Man United drew 2-2 with Tottenham: Mbeumo shined, Ugarte disappointed

Matthijs de Ligt's late header earned Manchester United a point in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, capping a tense 90 minutes in which Ruben Amorim's side led for much of the game but could not break away. The result saw United miss out on the chance to move up to second place, with memories of last season's Europa League final defeat to Spurs still fresh.

Mbeumo shines in a strikerless system

Amorim continued to stick to a pure strikerless structure. This time, Bryan Mbeumo was deployed on the left, with Amad replacing Mason Mount in the central attacking group. Tottenham went into the game with worrying home form – just four points so far this season – after sacking Ange Postecoglou and appointing Thomas Frank. Frank rated Mbeumo highly, and the 26-year-old responded immediately with a performance worthy of being named October Player of the Month.

In the 32nd minute, Mbeumo opened the scoring with a header into the top corner after a clever cross from Amad. It was a typical move for Amorim: pulling the opposition defense out wide, creating space for a penetration at the far post. A week earlier, Man United also opened the scoring early (in the 34th minute) against Nottingham Forest. However, the away problem was still not solved: before the trip to Tottenham, the Red Devils had won only 1/10 recent away games.

In the back, goalkeeper Senne Lammens – a signing from Royal Antwerp – continued to provide composure, with a crucial close-range save from Cristian Romero in the second half preventing a repeat of the Forest nightmare as United failed to extend their lead.

The bottleneck called Ugarte

After the break, Amorim made an adjustment: Benjamin Sesko replaced Noussair Mazraoui, Amad moved back to play right-back. This adjustment immediately created a good chance for Bruno Fernandes but the shot was inaccurate. Unable to widen the gap, Man United paid the price.

Tottenham equalized thanks to Mathys Tel. In the phase leading to the goal, Manuel Ugarte handled the ball indecisively, allowing Pape Matar Sarr to escape before De Ligt was passed by Tel. That was a glimpse showing that Man United's midfield "shield" has not reached the expected solidity, especially when the fee of 42 million pounds for Ugarte still comes with great expectations.

The game was pushed to a climax when Tottenham took the lead, and it was only when De Ligt headed Man United back from defeat. That header not only saved the point, but also kept some psychological momentum for the team that had just suffered defeat in the European final against this opponent.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Tactics and impact

Conceptually, Amorim’s strikerless system showed flexibility: Mbeumo moved wide and attacked the space at the far post, Amad took on the role of link-up play and could drop deep to support the flanks when needed. However, the foundation of central control was not strong enough, as shown by Sarr escaping the press before the equalizer, and Man United’s failure to “close out” the game when they were still in the lead.

Mbeumo continues to be the focus. His calm celebration – reminiscent of the “Aren’t you excited?” message he delivered at Anfield – shows the confidence of a player who is becoming a new leader in the dressing room. Ugarte, on the other hand, needs to improve quickly in his ability to cover and be decisive in challenges to meet the expectations that come with his big fee.

The 2-2 draw did not help United move up the table, but it reiterated the need to balance cutting edge up front with safety in midfield. For Ruben Amorim, the answer may lie in maintaining the current attacking shape around Mbeumo, while tightening up the transitional defensive structure – where a half-second decision can cost points.