Werner's debut' Tottenham draws 2-2 with Manchester United... Dragusin also debuts
Tottenham had a difficult battle with Manchester United and only scored one point.
Tottenham drew 2-2 in the 21st round match of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) against Manchester United held at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on the 16th (Korean time).
Tottenham remained in 5th place in the league due to a draw in this game, and Manchester United added 1 point to rise to 7th place, beating Chelsea and Brighton.
The home team, Manchester United, chose the 4-2-3-1 tactic. Rasmus Høirun was at the front line, with Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandez, and Alejandro Garnacho supporting him in the second line. Kobe Mainu and Christian Eriksen were in the third line, and the back four consisted of Diogo Dalot, Johnny Evans, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan and Bissaka. The goal was guarded by Andre Onana.
The away team, Tottenham, adopted the 4-3-3 tactic. Newly recruited Timo Werner, Richarlison, and Brennan Johnson were at the front line. Oliver Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg worked together in midfield. The back four consisted of Destiny Udogi, Mickey van der Pen, Christian Romero, and Pedro Forro. The goalkeeper gloves were worn by Guglielmo Vicario.
Man Utd took the lead in the first half, scoring from the start. Rashford's forward breakthrough in the 3rd minute of the first half successfully led to the Tottenham camp, and Tottenham was embarrassed by Manchester United's offensive at the start of the game. Neither the Tottenham players nor the Manchester United players properly handled Rashford's pass from the center, and Hoirun, who was looking for an opportunity, scored the first goal with an accurate left-footed shot into the top of the Tottenham goal.
Tottenham, who conceded the first goal, immediately counterattacked. They targeted gaps in Manchester United by attacking using the speed of Johnson and Werner and linking passes to both the midfield and the sides. In the 8th minute of the first half, Poro advanced from far away in the penalty box to the front of the arc and attempted a shot that was hit by the defense, lost strength, and ended up in the hands of Onana. In the 10th minute of the first half, Johnson's sharp cross hit Werner's head and headed towards the Manchester United goal, but Evans cleared it and went to the side of the Manchester United goal.
Manchester United also fought hard to score additional points. In the 13th minute of the first half, Garnacho shook Tottenham's right side with a solo dribble. Udogi competed with Garnacho and seemed to have allowed a breakthrough by losing once, but after pressing again, he cleared the ball with a tackle and did not allow Garnacho a decisive opportunity.
Tottenham counterattacked and rebalanced the game. In the 19th minute of the first half, Foro's corner kick landed in a crowded area, but Richarlison succeeded in hitting the ball with his head despite defensive pressure and redirected the ball toward the Manchester United goal. It was a shot that Onana couldn't even react to.
Tottenham took control of the game after the equalizer and put pressure on Manchester United. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Werner confidently attempted his first shot from the left side of the penalty box arc, but he failed to reach the goal, making the fans sigh. Werner tried to shoot again a minute later, but this time he was caught by the defense.
Manchester United sought an opportunity through a counterattack. In the 30th minute of the first half, Rashford drove the ball directly to the left side of the penalty box and crossed, but he did it at too slow a time and headed into Vicario's arms. In the 38th minute of the first half, Rashford's cross hit Udogi's head and hit the goal post, chilling the hearts of Tottenham fans.
Even after midway through the first half, the two teams continued to maintain the tempo of the game by pressing and counterattacking at a rapid pace.
The team that took the lead again was Manchester United. In the 40th minute of the first half, Hoirun, who received a pass from Rashford, returned the ball to Rashford again, and Tottenham gave up space as the defenders could not concentrate properly due to the momentary attack of the Manchester United attackers. Rashford immediately attempted a low, quick shot with his right foot and struck the corner of the Manchester United goal.
Tottenham tried to regain balance. In the 44th minute of the first half, in the counterattack that started with Skip's pass, Werner drove the ball forward and succeeded in entering the penalty box. However, Werner's left-footed shot went to the side of the goal instead of the goal, and he had to swallow his disappointment. In extra time in the second half, Romero, who was in the center of the box, headed the ball from a corner kick, but it hit the top of the goal and did not score. Ultimately, the first half ended with Manchester United leading 2-1.
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