On the day billionaire Jim Ratcliffe arrived at Old Trafford for the first time since taking control of football activities, Man Utd did not enjoy complete joy. Striker Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring early, but striker Richarlison equalized in the first half with a header from a set situation. Man Utd took the lead again thanks to Marcus Rashford, but loose defense caused the home team to drop two points from Rodrigo Bentancur’s close-range shot.
On the day billionaire Jim Ratcliffe arrived at Old Trafford for the first time since taking control of football activities, Man Utd did not enjoy complete joy. Striker Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring early, but striker Richarlison equalized in the first half with a header from a set situation. Man Utd took the lead again thanks to Marcus Rashford, but loose defense caused the home team to drop two points from Rodrigo Bentancur’s close-range shot.
Before this match, Man Utd had only scored twice in the first half at home in the Premier League. Therefore, many people were surprised when they opened the score in the 3rd minute, thanks to the striker who had just scored a goal in the tournament, Hojlund. After the ball bounced off Rashford’s shot, the Danish striker shot with his left foot from more than 10 meters away to a near high corner, not giving goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario a chance to block.
‘Tottenham also responded not long after, from the left corner, when defender Pedro Porro crossed in for Richarlison to head the equalizer unmarked. Defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka seemed to make a mistake when he could not follow the away team’s striker.
The two teams played tit-for-tat and responded attractively afterward. At one point, seeing that the midfield was unstable, coach Erik ten Hag sent midfielder Casemiro out to warm up. The Old Trafford audience excitedly chanted his name after about four months of absence. However, the Brazilian midfielder did not play a single minute in this match.
However, Man Utd still took the lead once more, also from a rather shaky ball. Hojlund clashed with Rashford in the left penalty area, allowing the English striker to score in the far corner. For the first time, both Man Utd strikers scored in a Premier League match this season.
However, the defense became a burden for Man Utd when they conceded in the first minute of the second half from a familiar ball. Away team rookie Timo Werner escaped down the left side, then passed back to the second line for Bentancur to rush in without anyone marking him. He comfortably dribbled the ball down to the left penalty area, then shot high and wide, leaving Andre Onana unable to react in time.
The second half was much less exciting, with both teams seemingly exhausted. Coach Ten Hag brought midfielder Lisandro Martinez onto the field after four months of absence, helping the home defense play stronger. However, on attack, the “Red Devils” rarely get the ball into the away team’s penalty area. Their best chance came in the last minute, when Alejandro Garnacho crossed the ball from the left for Scott McTominay to head in an open position, but the ball narrowly sailed over the bar. McTominay and coach Ten Hag both held their heads in regret after this situation.
The draw was only enough to help Man Utd climb two places to seventh in the Premier League, eight points away from fourth-place Arsenal. The next match of the “Red Devils” takes place in the FA Cup on January 28, while Tottenham takes on Man City two days before that.