Manchester United drew 2-2 against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon and one player received a boost despite not playing in the game.
Manchester United played out a dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash in North London, thanks to a last-minute equaliser from Matthijs de Ligt.
United started brightly but were soon forced to withstand sustained pressure from Spurs, with several key defensive interventions keeping them in the game.
Despite Tottenham’s dominance, United created opportunities of their own, and Bryan Mbeumo made one count, heading home from close range to put the visitors in front.
Tottenham controlled much of the second half and finally broke through with five minutes remaining before adding what looked like a winner in stoppage time. However, United refused to give in, and in the dying seconds, De Ligt rose highest to nod home and rescue a hard-fought point for the visitors.
One United star receives boost despite playing 0 minutes vs Spurs
United’s substitutes in the second half of the game allowed Spurs to take control. Casemiro coming off seemed to be a key point in the game.
The veteran midfielder was replaced by Manuel Ugarte and he had yet another disappointing performance after coming on.
Ugarte was easily bypassed in midfield in the build-up to Spurs’ first goal while he played Richarlison onside for their second of the day.
His form has been poor all season so far and yet another bad display might be good news for Kobbie Mainoo. The youngster was injured for this game but will be hoping to get more minutes going forward.
Ruben Amorim admitted that Mainoo deserves to play more, and that he’s performing well in training. It is a boost that Ugarte doesn’t seem to be taking any of his chances.
Mainoo could partner Casemiro
A couple of months ago, the main question about Mainoo playing in the United midfield is how he would suit playing alongside Bruno Fernandes.
But now, Casemiro’s form has made it more likely that Fernandes is moved further forward. Mainoo partnered the Brazilian well in his debut campaign with the first-team.
Read More: Player Ratings – Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Manchester United (Premier League)
That is a situation that could occur during AFCON in the coming months, with Amad and Mbeumo both set to depart for the tournament in December.
Mainoo will be hoping that he can take his chances when they come, unlike how his midfield competitor has fared when coming into the team.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.