Matthijs de Ligt extended Manchester Uniteda five-game unbeaten run with an impressive stoppage time score against Tottenham moments after Richarlison He seemed to give Spurs a remarkable victory.
He was booed by his own supporters for being substituted. Javi Simons With Mathis Tel In the 79th minute, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank was cleared when Thel called off the game. Brian MbeumoThe first half equalized the score in the 84th minute. And when Richarlison put Spurs ahead one minute into six minutes of stoppage time, it looked like the home side had mounted an incredible fightback to beat United for a fifth game in a row.
But Spurs saw three points snatched from their grasp when De Ligt headed in a corner in the 96th minute to secure a deserved point for United.
Despite dropping points and a turbulent home crowd, Spurs climbed to third place in the league table. Premier Leaguewhile United remain in contention for a Champions League spot in seventh place. — Ogden
Another stormy day for Frank
Spurs were booed at half-time for the second weekend in a row. The standard whistle was met with disbelief; the result of the last three goals creating an amazing rollercoaster of emotions for all concerned.
When the dust settles, a draw might seem satisfying in some ways. But on the other hand, conceding a goal in the 96th minute from a set piece for a team of 10 players would be a bitter disappointment.
Somewhere in the midst of all this, Frank is made aware of another sign of dissent from the fans, indicating the underlying uneasiness that permeates this club at the moment. With Spurs losing 1-0, Frank decided to replace Simons with Tela in the 79th minute; The decision was met with loud cheers, adding to the pressure on the Tottenham manager as his side faced another day devoid of creativity in front of goal.
And in this context, Tel must turn around in the penalty area and deliver a deflected shot wide Senne Lammens an equalizer after just five minutes would have been a huge vindication for Frank. Persistence with Richarlison when many others could have taken him off also paid off, only for Spurs to lose three points in stoppage time.
The end result is that Spurs sit third in the table at full-time, but Frank knows the job of convincing everyone associated with the club that he can succeed in the job is far from over. — Ollie
Manchester United will miss Mbuemo and Amad Diallo when they go to AFCON
Mbeumo and Amad Diallo have become key members of Ruben Amorim's striker this season and their growing understanding was further demonstrated when Amad's cross set up Mbeumo's goal in the first half.
Mbeumo has scored six goals for United since his £70 million summer transfer from United. Brentford and he made the team much more dangerous moving forward. Meanwhile, Amad has been active since last season, proving that he is 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 be sent to the team. African Cup of Nations (AFCON) next month and could be out for nearly six weeks. Mbeumo presents Cameroon and Amad turns out to be behind Ivory CoastUnited can expect both players to be involved in the knockout stages, so Amorim will need to find a way to replace their attacking qualities at a busy stage of the season.
Joshua Zirkzee has barely scored a goal for United this season and Benjamin Sesco still adjusting to the Premier League after his £74m summer arrival from RB LeipzigSo Amorim has big problems ahead if United are not ready to add to the squad at the start of the January transfer window. — Ogden
Richarlison ends goal drought but Solanke's return vital
It was another difficult day for Redal Redal Reality and for a long time Richarlison. The Tottenham pair started together for the first time, with Richarlison on the left and Kolo Muani in the center in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 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 subsequently struggled with fitness due to a muscle problem. Richarlison was in poor form but his first goal for club or country in 13 appearances – a deft header past Lammens – sparked a euphoric celebration that was more than just cathartic.
De Ligt equalized, leaving Richarlison on his knees in normal time, acknowledging the lost lead, but he must hope his goal will be the turning point.
And yet there remains a feeling that Frank's condition will improve significantly after his return Dominic Solankewho has not played since August after ankle surgery. It is hoped he will be able to play again after the international break this month. Frank really needs it, not only to start, but also to pick up speed as quickly as possible.– Ollie
Cesco is fighting, but Manchester United are not helping him
Cesco has been struggling to prove his worth at Manchester United since his summer transfer and he pulled out of this game through injury, only coming on as a substitute in the 59th minute.
The 22-year-old centre-forward has scored just two goals and one assist for United this season and Amorim admitted before this game that Slovenia International found it difficult to establish themselves at Old Trafford. But for now Cesco ruined a great chance after the midfielder released him late Manuel Ugarte — Cesco appears to have injured himself when challenged by a Spurs defender Mickey van de Ven — United's use of his talents is not helping the striker.
Rather than cross the 6ft 5in striker into the box, United continually pushed Cesco off the field, where his lack of pace and mobility saw him repeatedly lose the ball.
Cesco has his strengths and weaknesses, but United are now playing to his weaknesses. They need to find a way to get him to play centrally and leave wide areas for players who can use the ball – ideally those who can pass to Cesco to convert the cross into the net.
However, when Cesco limped off the field in the 88th minute, leaving United with just 10 men after using all the substitutes, his figure was dismal. He clearly needs to do better, but United must also improve their game to help him. — Ogden
Is United's youth record still valid?
The selection of Jack Fletcher as a Manchester United substitute allowed Amorim to maintain an incredible 88-year club record of having an academy player in the matchday squad for the 4,333rd consecutive game. Injury Kobby Mainu put the record in jeopardy until Amorim selected 18-year-old Fletcher to take his place on the bench.
United have a proud history of producing their own players, from the Busby Babes of 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 and has played for the youth team for the past two years, he actually joined United as a 16-year-old along with twin brother Tyler in a £1.25 million transfer in 2023, spending nine years at the club. Manchester Cityacademy.
So while United maintained their record, it was beginning to seem insignificant and Amorim admitted before the game that Fletcher was only selected because he wanted to continue the historic run. When it's a merit-based record, that's fine. But have United reached the token stage to maintain their record? — Ogden
