Copyright Yardbarker
Matthijs de Ligt feels Manchester United deserved more out of the game against Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after not losing in the previous four matches in the Premier League. The match was important for both the heavyweight clubs, as they were pushing to gain momentum ahead of the busy schedule in the winter. The Red Devils had found some confidence in the last four matches after a poor start to the season. Bryan Mbeumo put his team in the lead in the first half with a strong header in the 32nd minute. Spurs responded in the second half with a goal from Mathys Tel in the 84th minute. When Richarlison scored with a header in the 91st minute, it felt like United lost control of yet another game. The Red Devils were also down to 10 men at the end of the game due to Benjamin Sesko’s injury, but defender Matthijs de Ligt displayed extreme grit to score the equaliser to make it 2-2 in the 96th minute and salvage a point for his team. You can also have a look at how each United player fared in our detailed analysis. What did de Ligt say? Meanwhile, after the game, the Dutchman spoke to TNT Sports and expressed his frustration over the first goal that United conceded and also felt that his team deserved more from the game after dominating large parts of the game, only to fade due to fatigue. The former Bayern Munich man also pointed out the team’s fighting spirit in the recent matches. “Luckily, we got a point, I think we deserved more, the way we played. I felt the second half, we were a little tired. We didn’t get the chance to get out of our half. “Their first goal was a bit lucky, 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. “Last year we lost against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham 1-0, but last week and today you see we have the fire in our bellies to fight and get a point. “The season is long, drawing three games is more important than losing. “You saw today we are really dangerous, we have a lot of speed up front, we are really stable, we know our strengths and utilise them. Today we had more opportunities to get in behind them because they are vulnerable, we played a good game, and I think we deserved a little more.” Quote via: BBC What did the Red Devils do wrong against Spurs? Tactically, Manchester United’s primary failure against Tottenham in the 2-2 draw was losing control of the midfield and failing to adapt to Spurs’ second-half pressure after Casemiro was substituted. While United were more dominant in the first half, the tactical switch and subsequent loss of stability allowed Tottenham to increase their intensity and pressing. Instead of effectively managing the game and containing Tottenham’s resurgence, especially after being reduced to 10 men, United’s defence became vulnerable, forcing their defenders into challenging, high-pressure situations. The Manchester club should have adjusted their defensive shape and focused on a more disciplined, reactive approach, soaking up pressure and using their attacking players for counter-attacks, rather than allowing their hard-earned lead to slip away through poor tactical management. If the team needs to achieve sustained success, they need to close out games better and not lose their grip in such important games. When you effectively give away the advantage, through fatigue or whatever reason, any well-oiled big side will punish you, and you will not be able to get the results that you desire.
