Three things we learned from Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur - Dramatic draw highlights key issues

MANCHESTER — 10-man Tottenham Hotspur grabbed a late point at Manchester United on Saturday in dramatic fashion, and it was no more than Spurs deserved. Bryan Mbeumo's second half strike looked like being the difference, as United finally woke up and Michael Carrick's introduction of Joshua Zirkzee and Carlos Baleba off the bench gave United a spark. And despite having Rodrigo Bentancur sent off with just over 10 minutes to go, Dominic Solanke flicked home a header in the 92nd minute to grab a remarkable point for Roberto De Zerbi's scrappy Spurs. Here's a look at what we learned from a hugely entertaining game at Old Trafford, as two teams desperate for a win slugged it out. Tielemans and Mainoo need Baleba A midfield duo of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans just isn't working as a combination right now. And it probably won't be tried again much, if at all, by Carrick moving forward. When Carlos Baleba came on to make his Manchester United debut with 30 minutes to go a huge roar went up at Old Trafford. United's fans know how much their team need Baleba to be a success. Within a few seconds he used his strength to spin away from two tackles and clipped a ball over the top to Bruno Fernandes. The roars from the Stretford End got louder. Then Baleba made up some serious ground before rattling into two important tackles on the edge of his own box to stop a Spurs attack. He was urging United to get the tempo going and his arrival on the pitch upped their intensity levels massively as they previously looked sluggish and were overpowered in midfield. Most importantly Baleba's arrival gave them much better balance, even if they couldn't hold on to the win in the end. United need a midfield enforcer and Baleba is the Casemiro replacement. Mainoo and Tielemans are both fine midfielders but they're too similar. Both love to get on the ball, pick passes and get their team on the front foot. But both need someone like Baleba alongside them to thrive individually and for the team to prosper. Baleba's 30-minute cameo proved that it has to be him alongside one of Mainoo or Tielemans moving forward. Spurs’ high-energy impressive, as Solanke typifies their spirit In stark contrast to United's struggles with energy, Spurs swarmed all over their opponents at Old Trafford for most of the game. Predictably they ran out of steam in the second half, but they kept on going and Dominic Solanke grabbed a point in truly dramatic fashion. Had Solanke made the most of two earlier glorious chances they would have been out of sight by then. Solanke was given the captain's armband by De Zerbi and led the line well, but his rustiness after a long run of injuries showed. But he kept going and that typified Spurs' passion and commitment. Spurs will look to Solanke to stay fit and spearhead De Zerbi's resurgence. Mohammed Kudus, Savio and Conor Gallagher should have also probably scored and if Spurs had won this game by three goals nobody from a United persuasion could have complained. The sight of Solanke, Gallagher and others slamming the floor in disgust at Spurs' finishing was commonplace at Old Trafford. De Zerbi screamed to the heavens on more than one occasion as his sides poor finishing cost them a deserved win. But Spurs, like Solanke, just have to keep on plugging away. That first win of the season is surely coming very soon. Long-term Spurs look in better shape than United Yes, United have six points and Spurs have three from their opening six games, but based on the way both have played so far this season you'd say Spurs are in better shape. Neither may end up finishing in the top six given their clear issues, although Spurs will probably make a better go of it given they have no European action to juggle. United's balance in midfield and knack of big defensive errors will cost them points. Spurs' lack of goals will cost them a lot of wins over the course of a season. But the way the Tottenham Hotspur fans celebrated this point at Old Trafford was crucial. They believe in their team. They have a midfield Maestro in Sandro Tonali pulling the strings, attacking midfielders and wingers playing well and have a clear identity under De Zerbi. United are still very much a vibes team who rely on big players delivering in individual moments. On this showing, Carrick has much more work to do compared to De Zerbi.