Manchester United stretched our unbeaten run to five matches after Matthijs de Ligt’s header deep into injury time rescued a valiant point at Spurs.
Prior to a helter-skelter climax, it looked like the Reds were holding on for a brilliant victory after Bryan Mbeumo continued his rich vein of form and scored his fifth goal of the season.
But late goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison flipped the thrilling match completely on its head, and it appeared to be a heartbreaking conclusion.
However, United’s spirit shone through, and with everyone including goalkeeper Senne Lammens forward for a corner, our Dutch defender wriggled free in the sixth minute of stoppage time to take a point back to M16, much to the joy of the supporters at the other end of the stadium.
FIRST HALF - MORE BRILLIANCE FROM BRYAN
United made a nervy start, as De Ligt’s backpass was miskicked by Lammens and the ball trickled out for a very early corner.
It took a quarter of an hour for the first chance to arrive and it came the way of the hosts. Brennan Johnson clipped in a tempting cross towards Richarlison, who really should have done better with his header.
We may have failed to register a shot in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League game for the first time this season, but the tempo was quick to increase.
First, Matheus Cunha was kept at bay by Pape Matar Sarr, before more good work from the forward had our fans behind the goal appealing for a penalty. It wasn’t forthcoming, but the opener was.
Mbeumo profited from a delicious Amad delivery, before the in-form forward squeezed between Johnson and Pedro Porro and planted his header perfectly into the corner of the net.
Mbeumo just loves playing Spurs. He has now had a hand in six goals across his last five league games against Tottenham Hotspur, and his fifth Premier League goal for Ruben's Reds further underlined his flying start.
The first half was a tale of one header taken and one not, and United went in ahead.
SECOND HALF - AGONY THEN ECSTASY
Spurs, who hadn't lost any of their four league games this season that have come after playing in Europe in midweek, threw everything at us early in the second half.
Lammens saved instinctively and impressively from Cristian Romero’s flick before he then denied Joao Palhinha.
With Ruben Amorim attempting to stem the flow with a tactical change, Benjamin Sesko was introduced for Noussair Mazraoui. Amad moved to wing-back as we were forced to sit a little deeper.
Johnson, who of course scored the only goal in May’s Europa League final between the two clubs, had the ball in the net. But unlike in Bilbao, this time it didn’t stand, the Welsh forward straying offside.
United’s switches appeared to have stifled Spurs, with much of their attacking intent seen in the opening to the second half now contained. But from nowhere, things changed.
Tel, thanks to a slight deflection, put the home side on level terms. De Ligt was so unlucky as the France international substitute powered his shot beyond Lammens to restore parity.
It wasn’t the end of the scoring, and Spurs were the ones to strike next, but only after Micky van de Ven had brilliantly denied Sesko. The Slovenian pulled up injured, leaving United with 10 men to see out the game.
That soon became costly as another Tottenham replacement, Wilson Odobert, let fly from the edge of the box, his shot grazed the forehead of Richarlison and found the net.
Defeat from the jaws of victory? Not quite.
The scoring wasn’t done there and when Bruno Fernandes went deep with his corner, there was an unchecked De Ligt to send the supporters wild at the other end. The Dutch defender headed home to rescue a point when it was the least the team deserved.
MATCH DETAILS
Spurs: Vicario; Porro (Udogie 67), Romero (Danso 88), Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha (Bentancur 79), Sarr; Johnson, Simons (Tel 84), Richarlison; Kolo Muani (Odobert 46).
Subs not used: Kinsky, Rowswell, Akhamrich, Scarlett.
Goals: Tel 84, Richarlison 90+1
Booked: Johnson, Romero, Palhinha, Richarlison, Danso.
United: Lammens; De Ligt, Maguire (Yoro 72), Shaw; Mazraoui (Sesko 58), Casemiro (Ugarte 72), Fernandes, Dorgu (Dalot 80), Amad, Mbeumo, Cunha (Mount 72).
Subs not used: Bayindir, Heaven, J Fletcher, Zirkzee.
Goals: Mbeumo 32, De Ligt 90+6
Booked: Dorgu.