Spurs equalise twice to ruin Ratcliffe debut as Manchester United shareholder
Tottenham Hotspur twice came from behind to deny Manchester United victory in front of their new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Sunday.
Richarlison and then Rodrigo Bentancur cancelled out strikes by Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford as Spurs moved to within goal difference of the Premier League top four.
“I’m delighted,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said. “I thought we played really well. It wasn’t the greatest of starts being a goal down, particularly here. Our response was outstanding and our football after that was really good.
“In the second half we really controlled the game.”
Ratcliffe was present for United’s first home game since his deal for a 25 per cent stake was announced last month and the team’s familiar failings underlined the scale of his task.
‘Ratcliffe saw great goals’
“I think it was a very intense game. It was a very good game for the audience,” Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag said.
“When you analyse the game and look back, we are slightly disappointed because we were twice up and you concede some soft goals like we did.
United got off to the perfect start in the third minute when Hojlund seized on disarray caused by Rashford’s dribble to smash a rising drive past Guglielmo Vicario at his near post.
Having waited 15 top-flight games for his first Premier League goal, the Dane looked eager to make up for lost time as he made it two in two.
Tottenham soon fought back and man-of-the-match Bentancur’s header forced Diogo Dalot to clear off the United goalline before the visitors found an equaliser.
Again the hosts failed to deal with a cross whipped into their penalty area and Richarlison leapt highest to send a glancing header inside the far post.
Rashford restored United’s advantage at the end of an action-packed first half when he played a one-two with Hojlund and stroked a low finish into the far corner.
But within a minute of the second period starting Bentancur had equalised, firing past Andre Onana from a similar position to Hojlund.
To add insult to injury he was set up by debutant Timo Werner, a player who United looked at before the former Chelsea forward joined Spurs on loan last week. Ten Hag’s men remain seventh in the league, eight points off the top four.
Earlier in the Premier League, Aston Villa missed the chance to go joint top in a goalless draw with Everton.