A tense and confusing Saturday lunchtime clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur ended 2-2 — but left both sides with more questions than answers. For United, the real concern was a major injury scare to striker Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko’s Injury Overshadows a Chaotic Draw
The Slovenian forward came on after 58 minutes, replacing Noussair Mazraoui, but his night took a turn for the worse near the end. Chasing a long ball, Sesko pulled up sharply and was unable to continue. With United having used all five substitutes, they were forced to finish the match — tied 1-1 at that stage — with 10 men.
Head coach Ruben Amorim later confirmed that Sesko had sustained a knee injury, though the full extent remains unknown.
“We have to check; it’s something in his knee,” Amorim said. “Because it’s the knee, you never know.”
The injury could not have come at a worse time. United are already bracing for the Africa Cup of Nations, which will see attackers Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo depart in December.
“We’ll have a problem there,” Amorim admitted. “But we already knew that before.”
Late Drama Defines Another Unpredictable Match
The match itself was just as unpredictable. United led through Mbeumo’s first-half header, and with 10 minutes to go, Tottenham seemed destined for a third consecutive home defeat. Then came chaos.
A cross from Mathys Tel brought Spurs level, followed by Richarlison’s emotional celebration after scoring what appeared to be a stoppage-time winner. But United refused to fold — Matthijs de Ligt salvaged a point deep into injury time with a dramatic header.
“The emotions inside me are high,” Tottenham boss Thomas Frank admitted afterward.
Amorim, however, was frustrated by his side’s lack of aggression. “We were too comfortable,” he said. “The space was there, the points were there — but we didn’t react to the stadium’s energy.”
United’s unbeaten run stretched to five games, but they have now conceded two goals in each of their last three. Amorim identified defensive lapses and the absence of veterans Casemiro and Harry Maguire as critical issues.
“We have a lot of problems,” Amorim confessed. “We’re improving, but there’s still much to do.”
Spurs Avoid Record-Breaking Home Defeat
For Tottenham, the draw avoided what would have been their 10th home defeat in 2025 — a record they were desperate to dodge. Still, collecting just 14 points from their last 20 home games remains a worrying trend.
Frank emphasized his plan to use two strikers — Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani — to exploit United’s weakness against crosses.
“We wanted two strikers for the crosses,” Frank explained. “It was an area where we thought we could hurt United.”
Despite limiting the visitors to five shots, Frank admitted, “The two shots they had, we probably could have done better with.”
In the end, neither side could claim to have played well — but both contributed to an entertaining and chaotic encounter.
Frank summed it up best:
“We always want to create more, but you can also say we scored twice in a game where chances were hard to find.”
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