X reacts as Tottenham twice fight back to earn Old Trafford point

  • Man Utd and Tottenham played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Old Trafford
  • Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford scored in the first half
  • Spurs twice fought back to earn a deserved point
Tottenham were forced to settle for a point at Old Trafford
Tottenham were forced to settle for a point at Old Trafford / Alex Livesey - Danehouse/GettyImages
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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were forced to share the spoils at Old Trafford as Spurs twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford finally combined to good effect as the hosts made the most of their first-half openings. Spurs were the superior side throughout, and they were more than good value for their point.

The team news generated plenty of buzz among both sets of supporters as both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven returned to Tottenham's starting lineup. January arrival Timo Werner also made his first start for the club, although Dejan Kulusevski failed to make the matchday squad.

Man Utd, meanwhile, welcomed Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez back to the bench following lengthy absences.

The goal-shy hosts took no time to take the lead in proceedings as Boxing Day hero Hojlund scored just his second Premier League goal of the season with a thumping finish.

The visitors' response was impressive, however, with Spurs having particular joy from set pieces. They restored parity before the 20th-minute mark as the superb Richarlison continued his rich vein of form by flicking home Pedro Porro's superb delivery.

Ange Postecoglou's vibrant outfit then enjoyed much of the first half, dominating possession and territory. Their wide players, however, proved particularly wasteful in the final third.

United, on the contrary, were mightily efficient in the final third and Rashford joined Hojlund on the scoresheet for the very first time. The Englishman bundled past Porro after a slick combination with the Dane and coolly finished past Guglielmo Vicario.

Swiftly after United's second, Werner found himself one-on-one with Diogo Dalot down the left, creating a yard of separation before finishing in typical Timo style... well wide. Romero then rattled the crossbar from another set-piece just before half-time.

Spurs' response after the break was emphatic. A superb Romero pass set the visitors on their way, with Rodrigo Bentancur crashing home their second equaliser having been found by Werner inside the penalty area.

Spurs' control was almost total between half-time and the hour mark, with the Red Devils subject to a barrage of Porro corners. Despite the visitors' threat from set pieces, Erik ten Hag opted to bring Martinez on for his long-awaited return. The Argentine replaced Jonny Evans, who'd done a fine job of defending Porro's delivery in the second period.

A lull ensued in the wake of Martinez's arrival, with the contest on a knife-edge as it veered into its epilogue. Despite the tension, there was still time for one more debutant as Radu Dragusin entered the fray for the final five minutes.

There was little goal-mouth action towards the end of the game, but Scott McTominay had a gilt-edged chance to steal all three points at the death. The Scot's header, however, flew over and the two sides settled for a point apiece.


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