THE CRUEL COULD have labelled it a battle of the feeble.
Given victory would have taken Manchester United to the brink of Champions League qualification in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge it shows they are now made of sterner stuff.
But only slightly, and the manner of their second-half collapse is yet further proof that a soft underbelly persists.
This result won’t quite hurt like the hammerings away to Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle, or most recently Sevilla in the Europa League quarter final (conceding 18 times in those fixtures), but it will sting.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford’s excellent goals in the opening 45 minutes looked to have given them a platform to go on and cruise to three points in north London just four days after the grind of a penalty shootout win over Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final a few miles away at Wembley.
Instead, they gifted the initiative back to a Tottenham side that had looked completely and utterly bereft following the 6-1 demolition in Newcastle, a defeat which prompted chairman Daniel Levy to sack caretaker boss Cristian Stellini and replace him with acting boss Ryan Mason.
And yet, by the end, the home faithful were willing their side on for a dramatic winner after Pedro Porro and Heung-min Son’s strikes drew them level.
Had the latter not also spurned a glorious opportunity 13 minutes before his 79th-minute equaliser, this might have been so much better. Eric Dier also somehow managed to glance a free header wide from six yards when he was left completely unmarked.
Not be outdone, Bruno Fernandes toe-poked an effort in the centre of the box off cross bar when he produced stunning ingenuity to roll the ball through the legs of Clement Lenglet as the defender closed him down.
That came just seconds after Porro’s goal gave the home side hope and would surely have killed off their new-found resilience.
Spurs truly are a mysterious shambles wrapped in an enigmatic rabble. But despite this comeback their descent from top-four challengers to also-rans continues.
Most agonising of all here, though, they actually gave their fans some reason to believe there is something worth keeping the faith with.
The next disappointment is imminent, though. You can be certain of that.
It’s part of the reasons Spurs fans protested against Levy before the game, unfurled banners calling for him to go during the 90 minutes and sang songs deriding the stewardship of ENIC, whom Levy is the very public face.
The travelling United hardcore also continued their vocal opposition to the Glazer-family ownership. The deadline for the latest round of bids to buy the club is imminent and the frustration and anger which has been festering since the 2005 has never gone away.
This was a meeting of two clubs who have seen their local rivals rise and overtake them – the meeting of City and Arsenal the previous night billed as a shootout for the Premier League title.
Despite four goals here this still felt like two teams with far too many blanks in the chamber to cause concern.
It is why protests formed the backdrop to a meeting of two clubs searching for a far brighter future.
Ten Hag’s influence has given reason for optimism, securing the Carabao Cup and reaching the FA Cup final. Ominously, City await in that showpiece.
United remain relatively secure in the top four, six points clear of Spurs and Aston Villa with two games in hand on each. The latter come to Old Trafford this Sunday brimming with the kind of confidence, not to mention calibre, that will punish them for this kind of lethargy in the second half.
