Darren Bent's three-word assessment on James Maddison's Tottenham cameo vs Man Utd was perfect

Darren Bent was left hugely impressed with James Maddison in Tottenham Hotspur's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Saturday didn't see Tottenham register their first Premier League win of the season at Old Trafford.

However, it did mark a subtle step in the right direction for Roberto De Zerbi's side.

The Red Devils took the lead on 73 minutes through Bryan Mbuemo, setting Michael Carrick's side up for three points.

Rodrigo Bentancur's red card with 12 minutes to play only seemed to have made sure of the points for the home side.

However, Spurs rallied and found an added time equaliser through Dominic Solanke, giving the Lilywhites something to build on.

What did Darren Bent say about James Maddison?

It was an away point good enough to move Tottenham off the foot of the Premier League table and up to 18th.

Saturday evening also saw Maddison continue to gain some more minutes in the tank as he builds his fitness levels up.

De Zerbi afforded him 16 second-half minutes after coming on to replace Conor Gallagher.

Speaking live on Sky Sports after the match, Bent was full of praise for Maddison's performance after entering the fray.

"Do you know what, they (Tottenham) made some really good substitutions with Maddison coming on," Bent said.

"He made a difference James Maddison," Jamie Redknapp then interjected, to which Bent replied: "He was incredible."

So, just how good were Maddison's underlying numbers from his 16 minutes on the pitch against Man United?

Where Maddison was perfect against Man United

Now in his fourth season as a Tottenham player, Spurs fans don't need reminding just how impactful a player Maddison is.

The 29-year-old will be hoping to make up for lost time in 2025-26 this season, and could be vital to helping Spurs turn their fortunes around.

He may not have directly contributed to Solanke's equaliser against United, but his exploits off the bench helped aid Tottenham's late charge.

Per FotMob, he won every single one of his four ground duels, made three tackles and one recovery.

Maddison also played two line-breaking passes, completed 11 of his 13 pass attempts accurately and wasn't dispossessed once.

He took 17 total touches, played one pass into the final third and won a foul for his side to boot.

Overall then, it was a display that strongly suggests that he will have plenty to say in Spurs' season once his fitness levels allow him to play 90 minutes.

At the very least, he's surely earned a larger cameo when Tottenham take on Coventry on 19 October in a crucial early-season clash.