Tottenham 2-2 Manchester United: De Ligt denies Spurs dramatic comeback win as Premier League thriller ends level

Matthijs De Ligt denied Tottenham a dramatic late comeback win with a last-gasp header for Manchester United in a thrilling Premier League encounter.

Richarlison thought he had won it for Spurs in stoppage time after Matys Tel levelled the game with only five minutes of normal time to play, but De Ligt rose highest at the corner to head in the equaliser to ensure the spoils were shared.

United looked to be heading for victory for much of the encounter through Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half header but the game came alive in the final 10 minutes in a rollercoaster conclusion.

De Ligt’s late header ensures the Red Devils remain unbeaten in five games, while Spurs missed the chance to win their first home game in the league in four games, though they did end a three-game winless streak.

Spurs stay third in the table, with United also staying put in seventh ahead of the remainder of Saturday’s Premier League’s games.

Tottenham vs Manchester United key moments

Tottenham won all four of their games against Man Utd last season – including one memorable win in Bilbao – but a lot has changed since then, with the resurgent Red Devils starting the better.

Mbeumo caused plenty of issues eaely on having shifted to left side for this game, with a huge opening going begging when the forward squared the ball after a nice pass from Bruno Fernandes, but no team-mates could find themselves in the right place.

United saw a penalty appeal waved away when Spurs forward Richarlison cleared the ball straight into his hand, with referee judging the ball was too close to his arm for it to be considered an offence.

United’s dominance continued and they got their deserved goal just after half an hour through Premier League Player of the Month Mbeumo, who nodded Amad’s cross into the top corner.

After the break, the Spurs fans continued to grow frustrated with the home side’s lack of attacking impetus but their biggest chance of the game did come in the 54th minute when Cristian Romero found himself inside the box, with his touch from a cross forcing a superb close-range save from Senne Lammens.

The United goalkeeper had to be alert again moments later when a free-kick found the way of Joao Palhinha in the box. The Portuguese’s acrobatic shot was parried away from Lammens after seeing the ball late.

Spurs’ positive spell continued and they had the ball in the back of the net when Brennan Johnson, the scorer in last season’s Europa League final, thought he had repeated the trick as he rolled the ball home but the winger mistimed his run and was flagged offside.

That spell of pressure proved to be all too brief, however, with United generally comfortable as they looked to see out the game in the final 10 minutes.

As Spurs headed towards their fourth straight home loss in the Premier League, audible groans were heard towards Thomas Frank, particularly after the decision to substitute Xavi Simons as they chased the game.

But that decision was almost immediately vindicated, as Mathyl Tel – the man who came on for Simons – picked the ball up in the box, turned and fired past Lammens with help from a deflection off Matthjis de Ligt to level the game with just more than five minutes to play.

It was all Spurs after that moment and Tel could easily have found a second but he miskicked his effort from Wilson Odobert’s cross.

Just as United looked ready to take a point from North London, Spurs grabbed the winner in stunning fashion, with Richarlison nodding Odobert’s shot on target to spark jubilant scenes among the home supporters.

But the home crowd was immediately silence with a matter of seconds to play when De Ligt rose highest to head the ball in at the far post to secure what was a deserved point.