Solanke’s late header denies United win against 10-man Spurs

Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham leaves them with six points from six league games, their poorest start since 1986, according to The Guardian. Bryan Mbeumo’s 73rd-minute opener was cancelled out by Dominic Solanke in added time, renewing scrutiny of Michael Carrick.

United looked to have taken control when Matheus Cunha supplied Mbeumo, who turned and finished to put the Reds in front. But Tottenham, already trailing, were reduced to 10 men five minutes later after Rodrigo Bentancur’s confrontation with Luke Shaw.

Bentancur was dismissed following a scissor challenge on Shaw and the ensuing clash. Shaw was booked for shoving the midfielder and was fortunate, The Guardian reported, to avoid a red card of his own.

United could not close out the game

Despite their numerical advantage, United could not protect the lead. Sandro Tonali’s floated cross should have been dealt with by Lisandro Martínez, but Solanke won the contest and headed past Senne Lammens to claim his first goal of the season.

The point leaves United 12th, with one league victory so far this season, against Ipswich. Tottenham remain third bottom and winless after six matches.

The Guardian described testing times for both Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi. Carrick wants his side to control matches, but United produced a disjointed display with little control before Mbeumo’s goal. A lead against 10 opponents should have been enough to secure a win; instead, United conceded in stoppage time.

The result also echoes the frustration of the earlier Fulham draw, when United’s tempo and intensity came under scrutiny. Defensive concerns have likewise followed Carrick’s side after they surrendered another advantage.

Pressure remains on both managers

De Zerbi said Tottenham still needed to become a team in how they played for one another, despite their late response. The draw was no straightforward breakthrough: Spurs have now failed to win any of their first six league games for only the fourth time in their history, and remain in the relegation zone.

Both managers still need victories, with United travelling to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. De Zerbi, meanwhile, is taking Tottenham to Marbella for warm-weather training.