Manchester Utd 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Before a watching Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United were an athletic vibrant proposition who came up against the precise same entity in Tottenham in a rip-roarer of an encounter at Old Trafford.
As United’s new incoming 25 per cent owner Ratcliffe could be warmed, too, by the fight and unity of Erik ten Hag’s team, elements that have not always been visible this season. Tottenham, too, showed similar, as they twice went behind and twice fought back to leave Ange Postecoglou’s side departing as they arrived: in fifth place, eight points ahead of United, who are down in seventh with a goal difference of minus five.
That United’s scorers, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund, for a first time registered in the same match which, as the side’s supposed A-list forwards, tells the tale of why the opposition have been breached only 24 times this term.
Højlund’s opener had the stadium exploding three minutes in. Bruno Fernandes’s pass from midfield was a curving moment of high skill because it split open Spurs and had the No 10 galloping in. A clumsy touch took him wide so he cut back across the visitors’ area. Now, Destiny Udogie intervened, his foot inadvertently tapping the ball to Højlund whose blistering finish rifled the roof of the net.
Before and after this Spurs broke along the right but each time a poor delivery had Postecoglou turning away upset. Better was the Brennan Johson chip that gave Timo Werner a chance of debut glory but his header was cleared for a corner by Jonny Evans. When this was delivered Rodrigo Bentancur rose first and was denied an equaliser by Diogo Dalot’s clearance.
In what was already a careering 100mph affair Kobbie Mainoo swivelled balletically to remove Oliver Skipp from the equation and, moments later, dropped a slide-rule perfect ball on to Rashford’s toes as United camped in Spurs’s territory.
And, now, those in white levelled to Postecoglou’s delight and Ten Hag’s despair. Forget all the discourse about the beauty of “Ange-ball” this was route-one ball. Pedro Porro lifted a corner in from the left, Aaron Wan-Bissaka allowed Richarlison to rise unmarked, and the Brazilian’s flick beat André Onana to the United goalkeeper’s left.
Postecoglou was also the happier as his team hogged the ball at around the 60 per cent mark throughout and, when not in possession, were able to force errors from United – Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho were two victims – to claim it back. Ten Hag’s men were potent, though, and might have had a penalty when Udogie wrapped his arms around Garnacho in the area. Referee John Brooks waved away the appeals and the VAR backed the referee to Ten Hag’s disgust.
Ratcliffe, relaxed during an informal pre-game meet-and-greet, was being treated to one of his new team’s better outings. And after Udogie headed a Rashford cross against Guglielmo Vicario’s left post, the same player gave United the lead.
This was a slick pinball-esque sequence that had Højlund pinging to Fernandes whose instant off-lay hit Rashford as he lurked on the left. The No 10′s pass to Højlund teemed velocity but the Dane was cool enough to return it straight away to Rashford, who blazed in for only a fourth in club colours this season.
Advantage United in a contest akin to basketball-on-skates. But, not for long, as Spurs equalised so soon after the whistle for the second half that Ten Hag was not in his seat. This was soft from his charges because Skipp could easily find Werner who could also relax before rolling the ball to Bentancur. The midfielder’s run into the area was imaginative, United’s inability to smell danger odd: the Uruguayan’s strike gave Onana no chance.
United, stunned, needed to respond. Instead, Richarlison won a free-kick, Porro swung in a corner, Højlund was caught offside. Spurs were a streetwise outfit that had backfooted their host so Ten Hag changed Christian Eriksen for Scott McTominay. Suddenly Højlund was burning away from Micky van de Ven, playing a first time since his hamstring injury in November, and who is rapid himself.
But, the Dane could not finish, and neither could McTominay, whose shot rolled wide. Next, Lisandro Martínez replaced Evans, the defender having been out since September due to a foot problem, and he, in added time, saw McTominay spurn a golden chance to head the winner from near-in. – Guardian
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