Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday was decided by a 92nd-minute equalizer from Dominic Solanke, leaving United with their worst start to a season after six games since 1986. Bryan Mbeumo had given United the lead midway through the second half, but Tottenham, down to 10 men after Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card for head-butting Luke Shaw, struck late.
The home crowd had arrived ready to mock rivals Manchester City, whose case had just produced a damning guilty verdict from the Premier League. Chants of “You cheating bastards, you know what you are” rang out before kickoff, and the fans added a jab at Spurs with “You’re going down with the City.” Once referee Stuart Attwell blew the final whistle, however, the focus had shifted to United’s own problems.
Carrick said he was “massively disappointed with the result.” He described a “mixed performance” and said it had been “challenging for the first period.” He added that United had improved in the second half and had put themselves in a strong position late on, but had failed to finish the job.
Late goals raise questions for Carrick
The result puts pressure on Carrick, though he did not blame his players and again chose not to in his post-match news conference. He did, however, make clear that he expects more. Solanke’s header was the third time this season United have conceded in stoppage time, and two of those goals, against Everton and Tottenham, have cost the club four points.
“That changes a lot of things, you know,” Carrick said. “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.”
Lisandro Martínez will not want to watch the goal again. He was dancing around Solanke when Sandro Tonali’s cross came in, and Senne Lammens could also have done better. The pattern points to a fragile mentality and an inability to handle pressure when it matters most.
Struggles against teams with 10 men
Solanke’s goal means Tottenham have joined City in scoring at Old Trafford this season after having a player sent off. United have now 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 beat them 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. He pointed to ways to improve, including keeping possession, controlling the game, looking after the ball better near the opposition box, and defending key moments more effectively.
Early impact from Baleba
United’s performance was largely nervous and disjointed, and Tottenham, who had started the day bottom of the table, were the brighter side for much of the first half. Boos rang out around the stadium after just 20 minutes. The mood began to change when Carlos Baleba, the £70 million summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, came on for his first appearance just before the hour mark. His energy and intent lifted the side, and his debut was positive, though it was overshadowed by United’s failure to hold on to a winning position.
Busy run of fixtures ahead
United travel to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, then face Leeds United next weekend. After that comes another demanding European fixture at Como. Carrick insists his biggest issue is that United keep falling on the wrong side of fine margins. He will need that to change quickly if the club is to start moving in the right direction.
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