Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Radu Dragusin makes Spurs debut
Erik ten Hag’s stuttering Red Devils failed to claw back ground in the race to finish in the top four as they took on Ange Postecoglou’s free-flowing Spurs
Manchester United twice gave up one-goal leads in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday, a disappointing result for Erik ten Hag’s team who are desperately trying to climb up the Premier League standings.
Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur scored for Spurs, who remained fifth in the table, level on 40 points with fourth-placed Arsenal but having played a game more. United climbed a spot to seventh, but are eight points adrift of the top four.
United got off to a lively start with a goal from Rasmus Hojlund in the third minute. The 20-year-old scored for the second time in as many home games with a ferocious left-footed shot to the top corner. Richarlison capitalised on United’s poor marking to head in the equaliser from a corner in the 19th.
Marcus Rashford put United back on top just before the break with a quick one-two with Hojlund for his fourth goal of the season. Bentancur scored less than a minute after the interval, taking a pass from debutant Timo Werner before firing the ball past goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Re-live all the goals and updates from Manchester United v Tottenham below, and get the latest football betting sites offers here.
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Could there be debuts for Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin today? Team news will be dropping in the next few minutes.
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Ange Postecoglou believes an alignment between all the key figures at Tottenham has allowed them to move quickly in the January transfer window.
Spurs’ quick work is a big shift in strategy after previously waiting until the end of the month to secure signings and Postecoglou paid tribute to chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and chief football officer Scott Munn.
“It’s easier said than done because while we might have a desire to do things early, you’ve got to have all parties agreeing to that and it’s not easy to do, especially in January,” Postecoglou said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.
“The key thing for us was from the chairman to Johan and his team and Scott, we were all very aligned in what we wanted and we got our targets early.
“It was pretty clear what we wanted to do and if it didn’t happen, then we’ve moved on. But I think the fact that we were all pretty aligned on what our objectives were allowed us to be sitting here now with two players in - not so much for Sunday, but we know we’ve got a two-week break which means we get at least a couple of weeks to get the lads up to speed.
“We had some pretty clear objectives. If there’s an opportunity for us to get better, we’ll take it, but what we were trying to achieve going into it, I’m really pleased we’ve got two players in who I think will play a really important part for us.”
More here:
Ange Postecoglou reveals Tottenham’s new approach to transfers amid busy window
Spurs have already brought in Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin this month
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will only succeed with “hungry players” after letting Jadon Sancho leave little more than a year after Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile departure.
The Dutch coach was brought in 19 months ago to change things on and off the pitch at Old Trafford, where he has had to deal with a fair share of distractions.
Unhappy star Ronaldo’s second spell at United ended in acrimonious fashion in November 2022 and another big name has left midway through a Ten Hag season in charge of the Premier League giants.
Sancho has been banished from the first-team since September, when he claimed on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” after the Dutchman said he omitted him from a matchday squad due to his training levels.
The 23-year-old this week returned to former club Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season and, while he wished the winger luck, the United boss underlined the need for the right mentality at the club.
“If you want to perform, you need hungry players,” Ten Hag said.
“I already said, we need personalities and players who are very hungry to fight for the badge, so fight for this club, and to do this in the team.”
More here:
‘Hungry players’ key to a successful Manchester United, says Erik ten Hag
The Dutchman allowed Jadon Sancho leave on loan to former club Borussia Dortmund this week.
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Odds
Manchester United win 23/20
Draw 14/5
Tottenham win 21/10
Prediction
A score draw. Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Predicted line-ups
Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Evans, Shaw; Eriksen, Mainoo, Fernandes; Garnacho, Hojlund, Rashford.
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Royal, Van de Ven, Udogie; Skipp, Bentancur; Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner; Richarlison.
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Tottenham team news
Tottenham have suffered a double injury blow with both Ben Davies and Giovani Lo Celso out for a month. Cristian Romero has returned to training but this game may come too soon for the defender. Ange Postecoglou’s options have been boosted by the arrival of Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin this week. Heung-min Son, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are on international duty.
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
Manchester United team news
Erik ten Hag suggested on Friday that Manchester United could welcome back Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Luke Shaw for this game, with Antony and Christian Eriksen also back available. Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia are nearing returns and could even feature here, but Anthony Martial is out. Ten Hag offered no update on the availability of Andre Onana, though reports have suggested that the goalkeeper will appear in this fixture before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Manchester United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League latest updates
When is Manchester United vs Tottenham?
Manchester United vs Tottenham is due to kick off at 4.30pm GMT on Sunday 14 January at Old Trafford.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage from 4pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via Sky Go.
Good afternoon
Manchester United are taking on Tottenham in the Premier League at Old Trafford today, as Erik ten Hag’s side look to gain vital ground on their top-four-chasing rivals.
Spurs are fifth in the table and on the heels of fourth-placed Arsenal as Ange Postecoglou tries to restore the club’s place in the Champions League. United meanwhile are eight points behind their opponents and are in desperate need of some consistency to spark their season into life. The return of Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw to the squad after injuries is a welcome and timely boost.
This is a tricky assignment against a Tottenham side who have been impressive this season, especially on the road, where they have scored more goals than any other side in the Premier League (22 in 10 away games). Spurs are without captain Son Heung-min, however, who is on international duty at the Asian Cup.
Follow all the goals and latest updates from Manchester United v Tottenham in today’s live blog
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