Manchester United missed the chance to secure their second Premier League victory of the season, being held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham at Old Trafford despite taking the lead and playing against ten men in the closing stages.
The draw compounds a disastrous start to the campaign for Michael Carrick’s side, who have managed just 6 points from their opening 6 matches—representing United’s worst start in 40 years, stretching back to the 1986–1987 season.
Tottenham were the better side during the first half, though they failed to convert their dominance into goals, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens rescuing the hosts by denying Dominic Solanke.
United snatched the lead in the 73rd minute when Matheus Cunha picked out Bryan Mbeumo, who shook off his marker and drilled a low shot past Antonín Kinský into the back of the net.
The match appeared to be heading securely in the hosts’ favor after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in the 78th minute for a headbutt on Luke Shaw, leaving ten-man Tottenham with an uphill battle.
However, Dominic Solanke stunned the Old Trafford faithful by grabbing an equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time, capitalizing on a cross from Sandro Tonali and a defensive error by Lisandro Martínez inside the box.
United have recorded just a single victory this season—coming against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford—alongside 3 draws and 2 defeats. Furthermore, the team is now winless in their last four matches, sitting in 12th place with 6 points.
These statistics echo the start of the 1986–1987 season, which saw Ron Atkinson dismissed and Alex Ferguson appointed in November. Carrick now faces mounting pressure ahead of Manchester United’s trip to face Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
