Manchester United stuttered to a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday, 10 October, in the Premier League. Bryan Mbeumo’s goal failed to secure all three points for the home side as the Red Devils conceded once again late in the game.
Michael Carrick made two changes to the team that was held to a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage ahead of the international break. Leny Yoro took the place of Diogo Dalot at right-back, while Marcus Rashford made way for Amad.
The Ivorian featured for the first time this season, lining up in attack alongside Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo, who started in the No. 9 position. Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans continued their partnership in the middle of the park, with Bruno Fernandes in the No. 10 role as usual.
Apart from Yoro, the back four remained the same, with Harry Maguire partnering Lisandro Martinez, while Luke Shaw continued at left-back. Senne Lammens maintained his record of starting every game in the Premier League this season.
United drop points once again
United had a slow start to the game, with Tottenham Hotspur dominating for much of the first half. The visitors had a couple of opportunities to go ahead, but the Red Devils managed to reach half-time with the scores level.
The home side showed more desire at the beginning of the second half, before Carrick opted to spice things up early. He sent on Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee and new boy Carlos Baleba, replacing Yoro, Amad and Tielemans.
The substitutes gave United an added edge and their pressure eventually paid off. Cunha set up Mbeumo to score in the 73rd minute. Things then boiled over in the 78th minute, when Rodrigo Bentancur saw a straight red for a headbutt on Luke Shaw.
However, the visitors had a huge slice of luck when they scored through Dominic Solanke in the second minute of second-half injury time. While fans will be disappointed at another draw, Baleba’s performance will certainly give them hope.
Baleba was excellent against Spurs
Baleba entered the pitch in the 59th minute and immediately got into the thick of things. The Cameroonian had arrived over the summer, but an ankle injury had kept him out of action.
The 22-year-old earned his debut against Spurs, managing 31 minutes of action off the bench. Baleba had 31 touches of the ball, registering 18 passes with an 89% completion rate. He even managed two key passes.
The Cameroonian attempted four long balls, three of which found their intended target. Baleba put in a shift in the middle of the park, registering two tackles, one clearance and three interceptions.
The new United signing even attempted two shots, which were off target, and registered one dribble which was not successful. The Cameroonian also displayed his strength, winning three of his five ground duels.
Carlos Baleba Stats vs Tottenham Hotspur
| Stat | Carlos Baleba |
|---|---|
| Team | Manchester United |
| Touches | 31 |
| Accurate passes | 16/18 (89%) |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 4 (3) |
| Long balls (accurate) | - |
| Duels (won) | 5 (3) |
| Ground duels (won) | 5 (3) |
| Aerial duels (won) | - |
| Possession lost | 3 |
| Fouls | 1 |
| Was fouled | 1 |
| Offsides | - |
| Defensive actions | 6 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Blocked shots | 0 |
| Interceptions | 3 |
| Tackles (won) | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Shots on target | 0 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.06 |
| Shots off target | 2 |
| Shots blocked | 0 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 1 (0) |
| Notes | Big chances created: 1 |
Source: Sofascore
Final Thoughts
Baleba displayed glimpses of the qualities that compelled United to invest heavily in his signature this summer. The Cameroonian now needs a regular run of games to find his feet at Old Trafford and cement his place in the starting XI.
Featured image by Alex Livesey via Getty Images
