Matthijs de Ligt’s last-gasp header rescued a 2-2 draw for Manchester United at Tottenham after Richarlison thought he had scored a stoppage-time winner in a chaotic finale.
United led through Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half header until the 84th minute when substitute Mathys Tel’s impressive equaliser kick-started a late comeback for Spurs, who led through Richarlison seven minutes later only to let a second home league win of the season slip away.
A knee injury to substitute Benjamin Sesko – after he wasted a glorious chance immediately following Spurs’ equaliser – left United down to 10, but they somehow clawed their way back as De Ligt headed in from a corner in the sixth and final minute of stoppage time.
Richarlison celebrates scoring to give Spurs the lead in injury time
Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt celebrates with team-mates after scoring a late equaliser in stoppage time
Spurs had never taken the lead after the regulation 90 minutes in a Premier League game and not won, while United became the first team in the competition since August 2012 to score the opening goal, go behind and not lose in successive games.
Victory would have taken either side up to second in the table, but neither showed enough to be worthy of that position in a low-quality game reminiscent of last season’s Europa League final. Spurs end Saturday fifth, while United are eighth.
Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Spurs won all four meetings between the sides last season, including the Europa League final in Bilbao, and continue to be a bogey team for United, whose winless run against this opposition now extends to eight games.
Although Spurs avoided defeat showing spirit to fight back, their wretched home form in the league remains a concern, having claimed just one victory from six against Burnley this season. No ever-present side has fewer home points in the Premier League in 2025.
Despite United extending their unbeaten league run to five games, head coach Ruben Amorim delivered a reality check after the game as he said “we have a lot of problems”.
Frank responds to Spurs fans booing his sub
Tottenham Hotspur’s Mathys Tel celebrates scoring the equalising goal
Spurs fans booed head coach Thomas Frank’s decision to remove Xavi Simons when United were leading, only for his replacement, Tel, to bring them level four minutes and 45 seconds after coming on.
“Sometimes you’re lucky,” said Frank of his substitution. “Every single time I take a decision to sub a player, it is only with one aim: to win the game.”
It was another toothless performance from Tottenham for most of the game, as they failed to register a shot on target until the 54th minute, but Frank remained upbeat with United held to a season-low five shots.
“To play against a Man Utd team that play with confidence with Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko coming on, and we kept them down to five shots,” he said.
“It’s not that easy just to create in the Premier League, even when they had all their big boys out there. That said, our second-half response I was extremely happy with.”
“We’re playing home, of course, we all want to win and don’t talk too much about home form,” added Frank, whose side have taken five points from their six league matches at home.
“I know we need to win before we don’t talk about it. But the way we turned around to stay in the game, kept doing the right thing throughout the second half, very, very happy with that. So close to winning it and on any other day, we win it.”
Amorim: We have a lot of problems
United boss Ruben Amorim was disappointed not to take all three points despite his team being on a five-game unbeaten run, the longest since he has taken charge.
Nottingham Forest scored twice in two minutes to overturn United’s advantage in the second half last Saturday before Amad Diallo’s stunning volley clawed back a point late on in a 2-2 draw.
It was a case of deja vu at Spurs and Amorim’s response delivered a reality check for United, who once again struggled after Casemiro was taken off.
“We have a lot of problems,” said Amorim. “We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving, but we have a lot to do.
“You can divide the game in the final 10 minutes, also when we have to take out Harry Maguire and Casemiro at the same time, then suffer two goals, then losing [Sesko], even before the second goal with a big opportunity.
“To play with 10 men, but then to overcome everything and to manage to score, is a good thing, but if you look at the rest of the game, we were comfortable.
“I think we should do better, be more aggressive, feeling the environment in the stadium.
“The three points were there, the space was there, and I think we felt too comfortable during the game, and we need to expect that in one play anything can happen and change the mood of the stadium, and today was that.
“We controlled the game well, but we need to do better, because the game was there for the taking.”
