Fair is fair. The final score was 1-1, and no one watching the action on a snow-gilded pitch could deny that Spurs deserved a point. Manchester United's lineup suggested a deference to the threat posed by Gareth Bale. They aligned themselves in what looked like a Christmas tree formation, a 4-3-2-1 with Phil Jones deployed on the right of the deep-lying three to accompany Rafael in his containment of the Welshman. The plan succeeded, by and large.

- Parker: We deserved a point
- Ferguson fumes at assistant over 'penalty'

In the first half, Manchester United seemed to have a policy of breaking down play on their right flank, then attacking down the left. Jones is not the most fluid of passers, with some of his long balls going astray, but his defensive diligence was without parallel on Sunday evening. He and Shinji Kagawa, excellent at pressing, disrupted much of the home side's work down United's right wing in the first half, and it was in breaking from this area that the opening goal arrived.

The ball was transferred to Danny Welbeck, to the left of the Spurs area: When it seemed that he had delayed too long, he released the ball wide on the right to Tom Cleverley, whose superb cross to the far post found Robin van Persie. The Dutchman completed the formality, angling a header in at the near post for his 18th Premier League goal of the season.

This, however, was to prove no procession to victory. David De Gea had his wits about him for much of the match, most notably in the first half when, with 40 minutes gone, he had to react sharply as a deflected shot from Bale came through a crowd of his own players. Going the wrong way, he threw his left leg out in desperation and slashed the ball to safety.

If the opening half was an anxious round, then the second half was one that United spent on the ropes. After half an hour, Wayne Rooney entered the fray for Kagawa, and it is striking that the balance of midfield play seemed to shift in that time into Spurs' favour. The home side ended up with 61 percent of possession to United's 39 percent, with 15 attempts on goal to United's four, and it seemed that the failure of United to press effectively was a key factor in this. The energy of Cleverley and Kagawa had been replaced by Rooney and Antonio Valencia, who have been respectively out of sorts and out of form in recent weeks, and it is hard to think that this was not a decisive factor in proceedings.

Still, Spurs attacked. United had a very good penalty shout denied, Rooney's appeal turned down shortly after he had come on, but after that it was mostly the home team that took the initiative. Just after the hour, Jermain Defoe had a shot turned away by Rio Ferdinand when it seemed he was due to burst the net; then, shortly afterward, De Gea turned away a rising drive by Clint Dempsey that was destined for the top corner.

As United sat deep, their defensive efforts superbly marshalled by Jones, Spurs increasingly relied on speculative balls into the area, with Moussa Dembele oddly muted in his central midfield role.

They deserved an equaliser, and with a minute to go of added time, it arrived. A deep cross was only palmed by De Gea into the path of Aaron Lennon, who cut the ball back smartly to Dempsey 6 yards out. The USA international sidefooted home to the horror of United, but the truth was that Spurs had been worth at least a point, if not more.

United's lead at the top of the Premier League has been cut to five points, but they can ultimately feel no sense of injustice.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email