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MOTD- Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Manchester United

By on December 1, 2013
Wayne Rooney celebrates his brace as Manchester United drew 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur

Wayne Rooney celebrates his brace as Manchester United drew 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur kicked off the December holiday season at White Hart Lane, and although both sides missed an opportunity for the three points they provided a thoroughly entertaining encounter. United in red, Tottenham in white and David De Gea in United’s green goalkeeper jersey, the two sides began the festivities in festive colors.

However, neither sides will be partying after they each had their fair share of mistakes. Kyle Walker converted a free-kick following a mistake from the United wall and gifted United their equalizer before Hugo Lloris gave a away a penalty to United. Only Sandro’s goal was pure class.

It was good football, but it was mistakes that shaped the match, and the first big one was made by referee Mike Dean just thirteen minutes into the match. Paulinho flailed to the ground after the slightest of touches from Jonny Evans yet Dean obliged to Paulinho and rewarded the free-kick on the edge of the United box. Walker stepped up to take it, and as the four man wall jumped to block it he sneaked a low daisy-cutter below them into the back of the net. The goal was like a slap in the face for Tottenham, who instantly came alive.

The home side were nearly up by two in the twenty-second minute when Michael Dawson headed Walker’s corner towards goal, only for Wayne Rooney to clear it off the the line. Roberto Soldado then blazed a shot miles wide, but a mistake from Walker, who was the hero at White Hart Lane fifteen minutes earlier, gifted United an equalizer. Phil Jones romped down the right and swung a tantalizing cross into the box, which Walker attempted to bring down at the far post but only managed to place it right in front of the waiting Rooney, who poked the ball past Lloris into the top corner. The goal made the match open up, making for a fast paced match that made every break in play much longer for everybody to have a small breather (and for the English players to have a spot of tea).

The intensity didn’t dim down as the match sped along into the second half, and even increased when Sandro netted a spectacular goal to put Tottenham back in the lead. Sandro danced around twenty-five yards out from goal before cutting inside and whacking a superb effort into the top corner, leaving De Gea rooted to the ground. Yet it took only three minutes later for United to once again equalize when Danny Welbeck broke into the box down the left. Although Welbeck was headed away from goal Lloris bravely, but somewhat stupidly, came out to attack the ball only to come in late and catch Welbeck’s trailing leg, brining the forward down. Dean rightly awarded the penalty, which Rooney smashed down the middle into the back of the net as Lloris dove to his left. Both sides continued to push forward, yet neither could find a winner and after three minutes of stoppage time the match ended 2-2.
Man of the Match: Kyle Walker

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.