Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham: Premier League – live reaction

Jamie Jackson was at Old Trafford tonight, and his report is in. Here it is! Love and kisses to Rodrigo Bentancur, by the sounds of it, then … and indeed to you, dear reader, for sticking with this MBM.

Roberto De Zerbi talks to Sky Sports. “We played very well against one great team … in the first half we had total control of the game … many chances … three or four clear chances … we didn't score … the second half is the normal suffering against the quality of these players … but I'm very happy because I have seen the right spirit … the right character … this reaction … this behaviour … today we showed we are a team for the first time this season … we played as a team … we suffer … we dominate … I liked the situation with the red card … we needed it … not to bring the red card … but we did not accept the defeat … we had to react … it is a bad way, not the right way, but I kissed Bentancur in the dressing room … because we needed this reaction … football is character … if we become every game like today, we are going to win many games … [Dominic Solanke is] a great guy, great player … we are altogether behind him … if we play as a team, we will score many goals … if we don't it is impossible.â€

Coming up in the next 11 days for Manchester United: Atletico Madrid (a), Leeds (a), Como (a). During the same period, Tottenham Hotspur welcome Coventry City to the Lane for Monday Night Football.

Going The Extra Yard dept. Sky have just flashed up this stat: United collectively covered 113.5 kilometres tonight, while Spurs managed 118.1 kilometres.

Michael Carrick, slightly deflated, speaks to Sky. “Real mixed … a mixed game … we found it tough in the first half … challenging … it just wasn't quite there … wasn't clicking … caught on the ball … a little it late with the press… leaving spaces … a number of things, really … we warmed to the game as it progressed in the first half … then came out second half and was much, much better … there were so many different things we needed to improve and to be fair we did … got ourselves in a really good position … spirit … belief … it's obviously a bad goal … it kind of sums up things … very disappointed … Bryan [Mbeumo] has done great … he's doing really well for us … we've been up in games … to not take all the points … everything feels very different … we make it a little bit more difficult for ourselves … we can defend the whole phase better as a team … I thought it was a red card … there are certain things we can improve on … stay positive … do better … it's a big challenge, a great challenge, and we are more than capable of winning games.â€

Spurs starting captain – and injury-time goalscoring hero – Dominic Solanke speaks to Sky Sports. “We dominated … was on top throughout the first half … we wasn't clinical enough … the story of the season so far … to get a point in the end, we'll take it … the character shown from the team today was magnificent … a few times last season when we went a goal down, we didn't react in the right way … but today we showed so much fire and grit … the mentality we want to show in every game … I probably should have had a hat-trick today … I really wanted to get a goal … I showed great fight [for the equaliser] … a deft touch into the far corner … so happy … I wanted to make up for the missed chances I had and I'm grateful I did that … [starting the game as captain] is something I'll remember for the rest of my career … [the result] is something to build on … we're so close … we just need a little spark and everything will click … hopefully this is the start of something good.â€

Post-match postbag (red-card brouhaha edition). “If there was a case for an infra-red card, then Bentancur would have one – completely out of control on Fernandes, followed by the violent conduct on Shaw. However, Shaw should probably have gone too – deservedly booked for the push, but that fall when Betancur lightly touched his forehead was worthy of Olivier†– Andy (not that one) Flintoff

“I get the red card for Spurs. But Shaw kicked it off by shoving him of the pitch†– Mary Waltz

“Shaw deserved two yellows: 1. Push. 2. Simulation. It's not not simulation because the opponent leaned forward first. Shaw responded in kind by leaning forward himself to draw contact — without which there's no foul†– Mike Chiropolos

“It's come to something when Lisandro Martinez is the calming influence†– Adam Roberts

Post-match postbag (red-card brouhaha aside). “There was an awful lot of talk about Baleba needing to take control of United's failing midfield. I know it's early days yet but he certainly did that since he came on. He lifted everyone around him, and the crowd too. Quite the debut!†– Justin Kavanagh

“Perhaps United fans will explain but I'm quite baffled by the fuss around Mainoo. Clearly, Tielemans was struggling today but that moment when him and Mainoo appeared to be struggling to run back seemed amazing for such a young player. Or could he just not be bothered?†– Stephen McCrossan

“Have any of the people on the pitch ever actually played, or even seen, a game of football before? I ask because the overwhelming evidence, after some 68 minutes of gametime, is that they haven't†– Jim Morrish

“I'm not watching the game, but the phrase ‘two bald men fighting over a comb' springs to mind†– Simon McMahon

