Man Utd player ratings vs Tottenham: It's deja-vu as Erik ten Hag substitute Tyrell Malacia part of second-half collapse

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Tyrell Malacia Manchester United Tottenham 2022-23
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The Manchester United coach failed to learn the lessons of Sevilla and his changes against Tottenham led to his side blowing another two-goal lead

Manchester United looked to be coasting to victory against Tottenham before letting their guard down and drawing 2-2, with substitute Tyrell Malacia badly at fault.

Sound familiar? Erik ten Hag apparently learned nothing from his side's late collapse against Sevilla in their Europa League quarter-final first leg and again made a number of changes which led to a serious drop in United's performance and galvanised Tottenham.

Brilliant strikes from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford had Tottenham on the ropes but Pedro Porro's thumping response gave them hope and Ten Hag then took off Sancho and Antony, which just played into Tottenham's hands.

Spurs had threatened to snatch another on a couple of occasions before Malacia was caught out of position and Harry Kane crossed for Son Heung-min to equalise.

Once Spurs had levelled, United rarely looked like striking again and once more have badly disappointed away from home to a side in the top half of the Premier League.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...

  1. Goalkeeper & Defence
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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    David de Gea (6/10):

    Made two big saves in the first half and there was little he could do to stop Porro's fizzing drive. Was unfortunate that his long kick led to Spurs' equaliser but it underlined his weakness with the ball at his feet.

    Aaron Wan-Bissaka (8/10):

    Another excellent performance defensively, anticipating the danger well. Won a crucial header against Ivan Perisic at the back post to prevent a Spurs equaliser.

    Victor Lindelof (6/10):

    Good on the ball and made some good interventions in the first half but was not commanding enough in the second.

    Luke Shaw (7/10):

    Was immense for most of the game, marshalling the back four and halting Tottenham breaks with decisive tackles and occasionally tactical fouls. But struggled to get a grip when the hosts came alive.

    Diogo Dalot (6/10):

    Had a strong first half performance at left-back and it was no coincidence that when he switched to left-back in the second period, Tottenham grew into the game and caused havoc down the side he was no longer protecting.

  2. Midfield
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    Midfield

    Christian Eriksen (7/10):

    His passing was excellent, the highlight being when he released Rashford with a sumptuous ball. Could not keep up in the second half and got a touching reception from Spurs fans when he was substituted.

    Casemiro (8/10):

    His best performance since returning from suspension. Won most physical battles and his positioning was spot on. Won the ball back to start the move for the second goal.

    Bruno Fernandes (9/10):

    Staged a miraculous recovery from a foot injury against Brighton and was his dominant best. Played a world-class ball to Rashford for the second goal and almost scored after spinning past two Spurs defenders before slamming the ball against the bar.

  3. Attack
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    Attack

    Antony (6/10):

    Created very little danger but did help the team's overall play and his importance only became evident when Tottenham began to overwhelm United after he went off.

    Marcus Rashford (8/10):

    An excellent, incisive performance. Set up Sancho's goal with a classy run and then finished superbly to double United's lead. Was the best hope of snatching a late winner.

    Jadon Sancho (8/10):

    Took his goal superbly and could have had another had Ivan Perisic not headed his shot off the line. Had a defensive lapse in first half and still looked afraid to take players on at times but this was a big step in the right direction.

  4. Subs & Manager
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    Subs & Manager

    Anthony Martial (6/10):

    Played as a deep-lying forward again and lost the ball while trying to hold it up in midfield, gifting Spurs a dangerous attack.

    Fred (6/10):

    Offered more energy than Eriksen but less security.

    Wout Weghorst (5/10):

    Offered barely any threat when he was on the pitch and was a big downgrade on Antony.

    Tyrell Malacia (4/10):

    Badly caught out of possession for Spurs' equaliser and was beaten by Kane, who was able to roll the ball across the box to Son.

    Erik ten Hag (4/10):

    Just as in the first leg against Sevilla, his changes led to a serious decline in the team's performance.