Tottenham 2-2 Man Utd: Ten Hag’s side squander two-goal advantage in Ryan Mason’s second dugout debut
Tottenham battled from behind to pick up a valuable point in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag’s men were running away with things at the break after Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford grabbed devastating first-half goals, but Ryan Mason’s men rallied after the restart and restored parity through Pedro Porro and eventually Son Heung-min.
It was a thriller in the capital — and here is how the players rated:
Tottenham
Fraser Forster – 7 – Produced a stunning Schmeichel-esque block on Rashford in the first half and an equally reflexive save on Wan-Bissaka after Fernandes rattled the bar. The stand-in ‘keeper was hardly responsible for Man Utd’s two goals and came out with his reputation in check.
Pedro Porro – 7 – Attacked with gusto and looked to give Dalot a number of issues on the flank. It was the Spaniard’s 56th-minute strike that inspired Spurs’ comeback.
Clement Lenglet – 5 – Susceptible and leggy at times, the Barcelona loanee was being pulled apart in the first half, but he recovered after the restart to keep a second-half clean sheet.
Cristian Romero – 6 – Put his body on the line in typical Romero fashion and snuffed out danger in aggressive style. He was at sixes and sevens like the rest of Spurs’ backline in the opening 45 minutes, but deserves kudos for coming out strong after the restart.
Eric Dier – 5 – Consistently turned in the first half and had absolutely no chance in a one-v-one for Rashford’s second. He also wasted a gilt-edged chance in the 68th minute after his free header whistled past the post.
Ivan Perisic – 7 – Made a match-saving goal-line clearance in the first half after Sancho’s effort deflected up and evaded Forster. The Croatian also produced Spurs’ first big chance of the game with a glancing header from a corner, forcing De Gea into a strong save. He was relentless on the flank and never shied away from surging forward.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 5 – Lost the ball to Antony rather tamely in the first half that eventually led to Rashford’s goal, while a slopppy challenge elicited a yellow from Anthony Taylor. But much like his team-mates, his second-half showing was chalk and cheese. He was his typically tenacious self, making up for that poor opening.
Oliver Skipp – 6 – Struggled in the first half but made an important block on Rashford when he looked clean through in the second half. Skipp looked devoid of confidence in that opening phase of play, but showed great mental resilience and fortitude to lock down the midfield after the restart.
Richarlison – 5 – Heavily involved throughout the game, but the Brazilian really struggled to consistently cause danger when charging forward. He was lightweight at times and just lacked that bit of cutting edge to change the complexion of the game.
Son Heung-min – 7 – The South Korean was having a quiet game and fluffed a golden opportunity just before he nabbed his equaliser, but the breakthrough eventually came. Ever potent and aware, Son timed his run at the back stick to poke home and snatch Spurs a valuable point.
Harry Kane – 7 – The attacking inspiration in the second half, Kane was making things happen by himself and leading the line with distinction. His through balls were on point and his cross to Son inch perfect.
Substitutes:
Dejan Kulusevski (for Richarlison 60′) – 6 – Changed the complexion of Spurs’ attack when he entered the fray. Very lively.
Arnaut Danjuma (for Porro 76′) – 6 – Brought energy and fresh legs to keep Spurs pushing until the end.
Ben Davies (for Perisic 76′) – 6 – Beefed up the flank and held his own in an already frantic contest.
Japhet Tanganga (for Son 87′) – N/A – Came on as a late substitute.
Man Utd
David de Gea – 6 – The Spaniard has been put under the spotlight in recent weeks, but he produced a number of solid saves tonight when Spurs knocked on the door and asked questions.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6 – Battled hard on the right, the tackle machine stood his ground at times, but he afforded Perisic far too much space in the second half. No doubt a by-product of the booking he picked up, as he stood off.
Victor Lindelof – 6 – Formed an impressive centre-back partnership with Shaw to keep a lock on Kane and Co in the first half. However, his influence waned after the restart, with Kane coming into the contest and starting to dictate.
Luke Shaw – 7 – A match-winning block on Richarlison’s attempted ball across to Porro in the 27th minute, which would have set up a certain goal. And that just about summed up Shaw, who has often been repurposed as a centre-back by Ten Hag. He was a defensive marvel, closing down with a froth-mouthed zeal and aggression.
Diogo Dalot – 6 – Solid enough without making the headlines. Dalot kept his nerve on the left and always offered Man Utd’s an outlet, even when he switched flanks.
Casemiro – 6 – His block and pressure on Perisic for Man Utd’s second encapsulated everything good about him, but that midfield presence weakened after the restart as Spurs came back into the contest.
Christian Eriksen – 7 – Controlled the midfield zone and oozed class. Eriksen purred like an engine until his substitution, spraying passes with the precision of a knife-wielding surgeon and instigating quick transitions. He was Ten Hag’s creative catalyst.
Antony – 6.5 – Fleet-footed and quick, the Brazilian produced a good battle with Perisic and got the better of his Croatian counterpart in spells. Special praise needs to be made for his tackle on Hojbjerg that set up the move for Rashford’s goal.
Bruno Fernandes – 8 – He pulled the strings ‘in the hole’. Ten Hag’s midfield fulcrum was at the heart of everything creative and positive about Man Utd’s play. He popped up in the half space and thrived in claustrophobic spaces. That pass for Rashford’s goal was vision and production at its finest.
Jadon Sancho – 7 – A real menace on the flank against Porro, the England international broke the deadlock early on with a precision strike, and he kept Spurs’ backline on their toes throughout the contest.
Marcus Rashford – 8 – Determination and drive to hold onto the ball for Sancho’s opener, before turning protagonist himself on the stroke of half-time to grab a second for Man Utd. This was Rashford at his very best.
Substitutes:
Anthony Martial (for Sancho 60′) – 5 – Showed a few neat touches but really didn’t offer enough to influence the attacking third.
Fred (for Eriksen 60′) – 5 – Looked out of his depths when he first entered the pitch, but recovered slightly to get into the game.
Tyrell Malacia (for Wan-Bissaka 71′) – 5 – Susceptible defensively as he marauded forward to get involved in attack.
Wout Weghorst (for Antony 71′) – 5 – Brought an aggression and drive, but again not enough to drag Man Utd back into the match.
