Man United 2-2 Tottenham: Defense on red alert, 6 goals/3 matches
De Ligt equalized in injury time to help Man United draw 2-2 with Tottenham, but 6 goals conceded in 3 Premier League rounds exposed the gap in dead ball and far post under Ruben Amorim.
Matthijs de Ligt's stoppage-time equalizer helped Man United escape defeat against Tottenham with a score of 2-2, but a streak of 6 goals conceded after only 3 rounds of the Premier League has sounded the alarm about the defensive structure under coach Ruben Amorim.
Highlights from the 2-2 draw: late save, a big wake-up call for the defense
De Ligt’s injury-time moment provided a valuable point, but it did not obscure the fact that United are lacking in every crucial defensive phase. The post-match statistics underline the problem: an average of two goals conceded per game over the last three games. According to current data, only five teams have conceded more than United, and all five are bottom of the table – a stark reminder of the stakes for top-four ambitions.
6 goals/3 Premier League matches: a worrying defensive picture
Dead ball: near post and goalkeeper error
The problem started against Brighton, when Man United conceded two goals from set pieces. The first was a masterful free kick from Danny Welbeck, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens should have done better. The other came from a corner, the weakness at the near post being exploited again. When opponents see a “common denominator” in dead ball defending, conceding goals becomes more of a probability than an accident.
Switch wing and far column clearance
Not only dead balls, opponents also exploit a new “crack”: stretching the defensive block on the right wing and then quickly switching to the opposite wing to cross to the far post. Nottingham Forest applied this tactic early on; Tottenham repeated it last weekend. Typical situation: starting on the right wing, Destiny Udogie passes low to the edge of the 16m50 for Mathys Tel to finish, behind Brennan Johnson in an empty position waiting to tap the ball in. With the far post forgotten, any first missed shot gets a second chance.
Ruben Amorim's tactics: why is there a gap?
Much of this was due to a change in structure. Amorim often pulled his left-sided attacking midfielder deep to increase his numbers in the middle and cut off the passing lanes. But this shift left the left flank vulnerable, forcing the wing-back to man-mark, while the left-sided centre-back was drawn out of position. As a result, crosses from the far flank often found space at the far post – where Lammens’ goal was constantly put on the back foot.
Adjustments needed: hold block, lock far column
- Wing-backs need to keep a tighter position, avoid being pulled out of the lane and reduce the space for opponents to cross the ball.
- The centre-back pair must maintain spatial discipline: not being drawn too much towards the ball, ensuring control of the far post area.
- At dead balls, reinforce the near post with a tighter man-marking scheme and a “screen” role to prevent the opponent from cutting in front.
Attack is on the rise, but defense is holding back
The positive aspect is that Man United's attacking pieces are running more smoothly, the links in the attack line are starting to find a common voice. However, the scoring efficiency is difficult to make up for the holes at the back if the defense continues to be loose.
Impact on top 4 target
With only five teams conceding more, United are dangerously close to the bottom of the table in terms of defensive stats. Unless they address their two glaring weaknesses – dead balls and the far post after wing switches – any attacking effort will be undone. The international break is a time for Amorim to tighten up the structure, before the telling numbers turn into dropped points.