Tactically, you have to take this match in order. Tottenham dominated the first half. Solanke had a shot blocked by Senne Lammens in the 3rd minute, Kudus put one wide in the 21st. After the break, Luke Shaw pushed away a Savinho shot, and Solanke tried again without hitting the target. Then Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for Manchester United in the 73rd.
And Tottenham finished with ten against eleven, after Bentancur was sent off. The sort of situation where, on my team sheet folder (the farde, in Belgian clubs), I write in red: shut up shop, hold on.
Except no. In stoppage time, Sandro Tonali crosses, Solanke wins his header against Lisandro Martinez, and it’s 1-1. With ten. At Old Trafford.
Playing with ten, I know that one. I’m not saying it’s the same thing, but the principle, I work on it. With us, we’re often down to ten because someone has gone to pick up the kids in the 70th minute. The block tightens, the intentions stay attacking, and we aim for the far post. The level in the third provincial division (Belgium’s Sunday amateur leagues) has gone way up, people don’t realise.
What I keep above all is Roberto De Zerbi’s line after the match: “I want to see the same character, the same personality that we showed this afternoon.” I ask my players for character too, on Sundays at three o’clock, when it’s pouring and pitch 2 slopes down towards the clubhouse bar.
On the other side, Michael Carrick said: “It’s not nice, it really hurts because this club means a lot to me.” That one I understand as well. Conceding in the 92nd minute against ten, I’ve taken that feeling home in a cone of chips.
A point with ten men, that’s historic. I’m weighing my words.
Tottenham stay 18th with 3 points and still haven’t won in the league. United are 12th with 6 points. Next week the Spurs host Coventry City, and United travel to Atlético Madrid. A flat pitch away, mind you.
It’s true, we checked: L'Avenir.
