Solanke's stoppage-time leveller ends five-month Tottenham forward drought

Tottenham's search for goals finally bore fruit at Old Trafford on Saturday, when Dominic Solanke struck in the last minute to snatch a draw at Manchester United — the first Premier League goal scored by a Tottenham forward in five months.

It was a relief rather than a remedy. Spurs remain in the Premier League relegation zone, and FotMob data (as of 11 October) underlines the scale of the problem: Solanke has just one goal and no assists from six Premier League appearances in 2026-27 — that one goal being the late effort at Old Trafford itself.

£334m spent, still no No 9

The striker shortage is all the more striking given the scale of Tottenham's summer investment. Sky Sports, in an analysis published on 9 October ahead of the two clubs' meeting at Old Trafford, detailed Spurs' £334m outlay against Manchester United's £163m rebuild — two contrasting strategies colliding in the same fixture.

Sky Sports News' Tottenham reporter Michael Bridge argued at the time that, despite that huge spending, the squad was still short in key areas — above all at the tip of the attack.

"I think they need a striker — an actual No 9 — but how many are there out there?" Bridge said.

That assessment has aged well. With forwards starved of league goals for five months, Spurs' only respite came from the man they handed the No 9 role to — and even Solanke's intervention could only salvage a point that leaves the club in the bottom three.

The striking irony of Lankshear

The deeper irony is unfolding 200-odd miles north. Will Lankshear, the 21-year-old striker Spurs sold to Middlesbrough in the summer for an initial fee of about £10m — rising to a potential £20m in add-ons — has now scored nine goals in 12 games for Boro, as many as Tottenham's entire squad has managed in all competitions this season.

While Solanke's leveller kept Spurs afloat at Old Trafford, Lankshear's finish against Wolves hours earlier lifted Middlesbrough into the Championship's automatic promotion places.

"A lot of fans are wondering why he was sold," Ali Speechly, co-chair of the Women of the Lane supporters' group, told BBC Sport. "It was likely to do with money — his sell-on price is relatively high, so let's cash in on him. I was definitely disappointed. Given how badly we have started this season, as a fan it feels like the wrong decision."

Spurs do retain protections in the Lankshear deal: they must be notified of, and can match, any future accepted bid from Middlesbrough, and they will receive 20% of any profit on a future sale. But there is no guaranteed buy-back — and on current evidence, the club's greatest striking need is not a clause. It is a finisher.

Context: Sky Sports analysis (9 October) and FotMob player data snapshot (11 October).