Ruben Amorim gulped down his water bottle as Tottenham led 2-1 against Manchester United. United had been in control for much of the game against Spurs, but a sudden collapse meant they suffered their first defeat in 42 days, before Matthijs de Ligt came to the rescue with a heroic header. Amorim lamented United’s drop in points against Nottingham Forest and will feel a similar disappointment after missing out on a golden chance to temporarily move into second place in the Premier League.
Mbeumo’s performance shone in his first start on the left wing, a small victory for Amorim. The 26-year-old is slowly becoming an integral part of the dressing room. Amorim once again opted for a traditional front three without a striker. Mason Mount was preferred in this formation for the first three games of the season, but Amad was selected in the capital.
With Koby Mainu out due to an injury sustained in training, Amorim added Jack Fletcher to the squad, maintaining the club’s 88-year tradition of including academy graduates in the squad for every game. Fletcher sat on the bench along with six other academy candidates due to injury during the game against Tottenham in February, but this time Amorim had more experienced options at his disposal.
Tottenham have secured just four points at home this season, but were booed after last weekend’s defeat to Chelsea and had just one shot on target across 90 minutes.
Once the match started here, the home fans could not resist a rant against their rivals, shouting: “Champions of Europe, we know what we are.” However, the mood quickly changed when De Ligt’s simple backpass allowed Senne Ramens a corner kick.
Despite his confidence since joining from Royal Antwerp, Ramens appeared to be losing focus, much to the delight of jeering Tottenham fans. In contrast to the Europa League final, where nothing happened, Saturday’s match already showed promise after just 10 minutes.
Tottenham were threatened on the counter-attack and Mbeumo found himself one-on-one with Guglielmo Vicario and missed a golden chance.
United manager Amorim praised the quick reactions of Nouser Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu when Tottenham won the ball, contrasting with Diogo Dalo’s slow reaction in the previous game.
United’s performance was initially unsatisfactory and Amorim sent his players to warm up before half-time. Miscommunication between Matheus Cunha and Amad led to a brawl on the pitch, and the decision to leave Benjamin Sesco on the bench seemed questionable.
However, Mbeumo, who was in good form, looked to score again. Mbeumo is currently the Player of the Month for October and his momentum is unstoppable. He showed off his skill by deftly heading a deft cross from Amado into the top left corner.
United took the lead in the 34th minute against Nottingham Forest and scored in the 32nd minute against Tottenham. After Casemiro’s goal last weekend, Amorim called on Bruno Fernandes for guidance, and Luke Shaw received similar guidance as United celebrated their latest goal.
Before facing Tottenham, United had won just one of their last 10 away league games, but they need to improve on this record if they want to qualify for this season’s Champions League.
Lamence proved to be a key asset for United, with the Belgian making a stunning save from close range to deny Cristian Romero at the start of the second half, before outdoing himself with another superb save minutes later.
United’s disappointing start to the second half against Forest caused concern for manager Amorim, who feared history was repeating itself. United must find a way to secure victory with the second goal.
Amorim’s tactical changes saw Sesco replaced Mazraoui and Amad moved to the right wing-back position. The 23-year-old set up a great chance for Bruno Fernandes, but his shot went just over the bar.
Despite a hard effort, United were unable to extend their lead and were punished when Tottenham equalized through Matthijs Tell’s goal. Manuel Ugarte was overtaken when Pape Matar Sarr ran forward and De Ligt was outmaneuvered by Tell.
Ugarte’s performance was disastrous, with the Uruguayan even leaving Richarlison onside as he attempted to head the ball, making his £42m signing a complete failure.
Mbeumo is back in the spotlight. It won’t be long before he has his own chant. United should focus on signing more players like Mbeumo, rather than letting them down like Ugarte.
