Dominic Solanke struck late to salvage a point for 10-man Tottenham at Old Trafford, denying Manchester United the win that would have eased the pressure building around them. Bryan Mbeumo had put United in front, but the home side could not hold on against opponents who finished the game a man down following Rodrigo Bentancur’s dismissal. Luke Shaw was fortunate not to follow the Uruguayan off the pitch, and both goals owed much to losses of defensive concentration rather than attacking invention.
The match arrived in the shadow of a much larger story. Manchester City’s rule breaches have dominated the headlines, shifting attention away from the self-inflicted wounds at both of these clubs. Up in the middle tier of the Stretford End, United supporters restored their ticker counting the years since City last won a trophy outside of Abu Dhabi ownership, retouched to read 51 years and invoiced at the pertinent sum of £114. City’s last trophy before the Abu Dhabi project came in 1976, and the banner’s arithmetic was a year out.
There is little to suggest that City’s troubles will somehow restore United’s former supremacy. The draw made it United’s worst start to a league campaign since Sir Alex Ferguson’s appointment, which will be 40 years ago next month, and only Ipswich have been beaten by United in the Premier League this season. The so-called Carrick bounce has come to a standstill.
United’s plight is sharpened by the money that has passed through the club. A side that once had the financial muscle to match City’s disguised funding has instead become a model for frittering away financial advantages, with the Glazer debt repayments since 2005 amounting to a larger sum than City’s £900m-plus injection of petrodollars.
Tottenham, it can be argued, have been disadvantaged even more by City’s breaches. Their lawyers have laid a legal marker against City over the compensation that could follow the completion of the Premier League process, with Champions League revenue, extra Premier League prize money and attendant endorsements having been lost to a club that was building a new stadium during the disputed years.
What unfolded at Old Trafford was a ragged, largely shapeless affair spread over close to 100 minutes, full of forced and unforced errors. Tottenham counter-pressed with vigour and took control of a midfield area where their opponents’ energy deficit was glaring. Had they shown any nerve in front of goal they could have been out of reach inside the opening half hour. Mohammed Kudus missed a chance that should have been buried, and boos greeted goalkeeper Senne Lammens belting a clearance into the stands.
United’s improvement came with the introduction of Carlos Baleba on the hour. The £70m signing, one of Roberto De Zerbi’s players at Brighton, replaced Youri Tielemans, a Belgian with significant miles on the clock who looks like the latest example of United buying cheap and needing to buy twice.
Baleba’s arrival pushed the game back into United’s hands as Tottenham dropped off, De Zerbi-ball having a habit of heavy legs when the rewards are scarce. Bentancur’s red card replenished Spurs, though, and Solanke’s unconventional late goal arrived as the 10 men pushed forward and United failed to press home their advantage — a pattern all too familiar this season. The anti-City chants fell silent.
Tottenham still lack a first Premier League win and sit third-bottom of a table awaiting asterisks and appendices. If they can start scoring goals, they might be seriously dangerous. For United, meanwhile, wallowing in City’s plight offers little comfort while they remain stuck in the mud themselves.