Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Manchester United: 5 talking points as Spurs overturn 2-goal deficit to peg Red Devils back | Premier League 2022-23
Manchester United squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Thursday (April 27). Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford put the Red Devils 2-0 up, but Pedro Porro and Heung-min Son scored to restore parity for Spurs.
In the first half, it was all Manchester United as they piled pressure on their beleaguered hosts, who were coming off a humiliating 6-1 loss to Newcastle in their last game.
Sancho broke the deadlock in the seventh minute with a cool finish before Rashford doubled their advantage with another spectacular effort as Tottenham headed towards another loss.
However, the momentum shifted after the break with the hosts coming flying out the blocks and Porro igniting the comeback with an audacious outside-of-the-boot finish in the 56th minute.
Tottenham continued to press United in search of an equaliser and found it when Harry Kane sent in a cross for Son to convert from close range in the 79th minute.
Manchester United remain fourth with 60 points from 31 games, while Tottenham are fifth with 54, having played two games more. On that note, here are the talking points from the clash:
#5 Manchester United punish Spurs for passive first half
Following a humiliating 6-1 defeat against Newcastle, Tottenham promised to "put things right" against Manchester United in their apology message, but it didn't take long for their promise to fade away.
Spurs fell 2-0 behind in the opening stanza through some passive display. The Red Devils were the more threatening side and hit their beleaguered hosts with fast and clinical attacking play.
Both their finishes were top-notch, while the build-up to the goals were fabulous, too, as Tottenham were exposed at the back. If that wasn't enough, Ivan Perisic missed a great chance to score for Spurs moments before Rashford doubled United's advantage.
Everything that could go wrong for them in the first half, did.
#4 Tottenham fight back in game of two halves
Tottenham were heading towards another heavy loss but sprung to life after the break through goals from Porro and Son to secure a point.
Porro, who had an awful game at St. James' Park last weekend, made up for that with a strike that sparked Tottenham's comeback. Harry Kane's close-range effort was blocked, but the ball fell kindly to Porro, who smashed home on the rebound.
The hosts continued to push for an equaliser and were rewarded for their persistence. Kane found an opening on the right-inside channel and sent in a lovely cross for Son to thump into the far corner.
From being on the verge of a third straight loss to producing an emphatic comeback, Spurs had an impressive half after the break.
#3 Marcus Rashford shows his class
Speaking of individual performances, Marcus Rashford was perhaps the best of the night, bagging a goal and an assist. He was especially menacing in the opening half, with his devastating runs and hold-up ability.
The England international set up Sancho for the opening goal by holding onto possession under pressure from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and offloading to his compatriot to fire home.
He displayed great composure in that moment, but his goal was even better. Bruno Fernandes picked him out with a long range cross. Rashford sprinted forward with electric pace before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the back of the net.
With 29 goals and 11 assists for the season, it's safe to say that he has returned to his best. Should he continue in the same vein next season, Manchester United might not need to invest in a new forward.
#2 Harry Kane passes Manchester United test
If Harry Kane is indeed contemplating moving to Manchester United, he certainly made a good impression on his potential suitors with a brilliant assist. The Tottenham hitman found space in the right-inside channel and laid the ball off for Son on the left to score and bring his team back on level terms.
Minutes before that, Kane had created another wonderful chance for the Korean, holding two Manchester United' players to sprint near the box and send in a longer cross, which Son, albeit, fired narrowly wide.
Nonetheless, both occasions displayed Kane's immaculate creative ability, while his goalscoring record is well-known. He continues to deliver for Tottenham even though his time there could come to an end soon, with United linked with a move for the 30-year-old this summer.
#1 Manchester United's poor substitutions exposes lack of bench strength
Manchester United were great in the first half but allowed Tottenham back into the game. Much of that had to do with poor substitutions that revealed a larger problem plaguing the side at the moment.
Erik ten Hag took a bright-looking Sancho for Anthony Martial, whose poor form continued with another no-show. Wout Weghorst barely added anything meaningful to United's attack after coming on, while Tyrell Malacia had no positional awareness for Tottenham's second goal as Kane ran in behind.
Nevertheless, the Red Devils are on course to finish fourth in the Premier League, but to compete for trophies, they will need to improve their bench strength.