After 72 laboured minutes, this match was lit up by a moment of quality. Matheus Cunha was fed by Luke Shaw down the left and the Brazilian crossed to Bryan Mbeumo, who spun and finished for Manchester United.
It drew delirious chants of “you’re going down with the City” with Spurs, at that stage, rock bottom of the Premier League and Manchester City’s long-term future in the division in question.
Uglier scenes followed for Spurs when Luke Shaw chased Bruno Fernandes’ ball, leading Rodrigo Bentancur to launch an ugly scissor challenge that, if it had connected with the left-back, might have caused serious injury.
An incensed Shaw, surely reminded of his horrific double-leg break sustained 11 years ago at PSV, hared after Bentancur and shoved him over. Up came the midfielder to push his head into Shaw’s, who went down as a melee ensued.
Stuart Atwell sent Bentancur off and the referee issued yellow cards to Shaw – lucky to escape a red, too, for the push – and Jan Paul van Hecke.
All of this followed what had been a near snoozefest in which Spurs could not finish and United were disjointed: the tale, in microcosm, of their seasons.
There was more, though, as Tottenham registered an added-time equaliser and only their third league goal this season. Senne Lammens and Lisandro Martinez were United’s culprits as Sandro Tonali’s floated cross from the left should have been cleared by the Argentine but, instead, Dominic Solanke out-fought him and headed past Lammens, who watched it go in.
While averting a fourth defeat, Spurs still remain winless after their opening six league games for only a fourth time. This draw means there is no clear answer to the pre-game question of which manager is under more pressure, as both Roberto De Zerbi and Michael Carrick remain in need of a victory.
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When the Italian scans the table, he will see his beleaguered side off the bottom but still in the relegation zone, while Carrick’s United remain in 12th and with a solitary three points.
De Zerbi now takes his squad to Marbella for warm-weather training, while Carrick’s men are at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League. They both need to conjure something.
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