Manchester United drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday, as Dominic Solanke headed an equaliser in the 92nd minute. Spurs had been reduced to 10 men after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for head-butting Luke Shaw, and United had led through Bryan Mbeumo midway through the second half.
The home fans had arrived hoping to enjoy themselves at Manchester City’s expense, and their chants before kickoff mocked their neighbours over the scandal that has engulfed the club. Once United took the lead, they also aimed a jibe at Spurs, singing that they were “going down with the City”. By the time referee Stuart Attwell blew the final whistle, however, the crowd’s attention had turned to how United had let the result slip away.
United’s head coach, Carrick, admitted that the performance had been far from convincing. “Massively disappointed with the result for sure,” he said afterwards. “A mixed performance, to be totally honest. I think it was tough. It was challenging for the first period, definitely.”
He also pointed to the progress his side made after the break. “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.”
A worrying pattern
The result leaves United with their worst start after six games of a season since 1986, and the pressure on Carrick is growing. He has never been one to blame his players publicly, and he did not do so again in his post-match news conference, but he has every right to expect more from his side.
Solanke’s header was the third time already this season that United have conceded in stoppage time. Two of those late goals, against Everton and Spurs, have cost the club 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.”
The concern is that United cannot close out games, which points to a fragile mentality and an inability to cope with pressure when it matters most. Lisandro Martínez will not want to see the goal again. He chose to challenge the Spurs striker rather than head the ball clear, and Senne Lammens could also have done better.
Solanke’s goal means Spurs have now joined City in scoring at Old Trafford this season after having a player sent off. United have failed to win any of their past three games 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.”
Early signs from Baleba
Boos rang around Old Trafford after just 20 minutes, as Spurs, who had started the day bottom of the table, began brightly. United were out-played for large parts of the first half, and the frustration returned quickly after the damning guilty verdict against City had briefly taken the focus off United during the international break.
The energy and intent began to change when Carlos Baleba, the £70 million summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, came on for the first time just before the hour mark. His cameo offered much-needed hope for the weeks and months ahead, and it was a positive debut. However, it was overshadowed by United’s failure to get over the line in a game they should have won.
What comes next
United travel to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, before heading to Leeds United next weekend. After that, they face another tough European assignment at Como.
Carrick insists that his biggest issue is that United have been on the wrong side of fine margins so far this season. Those margins need to change quickly if United are to start moving in the right direction.