the 6-foot-5 forward, United constantly forced Sesko out wide where his lack of pace and mobility saw him repeatedly lose the ball.
Sesko has his strengths and weaknesses, but United are playing to his weaknesses right now. They need to find a way to keep him playing through the middle and leave the wide areas to players who can make use of the ball — ideally those who can cross for Sesko to convert crosses into the net.
However, as Sesko limped off in the 88th minute, leaving United with just 10 players after using all of their substitutes, he cut a disconsolate figure. He clearly needs to do better, but United must also raise their game to help him. — Ogden
Is United’s youth record still valid?
Jack Fletcher’s selection as a substitute for Manchester United ensured that Amorim kept alive an incredible 88-year club record by having an academy player in the matchday squad for the 4,333rd consecutive game. An injury to Kobbie Mainoo had put the record in jeopardy until Amorim selected 18-year-old Fletcher for a place on the bench.
United have a proud history of producing their own players, from the “Busby Babes” in the 1950s to the “Class of 92” of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville. Others including Danny Welbeck, Marcus Rashford and Fletcher’s father, Darren, have helped United maintain their record over the years.
But while Fletcher is a legitimate academy graduate having played for the youth team over the past two years, he actually joined United as a 16-year-old, alongside twin brother Tyler, in a £1.25 million transfer in 2023 after spending nine years in Manchester City’s academy.
So while United have kept their record intact, it is beginning to seem tenuous and Amorim admitted before the game that Fletcher was only selected because he wanted to keep the historical run going. When it is a record based on merit, that’s fine. But have United now reached the stage of tokenism in order to keep their record alive? — Ogden
