Manchester United can be happy that their invincibility is still intact. The Red Devils picked up a late point against Tottenham Hotspur, drawing 2-2 in north London, after a largely uninspiring performance from Ruben Amorim’s side.
Last season, the Lilywhites were something of a scarecrow team for United, who lost four times to Spurs. However, when Bryan Mbeumo scored just after the half hour mark, it looked like this streak might be coming to an end.
It was a good goal too, with Amad crossing for the Cameroon striker to head home.
The Red Devils remained passive for most of the match, happy for Spurs to dominate the ball. Eventually, they buckled under the pressure. In the 83rd minute, Mathys Tel saw his shot deflect and pass past Senne Lammens after an excellent play with his back to goal.
Eight minutes later, in the first of six extra minutes, Richarlison headed Wilson Odobert’s shot to head it towards goal. United looked dead and buried, but Matthijs de Ligt was the saviour, heading home Bruno Fernandes’ corner to secure the draw.
It was a lackluster performance from Amorim, with De Ligt a key man at the back.
De Ligt’s stats against Spurs
Dutch international De Ligt rounded off a good week for him personally by scoring on the scoresheet. He was also recalled to the Netherlands squad after a fantastic start to the season at Old Trafford.
His last-gasp header to score a point for United was an impressive effort.
He managed to shake off his marker and headed towards the back post, rising unmarked to head past Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal.
Defensively, the former Ajax star impressed. It was he who deflected Tel’s shot into the back of the net, but it’s hard to blame him after some good play from the centre-forward.
Apart from that, De Ligt made six clearances and three recoveries, operating mainly at right centre-back, having largely intimidated Richarlison in front of him.
The Dutchman’s heroic goal late in the match would have been a relief to United fans and players. That includes another starter, who struggled against the Spurs.
The United star who struggled against Spurs
Despite De Ligt’s performance, United were disappointing against Thomas Frank’s side. It was a largely toothless performance, with Amorim’s team managing just five shots in the entire match.
One of those offensive players who struggled was Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian has shone this season as Amorim’s favorite but, operating as number nine on Saturday, he was largely anonymous.
He certainly had a tough day against Cristian Romero and Mickey van de Ven.
In fact, Cunha failed to really get into the game. The former Atletico Madrid star managed just 35 touches in the 72 minutes he played, fewer than Lammens’ 37.
He also had four touches in the Spurs box and won one of seven ground duels.
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Cunha’s stats against Spurs |
|
|---|---|
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Statistical |
Number |
|
Keys |
35 |
|
Completed passes |
17/24 |
|
Touches in the opposition area |
4 |
|
Ground duels won |
1/7 |
|
Passes into the final third |
2 |
|
Gunshots |
1 |
|
Fotmob Statistics |
|
Well, it was a performance that MEN writer Steven Railston said also seemed to leave a bit to be desired. He gave Cunha a 5/10 for his afternoon’s work and said the 17-cap Brazilian star was “not at his best” at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
This will certainly give Amorim something to think about. United’s next game sees them face Everton, and with two other physically imposing centre-backs in Michael Keane and James Tarkowski, they may decide not to start Cunha against the Toffees.
There are other options if he decides to remove the Red Devils number 10 from the lineup. Benjamin Sesko is, of course, a player who could start, even if he was injured against Spurs. Joshua Zirkzee is another player Amorim could turn to, and his hold-up play could be important against the Toffees.
Whichever move the United boss chooses, he will need his team to create more in the future. On another day they could easily have been put to the sword in north London.
