Late Heroes and Last-Second Drama: De Ligt’s Header Stuns Spurs as United Grab 2-2 at Tottenham

Match Recap

Manchester United earned a precious point at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw on matchday 11. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for United in the 32nd minute, finishing a well-worked move from Amad Diallo.

Tottenham answered late, with Matías Teel striking in the 84th minute and Richarlison nodding home in stoppage time at 90+1, before Matthijs de Ligt rose highest to head in the late equalizer for United at 90+6.

Tottenham sit on 18 points, occupying third place, while United edge closer on goal difference to the middle of the table, currently in seventh. The dynamic between the teams reflected the tightness of the league this season and the volatility of North London derbies.

Lineups and Key Moments

Tottenham’s Danish coach Thomas Frank deployed an attacking setup behind a front trio, with Brennan Johnson, Ko Mwane and Richarlison among the options, while Mohamed Kudus was unavailable due to injury.

Manchester United, under Ruben Amorim, made several adjustments by starting Nassir Mazraoui and Patrik Durgo on the wings, with Amad Diallo leading the line alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Matías Conía. The opening stages remained tight until United broke through with a well-placed finish from Mbeumo following a cross by Diallo.

From there, Tottenham pushed for an equalizer, threatening through wide play and late runs, but United’s rearguard held firm until the later stages. The turnaround came when Teel and Richarlison struck in quick succession, only for De Ligt’s last-gasp header to steal a point for United in stoppage time.

As the dust settled, the match provided more questions than answers for both camps: Tottenham’s pattern of conceding first continues to haunt them, while United’s evening of tactical tinkering yielded a dramatic finish and a point that could prove crucial as the season unfolds.