Solanke: Tottenham Draw at Manchester United Does Not Feel Like a Win
Dominic Solanke refused to treat Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United as a victory, despite his late equaliser rescuing a point after Spurs had been reduced to 10 men at Old Trafford.
The striker headed past Senne Lammens to bring Tottenham level and halt a damaging defeat, but he was frustrated that the visitors had not made their first-half control count. Solanke felt Spurs should have been at least two goals clear before the interval after dominating large spells and creating several major opportunities.
Solanke was particularly critical of his own finishing after causing persistent problems for United’s defence. The former Bournemouth forward said he believed he had chances to score three times, although he was relieved to finally take the opportunity that earned Roberto De Zerbi’s side a draw.
Ten-man response offers De Zerbi encouragement
Tottenham’s task became harder in the 78th minute when Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off following a heated clash with Luke Shaw. Solanke had not reviewed the incident after the match, but said the immediate response underlined the hunger and passion within the squad.
Spurs had previously struggled to respond after conceding, but they pushed forward even while a player short. Solanke said it would have been easy to settle for defeat after going behind and losing Bentancur, yet the team continued to chase an equaliser.
That resilience will matter to De Zerbi, who has repeatedly demanded greater personality from his players during a difficult start to the 2026-27 Premier League season.
What happens next for Tottenham
The point moves Tottenham away from the foot of the table, although they remain in the bottom three and are still without a league win in six matches. Their winless league sequence now stretches back to May, leaving the club under pressure despite the narrow gap to safety.
Solanke insisted Spurs have significant work ahead, but believes their first-half attacking performance and late defiance can become the basis for an improvement in results. The next challenge is turning that character into a first Premier League victory of the campaign.
