Matthijs de Ligt salvaged a dramatic point for Manchester United with a 96th-minute header in a 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Saturday. The Dutch defender powered home from a corner deep in stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations among the away fans and denying Spurs a crucial home victory.
Bryan Mbeumo had opened the scoring for United in the 32nd minute with a superb strike. But Tottenham fought back in the second half through Mathys Tel's equalizer in the 84th minute, before Richarlison appeared to have won it for the hosts in the first minute of stoppage time with a deflected effort from Wilson Odobert's shot.
Defensive collapse after Maguire injury
Harry Maguire's suspected hamstring injury proved a turning point for United. The defender had put in a solid performance before being forced off in the 73rd minute, replaced by Leny Yoro. Manchester United conceded both Tottenham goals after losing Maguire's defensive stability, with the team visibly struggling to maintain their earlier composure.
The visitors were further hampered when Benjamin Sesko went down injured late in the match, forcing them to finish with 10 men after exhausting all substitutions. Despite the numerical disadvantage, United goalkeeper Senne Lammens joined the attack for a late corner, setting up De Ligt's dramatic intervention.
De Ligt acknowledged his frustration despite the late heroics, telling TNT Sports: «Their first goal was a bit lucky, I blocked the ball, it goes in. It's a difficult situation. I'm a bit upset about that, but I'm proud of how the team fought back and got a point at a difficult stadium.» The defender added that United deserved more from the game, feeling they were tired in the second half and struggled to get out of their own half.
The result extended Manchester United's unbeaten run to five matches under manager Ruben Amorim. For Tottenham, it represented a painful missed opportunity, having secured only three home wins in the Premier League throughout 2025 before this match.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