“Disappointing result for the neutrals. United in a relegation battle still retains comedy value, but with Spurs it just feels routine these days†– Tim Woods

“Both teams deserved to lose. What Man City did to football in reality, Utd and Spurs have done aesthetically†– David Scahill

A point is the least Tottenham deserved. They were much the better side for the most part, carving out a series of big chances that they butchered in an impressively wide range of styles. So from their point of view, they'll wonder how on earth they didn't come away with all three points. But two things can be true at once, and Manchester United will be asking themselves exactly the same question. Having clung on, then made the breakthrough, their reward for an improved second-half showing, how did they fail to get over the line against ten men? The final xG of 0.77 to 1.56 suggests Spurs will be the more frustrated, but in truth it's one of those games where neither team will be pleased, but both will be relieved, for differing reasons, not to have lost. Manchester United remain in 12th spot, while Tottenham Hotspur peel themselves off the bottom.

The whistle goes. Another smattering of boos for the home side, but not half as loud as the ones that met them at the break.

90 min +9: Baleba lashes another long-range shot over the bar. That should be about that.

90 min +8: Gray rugby-tackles Heaven, and the referee's card pops up, toaster-style, once again.

90 min +7: Fernandes takes the Tottenham free kick, but it's no good.

90 min +6: Tonali prepares to bust into space down the inside-left channel, only to be clipped late by Dalot, who goes into the book. A free kick. All of Tottenham's big men go up for the set piece.

90 min +5: A double change for United, who send on Heaven and Rashford for Cunha and Shaw.

90 min +4: United had looked suddenly shaky since the announcement of eight additional minutes, and paid the price. Maguire tries to reply with a fierce drive that warms Kinsky's palms. Neither team looks in the mood to declare.

A slow-motion equaliser! Tonali clips a cross in from the left-hand edge of the United box. Solanke wrestles with Martinez, eight yards out, and wins the tussle, flicking a header across Lammens and into the bottom right!

90 min: Dalot is sent into space on the overlap down the right. He cuts back for Cunha, who shoots towards the bottom right. Van Hecke slides in to block, and Kinsky claims. Cunha claims a handball, but that's never going to be given. There will be eight additional minutes,

89 min: Senesi comes on for Fernandes. One of United's failed summer transfer targets is booed in the pantomime style upon his arrival.

87 min: Maddison prepares to advance down the left when Martinez slides in late. Another yellow card. Suffice to say this game continues to putter away on the stove, ready to spill over at any moment.

85 min: Baleba sends a clever long pass down the United right. Mbeumo beats Senesi in a foot race, and shoots from the edge of the box. Kinsky parries around the right-hand post.

83 min: Fernandes lands on Van Hecke's achilles. It's not a great challenge, and he's booked. The Spurs players want more, but they're not getting their wish.

82 min: Shaw's reaction amid all of that wasn't great … but then he's been on the end of a dreadful tackle before, and at great and lengthy cost, so you can perhaps understand how his buttons were pressed.

80 min: In the dugout, De Zerbi sits quietly seething. How have his team got themselves into this mess?

78 min: It's red for Bentancur. Yellows for Van Hecke and Shaw. That escalated in super-fast time. Old Trafford really bubbling now!

77 min: It all kicks off! Big style! Shaw intercepts Van Hecke's loose ball out from the back and hares off down the left. Van Hecke, haring out to make good his mistake, lunges into a challenge that nearly takes out both Shaw and Fernandes. The latter goes over; the former keeps going … only to be nearly scissor-tackled by Bentancur, who misses his man by inches. Shaw, who had hurdled the wild challenge, comes haring back at Bentancur and shoves him hard in the chest, sending him flying off the pitch. Bentancur springs up and, with Shaw going nose to nose, reacts with a butt. Shaw reels back, holding his face, after a fashion. Cue an old-school bench-emptying melee on the touchline!

76 min: Spurs are up against it now all right, because they haven't won in the Premier League after conceding first for 48 games. Everton and Leeds are next with nine!

74 min: Spurs respond by sending on Maddison and Van de Ven. Udogie and Gallagher make way.

United have been second best for the majority of this match, but now look! Cunha probes down the left and cuts back for Mbeumo, who isn't closed down by Van Hecke. He's got just enough time and space to turn and thread a shot across Kinsky and into the bottom right! Lads, it's the same old story.

72 min: Maguire takes a whack from 25 yards. Blocked. A bit early to get this desperate, surely, though it worked against Ipswich I guess.

71 min: Gallagher busies himself down the right, released into a little space by Savio's cute pass. But the eventual cross is no good.