Manchester United fought back to draw 2-2 with Tottenham, extending their unbeaten streak to five games! Two key culprits raise concerns; without new signings, Amorim may struggle to get through the season.

Manchester United drew 2-2 away at Tottenham Hotspur, maintaining a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League. Yet, the last two matches were only draws, with Ruben Amorim again missing the opportunity to climb to second place temporarily. The match unfolded similarly to their game against Nottingham Forest: the Red Devils scored first but were overturned in the second half, only for De Ligt to snatch a last-minute equalizer.

As with this season’s away matches against strong teams, Amorim once again deployed a strikerless formation, with Cunha, Mbemo, and Amad Diallo forming a fluid front line. The wing-backs were switched to Patrick Dogu and Mazraoui, while Maguire returned to replace Lenny Yaro.

Amorim placed 18-year-old Jack Fletcher on the bench, continuing the club’s 88-year tradition of fielding at least one academy player in every official match, provided the player is considered a product of the youth system. Since young Fletcher only joined from Manchester City in 2023 and has not been registered for three consecutive years, officially he is not yet regarded as a true Red Devils academy graduate.

Fans hoped to witness a match of higher quality than the Europa League final in May but may have been disappointed. Right at the start, United goalkeeper Sena Lamens made a handling error, gifting a corner kick and setting the tone for the game. However, the match remained fairly lively.

Just past the halfway mark of the first half, Manchester United took the lead. Amad crossed from the right, and Mbemo, playing on the left this match, headed the ball into the net. The 26-year-old Cameroonian international is becoming the team’s key scorer, netting his sixth goal this season.

United ended the first half with a one-goal lead. Early in the second half, Tottenham had several chances to equalize, but the £18 million goalkeeper Lamens made two crucial close-range saves. He first denied Cristian Romero’s shot, then shortly after blocked Pallinia’s low strike.

Brennan Johnson, who scored the winning goal in the Europa League final, did find the back of the net for Tottenham, but the goal was ruled out due to offside.

Manchester United also had opportunities to extend their lead, but unfortunately, Bruno Fernandes missed the target after receiving a brilliant pass from Amad. United failed to capitalize further and ultimately paid the price.

In the second half against Forest, United performed poorly, and Amorim feared a repeat of history. He brought on Mount, Ugarte, and Sesseko in quick succession to try to control the game.

Unfortunately, Ugarte, who replaced Casemiro, was disappointing. Signing him for €60 million has turned out to be a disaster.

Ugarte could have fouled to stop Tottenham’s attack but didn’t, allowing Udoki to cross from the left. Matthis Ter controlled the ball inside the box, turned past De Ligt, and shot. The ball deflected into the net, leveling the score at 1-1.

Sesseko, who joined for €85 million, has scored only 2 goals in 12 matches, a worse start than Hojlund. Amorim defended him before this game, but the 22-year-old Slovenian striker failed to repay the coach’s faith.

Sesseko had a chance for a one-on-one goal but was too slow, allowing the speedy Van der Ven to catch up and slide tackle him. Not only did he waste a golden chance to regain the lead, but he also got injured and had to leave the field. With all substitutions used, United were forced to play with ten men.

Just into stoppage time, Tottenham took the lead. During a right-wing corner attack, Wilson Odobel controlled the ball and shot from outside the box. Richarlison, timing an offside run, flicked the ball into the net, making it 2-1 to Tottenham.

Who was the Manchester United player responsible for the Brazilian forward not being offside? It was Ugarte again!

However, an overjoyed Richarlison forgot his usual curse and celebrated by taking off his shirt, which triggered the opponent’s comeback. In the final seconds, United earned a corner. Goalkeeper Lamens rushed forward, drawing several defenders to the near post. Bruno Fernandes passed to the far post, where De Ligt headed the ball in, securing a dramatic 2-2 escape for United.

In the end, both sides showed expressions of disbelief. Richarlison was nearly in tears as his winning goal was wiped out; United’s coach Amorim was equally shocked, seeing his team squander what should have been a certain victory.

For both teams, the draw might be an acceptable outcome: United extended their unbeaten run, while Tottenham avoided another home defeat. But rather than a win-win, this result feels like a lose-lose.

This season, Tottenham have earned only 4 points at home, earning them a reputation as notorious underperformers on their own turf. Last weekend they lost to Chelsea without a single shot on target in 90 minutes, drawing boos from the crowd. Meanwhile, United have been poor away, winning only one of their last ten away games. To qualify for the Champions League this season, they must improve their away form.

Amorim commented after the match: "It was a complicated game, especially towards the end. Considering the time we led, we should have taken all three points. I believe Manchester United still has much room for improvement and needs to better understand various match situations. Our performance in the final moments was lacking, and overall it wasn’t perfect. Despite losing Maguire, Casemiro, and Sesseko, and conceding two goals, we at least maintained a recent run. There are indeed issues with how we manage match details, but let’s keep moving forward."

United showed good fighting spirit but cannot rely on last-minute dramatic draws every game. If this result is acceptable now, Amorim must worry about the future, especially during the Africa Cup of Nations from late December to mid-January. He must find answers to two major problems:

First, if Mbemo and Amad are unavailable, who will score for Manchester United? If hoping for Sesseko and Zirkzee, it might be better to trust De Ligt and Maguire instead.

Second, with only one match per week now, Casemiro can still last 70 minutes. But during the congested Christmas and New Year schedule, how long can the "Fat Tiger" keep going? And who will replace him when his fitness declines?

Undoubtedly, if Manchester United do not sign players in the January transfer window, achieving a desirable league position this season will remain very challenging. According to the schedule, the next two weeks are international breaks. United will return to Old Trafford on November 25 to face an Everton side in good form this season.

Amorim said: "Next, players will participate in international matches. We will use this time to strengthen the entire team’s capabilities, which will also benefit the club’s development. We also have to check on the condition of injured players."