Manchester United visit to face Tottenham Hotspur looked like the headline clash of Matchday 30, as fans of both sides eagerly anticipated their return to action since the COVID-19 break.
With the final Champions League qualification spot up for grabs, both sides needed full points from the encounter. A win for United would see them break back into the top four at the expense of Chelsea, while a win would see Spurs close that gap to four points.
Jose Mourinho has a point to prove against both of his former sides, who stand in the way of his goal of returning Tottenham to the Champions League spots.
While Tottenham looked sharper for most of the opening stages, Marcus Rashford came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 22nd minute after Burno Fernandes’ cross fell to his feet after a deflection. However, Hugo Lloris came to Tottenham’s rescue to keep the game scoreless.
Steven Bergwijn would eventually be the one to open the scoring five minutes later, powering past Harry Maguire and firing a shot which David De Gea couldn’t keep from flying into the net.
They almost had a second when Bergwijn picked out Son Heung-Min for a free header at the back post, but this time the United keeper was able to parry the shot over.
Needing more firepower for the second half, the visitors called upon Paul Pogba to liven up things in midfield in their search for an equalizer. The substitute managed to win a penalty of Eric Dier with ten minutes to go, with Bruno Fernandes stepping up to convert from the spot.
United pushed on for a winner in the final minutes, having a penalty appeal rightly denied in the final minute of normal time courtesy of VAR, which saw the game eventually end in a draw.
It is a result that satisfies neither side, as United remain two points adrift of fourth-place Chelsea – a gap which could widen to five should the Blues pick up all three points against Aston Villa on Sunday. Meanwhile, Tottenham remains in eighth place, with both Wolves and Sheffield United above them.
Elsewhere on Friday night, Southampton managed an impressive 3-0 win over Norwich City, as Danny Ings, Stuart Armstrong, and Nathan Redmond rounded out a strong showing from the Saints. The result leaves Norwich five points adrift at the bottom of the table, with their relegation rivals still left to play this weekend.