De Ligt snatches last-gasp draw for Manchester United in chaotic finale at Spurs

How to make sense of a match that, so low on quality for the majority, swung in every conceivable direction in its final 15 minutes? Tottenham were on the brink of a potentially transformative win for Thomas Frank when Mathys Tel, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, equalised out of nowhere before Richarlison glanced in an apparent clincher early in added time.

It would have been their first league victory at home since the opening day but then Matthijs de Ligt, getting on the end of a deep corner with virtually the final action, extended Manchester United’s run of encouraging form. Head scratching was the only response; from Frank’s point of view at least Bryan Mbeumo, his former charge at Brentford, had not decided matters with his first-half header.

In the opening half hour this could have been a meeting of last season’s nervous, scratchy sides. There was no Europa League at stake this time and certainly nowhere to hide for Senne Lammens when, within a minute, he let De Ligt’s short, backward-aimed free-kick slide under his boot for a corner. The set-piece was duly overhit and the scruffy, error strewn proceedings that followed were entirely of a piece.

When Xavi Simons, starting in an outwardly more attack-minded Spurs lineup than had laboured miserably against Chelsea, burst inside from the left he spoiled all the good work by falling over. Brennan Johnson, sent off against Copenhagen in midweek but maybe deployed here with his Bilbao heroics in mind, then threatened on the opposite side but ran the ball out. Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison had been selected in attack but any added intent was rarely matched by cohesion.

Mathys Tel drills home an equaliser for Spurs in the second half. Photograph: Martin Dalton/Shutterstock

Nonetheless Johnson chipped over an enticing cross in the 16th minute and, in front of goal, Richarlison should have done better than brush the ball well wide off his shoulder. Pape Matar Sarr blasted wildly off target soon afterwards and United, perhaps spooked by Frank’s boldness at the outset, began to assume broad control.

Matheus Cunha danced through, via a ricochet off Cristian Romero, but his shot deflected wide. The opener had not exactly been signposted but Mbeumo, whose early efforts had amounted to unsuccessful stabs at staying onside, was clinical when his chance came. Tottenham were closed down in their own box, twice fluffing opportunities to simply get rid, and eventually found themselves out of shape when Amad Diallo weighted a delivery from the right. It perfectly located Mbeumo, not a noted aerial threat and entirely unattended, for a precise header past a rooted Guglielmo Vicario.

“Champions of Europe we know what we are,” the home choirs had sung earlier. But now the grumbling resumed and the thought occurred that nobody, at this point, really knows how today’s iteration of Spurs would identify. Johnson, a conundrum of his own, drew sighs when his next cross drifted deep behind Lammens’ goal. Pedro Porro caused similar exasperation before the interval and Spurs, concerningly for a recalibrated lineup, looked to be running out of ideas already.

Bryan Mbeumo heads in the opener for Manchester United at Tottenham. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Frank looked to put that right by introducing Wilson Odobert for the under-involved Kolo Muani at half-time. But United showed first on the resumption when Cunha, twisting inside the area, could not locate an onrushing teammate and the visitors had come to look more precise in all departments.

That included between the posts. In the 54th minute Spurs, whose expected goals figure had been 0.07 in the opening period, finally created a chance worthy of the name. It was flicked towards goal on the volley by Romero, only six yards out, and somehow diverted wide by Lammers using a knee. Soon afterwards a deep set-piece caused United problems and, from the second ball, João Palhinha unloaded a tumbling volley that Lammers parried to his left. A glum venue reawoke.

Johnson did manage to beat Lammers but only after a flag had been raised; Richarlison, his provider, would have been better off finding a frustrated Odobert to his left. Next Odobert was given Destiny Udogie for company down that flank; the Italian’s first act was to find a glorious position near the byline but centre straight to Bruno Fernandes as teammates lay in wait.

Fernandes then lofted over from an increasingly rare United foray. Spurs’ brief flush of momentum had evaporated, boos greeting a Richarlison pass that was easily intercepted by Diallo. But then Tel, who had replaced Simons, made a low Udogie cross stick and turned sharply eight yards out. The net bulged, via a snick off De Ligt, and Frank leapt from his bench.

It had nothing on the celebrations that followed when Richarlison achieved full redemption, glancing in Odobert’s shot, but De Ligt would have the final say at the death.