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That could be a pivotal goal in the title race. After the Manchester United defense had done a heroic job keeping out Spurs for ninety minutes, Rafael allowed a deep cross into the box that David De Gea punched tamely at. Lennon squared the ball for Dempsey to finish and breathe new life into the title race.
A win for United would have hurt Manchester City no end. Having won their own game yesterday, they would have loved for Spurs to get a result today. For 90 minutes it looked all the world as though we would take all three points from a very tricky fixture.
The quality of the game was lacking in parts, although there still lots of drama. The first twenty was quiet, however Robin Van Persie once again popped up to score, nodding home a Tom Cleverley cross. It really was superb build up play. Shinji Kagawa flicked on beautifully to allow Micheal Carrick to sweep the ball to Danny Welbeck on the left. He cut inside and passed to Cleverley who lofted it high for the Dutchman. Patrice Evra was bombing forward too and would have been in position to score another had RVP had missed his own header.
David De Gea, save from his blunder at the end, enjoyed a spectacular day in terms of shot stopping. Jermaine Defoe tested him early with a snap shot to his near post. Maybe the best of the saves came next when a Gareth Bale shot from the edge of the area took a deflection on the six yard line. It would have beaten 99% of keepers yet the out stretched legs of our Spanish number one meant it was a fantastic save.
Early in the second half and Clint Dempsey was sure to score. He skipped past Patrice Evra and it was only the right knee that stopped the ball hitting the back of the net. Next it was Rio Ferdinand who was called into action. He is not known for his last ditch tackles but boy he does have them in his locker if he needs them. Jermaine Defoe was just about to pull the trigger but Rio made up the ground and timed it perfectly.
Spurs piled on the pressure during the second half as United sat deep and relied on the counter attack. It could have paid dividends when Wayne Rooney, brought on for Kagawa, was felled in the penalty box. Nothing given however.
But it was Spurs who had the last laugh and I am thankful that we have a strong dressing room and a home tie against Fulham next week in the FA Cup.
This is still not a horrific result however in my opinion. A point against Spurs at their gaff is a decent result. They are a very good side chasing Champions League Football. Poor conditions too. It was a decent away performance save for a few silly mistakes. If our defense can replicate that kind of performance, de Gea can grow some balls, we may have half a shot against Real Madrid. Because that is the type of performance we will need against them. We kept their best player quiet for the most part, and Rafael deserves credit for that. Our midfield battled away, and the inclusion of Phil Jones in the centre of the park is an interesting proposition. His performance today gives us another wrinkle with our options for a midfield destroyer. Carrick was sublime today. He may not slide tackle with the frequency of the media favourite "Stevie G", but he is so smart in both his passing and in breaking down the oppositions attacks. Kagawa again proved his class with a wonderful touch, although he was a little quiet today.
But most of all, I thought Nemanja Vidic was terrific today. Im a big fan of Jonny Evans, but with him in our lineup today, Spurs would have scored a lot sooner I feel. He brings such a level of calmness to our defense. And he is such a warrior. His performance deserved a clean sheet today.
Join us next week when we take on Fulham at Old Trafford in the next round of the Cup!