Tottenham’s Late Point Fails to Hide Finishing Problems
Dominic Solanke salvaged a 1-1 draw for Tottenham at Manchester United with a stoppage-time header, after Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card left Spurs with 10 men. The point spared them a defeat, but not the familiar questions about their finishing. The BBC’s match analysis described Tottenham as wasteful after they began on top and failed to make that control count.
Missed chances and a costly dismissal
Tottenham pressed high and played at pace in the opening half, pinning United back. Solanke, Mohammed Kudus and Conor Gallagher all missed opportunities, extending Spurs’ run without a first-half Premier League goal in 2026 to 18 matches. Their recurring finishing problem again left them needing a response after the break.
United improved after half-time and Bryan Mbeumo put them ahead in the 73rd minute, going past Jan Paul van Hecke before driving the ball into the bottom-right corner. Five minutes later, Bentancur was dismissed after a two-footed challenge on Luke Shaw and a subsequent head movement towards the England defender. Referee Stuart Attwell showed the midfielder a red card.
That left Tottenham facing the closing stages a man down, with the match having shifted from a controlled start to damage limitation. Bentancur’s absence was a significant change in midfield, but his role as an anchor offered no protection from the consequences of the incident.
Solanke provides the late answer
Solanke made amends in stoppage time, glancing Sandro Tonali’s cross beyond Senne Lammens to secure the draw. The equaliser showed the resilience the BBC identified in Tottenham’s response, though it did not erase the missed chances that had put them in trouble. Solanke remains a central attacking outlet, and this late goal interrupted a difficult evening in front of goal.
The result does little to quiet scrutiny of Roberto De Zerbi: the BBC reported that he has won four of his 15 games in charge. Tottenham have shown they can start matches strongly and fight back, but turning those passages into goals and wins remains the task. The point was rescued; the wider problem was not.
