Solanke Hails Spurs’ Spirit After Old Trafford Fightback
Dominic Solanke has lauded the grit of his Tottenham team-mates after they came from behind and played the closing stages with ten men to snatch a 1-1 draw at Manchester United. He told the BBC that the point didn’t feel like a win, since Spurs had controlled most of the first half and should have been a couple of goals clear by the interval.
Things got harder after Tottenham fell behind and then lost a man, but Solanke felt the way the side kept pushing for a winner said plenty about their mentality. He pointed out that earlier in the season they had conceded first and failed to respond properly, so this time the group was determined to put that right. Going a goal and a player down, he said, would have made it easy to settle for less.
The result matters for a club that has endured a rocky start to 2026-27 and arrived at Old Trafford under heavy pressure, still hunting its first league win. Solanke was a constant threat to United’s back line in the opening period, though he admitted he ought to have finished with a hat-trick. He was at least grateful to have got one, a well-placed header that beat Senne Lammens and sent the travelling fans into raptures.
The turning point came in the 78th minute, when Rodrigo Bentancur was dismissed after a flare-up with Luke Shaw. Solanke said it all happened too quickly for him to judge, as he hadn’t seen a replay, but he took the squad’s reaction as proof of their fight and hunger to show the right passion. That attitude will please Roberto De Zerbi, who has been calling on his players to show more personality, confidence and commitment.
The draw lifts Spurs off the bottom of the table, but the position remains uncomfortable and the pressure around the club isn’t going away. Solanke insisted there is plenty still to work on, yet felt the character on show was excellent and that results will turn eventually, with the team “flying” before long.
One point won’t fix everything, but fighting back from a goal and a man down gives Tottenham genuine grounds for optimism. De Zerbi will now want that resolve turned into wins as Spurs try to escape the relegation fight and find some stability.
