Matthijs de Ligt must be having a laugh after what he’s said about Tottenham draw
Matthijs de Light felt Tottenham got “lucky” during Saturday’s enthralling 2-2 draw with Manchester United
Bryan Mbuemo’s first-half header was cancelled out by Mathys Tel‘s 84th-minute strike, before Richarlison’s improvised header sent Thomas Frank’s side on their way to the win.
However, with seconds left on the clock, De Ligt rose highest to claim a valuable point for the Red Devils.
The result sees Tottenham go into third place in the Premier League table, whilst Man United move above Chelsea into seventh.
On reflection, Tottenham’s draw to Man United was a fair result, yet De Ligt has complained about Tel’s equalising goal.
Matthijs de Ligt makes foolish comments about Mathys Tel’s goal
Spurs were dreadful in the first half, and Frank will be under pressure at Tottenham for how his side started the match.
Tel’s brilliant turn and finish took a nick off the Dutch defender before flying into the back of the net to give Tottenham a lifeline.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, De Ligt was adamant that Tel’s equaliser was down to good fortune.
He said: “Luckily, we got a point. I think we deserved more the way we played. I felt the second half, we were a little tired. We didn’t get the chance to get out of our half.
“Their first goal was a bit lucky, I’m a bit upset about that, but I’m proud of how the team fought back and got a point at a difficult stadium.”
| Tottenham | Stat | Man United |
| 55% | Possession | 45% |
| 10 | Shots | 5 |
| 0.96 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.63 |
| 3 | Big chances created | 2 |
| 83% | Pass accuracy | 77% |
As seen by the stats above, Spurs came to life in the second half, and there is no doubt that they were deserving of at least a draw on Saturday.
Poor defending from crosses were their downfall against Man United, and as a result, Tottenham’s worrying record at home has continued.
Tel’s second goal of the season has come at an excellent time after spending the last four matches on the bench.
The French forward’s sharp touch allowed him to gain a bit of space, and it’s down to skill, not luck, that De Ligt could only deflect the strike past goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
One win from six Premier League home games is far from good enough, and it’s clear that they still have a long way to go under Frank.
Tottenham’s performance still good enough vs Man United
Whilst De Ligt is clearly wrong in saying Man United should have won, for the first 45 minutes, Spurs were once again performing well below par.
There was little invention or ingenuity in Tottenham’s creative play, and the visitors found it quite easy to deal with their threat for much of the game.
Performances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have been dreadful throughout the campaign, with defeats to Chelsea, Aston Villa and Bournemouth denting what would have been an otherwise fantastic start to the season.
Trips to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain await after the international break, and Frank’s side will be severely punished if they continue to play with such lethargy.
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