Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday, as Dominic Solanke scored a 92nd-minute equalizer for Spurs after they had been reduced to 10 men. Bryan Mbeumo had given United the lead midway through the second half.
The home fans had arrived hoping to mock Manchester City, whose neighbors are dealing with a damning guilty verdict in their case with the Premier League. Before kickoff, they chanted “You cheating bastards, you know what you are.” When Mbeumo put United ahead, they turned their attention to Spurs with a chant of “You’re going down with the City.” By the final whistle from referee Stuart Attwell, though, the fans were focused on their own side. They left the stadium asking how Tottenham had found a equalizer after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for head-butting Luke Shaw.
Carrick Cites Fine Margins
United manager Carrick was frank about the performance. “Massively disappointed with the result for sure,” he said. “A mixed performance, to be totally honest. I think it was tough. It was challenging for the first period, definitely. There was a big improvement through the second half as it progressed, and we put ourselves in such a good position towards the end of the game. To then not see it through, we should find a way of seeing that through.”
The draw leaves United with their worst start to a season after six games since 1986. Solanke’s header was the third time this season that United have conceded in stoppage time, and two of those late goals, against Everton and Spurs, have cost them four points.
“It’s a couple of times now when, different ways, obviously, that’s two late, late goals against us to throw away two wins really,” Carrick said. “That changes a lot of things, you know. It changes a lot of feelings for ourselves and it changes points and what the table looks like. We need to do better with seeing out games, that’s for sure, once we get ourselves in a good position.”
Defensive Errors Under Scrutiny
Lisandro Martínez will not want to watch the goal again. He was closest to the danger when Sandro Tonali‘s cross was floated toward Solanke, and he did not clear the ball. Senne Lammens could also have done better.
Solanke’s goal means Spurs have joined City as the teams to score at Old Trafford this season after having a player sent off. United have now failed to win any of their past three matches against teams with 10 men. In March, they lost 2-1 at Newcastle United after Jacob Ramsey was dismissed. In November, under Ruben Amorim, Everton won 1-0 at Old Trafford despite having Idrissa Gueye sent off for slapping his own teammate.
“It’s definitely something where, 10 men or not 10 men, if we’re ahead in the game, we’ve got to see games out,” Carrick said. “Whether that’s taking the ball, whether that’s controlling the game a little bit more, looking after the ball better in their half and around their box and pinning them in a little bit, or whether that’s defending moments better. Certainly, we need to improve that.”
Baleba Offers Hope
Spurs, who began the day bottom of the table, started brightly, and boos rang out at Old Trafford after just 20 minutes. United were outplayed for large parts of the first half. The energy shifted just before the hour mark, when the £70 million summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, Carlos Baleba, came on for his first appearance. His cameo gave United much-needed hope, but his positive debut was overshadowed by the team’s failure to close out a match it should have won.
United next travel to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, then face Leeds United next weekend. After that comes another demanding European fixture at Como. Carrick insists the core issue is that United have been on the wrong side of fine margins so far this season. He needs that to change quickly.
