Late Drama as De Ligt Header Secures Draw in United-Spurs Thriller
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur shared the spoils in a pulsating 2-2 draw that featured three goals in the final minutes, leaving both clubs unable to claim second place in the Premier League standings on Saturday.
Matthijs de Ligt’s powerful 96th-minute header rescued a point for United, neutralizing what seemed to be a stunning comeback victory for Spurs, who had turned around a deficit in the closing stages through goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison.
The result extends United’s unbeaten streak to five matches, though their eight-game winless run against Spurs continues. Both teams now sit on 18 points after 11 matches, with Tottenham holding third place while United remains seventh on goal difference.
Bryan Mbeumo, United’s £65 million summer acquisition from Brentford, continued his impressive form by opening the scoring in the 32nd minute. The Cameroonian, fresh off winning October’s Premier League Player of the Month award, connected with Amad Diallo’s cross to net his fourth goal in as many games.
Tottenham, coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss to Chelsea, showed more attacking intent after the break. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was forced into crucial saves from Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha, while Brennan Johnston had a goal disallowed for offside.
The match sparked to life in the final minutes when Tel, a substitute, equalized with a deflected shot off De Ligt following Destiny Udogie’s cross. Richarlison, who celebrated emotionally by removing his shirt, then appeared to win it for Spurs in the 91st minute, converting Wilson Odobert’s curling effort.
However, De Ligt had the final say, meeting Bruno Fernandes’ corner with an unstoppable header past Guglielmo Vicario. “Luckily, we got a point, I think we deserved more the way we played,” De Ligt told TNT Sports. “I’m proud of how the team fought back and got a point at a difficult stadium.”
The result maintains both teams’ mixed fortunes, with Spurs still seeking their first home league victory since the season opener, while United manager Ruben Amorim continues to rebuild following their Europa League final defeat to Spurs in May, which cost them Champions League qualification.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank, despite facing some criticism from fans over his substitutions, remained optimistic: “I take a lot of positives out of this performance. There is definitely something to build on, but we want to do so much better.”
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