De Zerbi 'kisses' Bentancur after red card as Spurs finally 'show we are a team' at Old Trafford

Roberto De Zerbi threw his arms around Rodrigo Bentancur after the midfielder’s red card in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, and insisted the 10 men who stayed on the pitch showed a character he wants to see every week.

Bentancur was sent off in the 78th minute for a head-butt during a melee that followed Bryan Mbeumo’s opener, moments after what might have been a serious scissors-challenge on Luke Shaw had it connected. Yet rather than criticise the Uruguayan, the Spurs manager chose to praise him.

'I kiss Rodrigo and say thanks'

“I kiss Rodrigo and say thanks,” said De Zerbi. “It is clear it is a mistake from Rodrigo, it is not the right reaction in football but in that moment maybe with 10 players we played with more courage, more energy and for a long time Tottenham played without this blood, this character. I am the coach and I want to see this character every game.”

Down to 10 men and trailing, Spurs pushed forward and were rewarded when Dominic Solanke struck an added-time equaliser for a share of the points at Old Trafford. The result leaves Tottenham winless with just three points, but it lifted them off the bottom of the table, even as they remain in the relegation zone.

'We played for the teammates'

“Today has been the game where for the first time this season we showed we are a team, we played for the teammates, we played together,” said De Zerbi.

For Manchester United, the sucker-punch deepened the gloom of a miserable start. Held to a 1-1 draw by the 10 men, United were left with six points from their opening six league games — their poorest start to a season since 1986 — and manager Michael Carrick admitted afterwards that he was “massively disappointed” and that the club needed to turn things around “quite quickly”.

The closing drama at Old Trafford was set up by Mbeumo’s goal, which had put United on course for just a second league win of the campaign before Bentancur’s dismissal and Solanke’s late intervention swung the narrative back toward the visitors.