Manchester United and Spurs come back to reality as City saga offers brief distraction | John Brewin

Turning back the clock is impossible. Up in the Stretford End’s middle tier, the ticker had returned, a retouching job to “51 years” invoiced for the pertinent sum of £114. The Manchester City that existed before the Abu Dhabi project won their last trophy in 1976. Questionable maths is perhaps not confined to the Etihad’s accounts department, though Manchester United’s support must get their kicks where they can.

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Should City’s fall from grace be fully confirmed by the appeals and sanctions process, there is nothing in the way of irrefutable evidence of United’s former supremacy being restored. How United fans would love to return to 2008, when Michael Carrick was a key cog in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team of European champions. Instead, the autumn of 2026 brings a familiar swell of doubt, another manager dragged towards the meat grinder. It will be 40 years next month since Ferguson was appointed. A draw made United’s start to their league campaign the worst since then. The Carrick bounce has come to a standstill.

Sweet succour for City fans caught in legal limbo while railing against a “red cartel”. Should such a thing exist, United are a poor relation. Only Ipswich have been defeated by United this season in the Premier League, the latest disappointment to follow many years of corners being turned, only for culs-de-sac to be found. As the club who previously had the financial muscle to match the disguised funding of City, United have become the model for frittering away financial advantages. That the Glazer debt repayments since 2005 are a sum higher than City’s £900m-plus injection of petrodollars represents bitter irony. The cash has been flushed down a hole as deep as the Ship canal. That won’t be coming back either.

It can be readily argued that Tottenham have been more disadvantaged by City’s breaches. As with United, their lawyers have laid a legal marker against City for the compensation that could follow the completion of the Premier League process. Champions League revenue, extra Premier League prize money and attendant endorsements would have been helpful for a club that built a new stadium during those disputed years.

As with United, Tottenham’s self-inflicted wounds have been heavy. Whatever happens to the pariahs in blue, neither club can act as if the last 18 years were all a nasty dream. The City saga has been a welcome distraction when the international break might otherwise have been flush with speculation over the latest crises. Over close to 100 minutes, both teams personified the wastage and chaos that has reigned in north London and Stretford. A ragged affair, usually shapeless, full of errors forced and unforced, eventually boiled over. Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off, with Luke Shaw fortunate not to accompany the Uruguayan on a walk of shame. Both the goals scored owed much to defensive losses of concentration.

If Tottenham still lack a first Premier League win, they had their successes, and soon quietened the home support. Instead of rejoicing in City’s downfall with a flourish of vindication, as against Hull, as in the second half against Brighton, and three weeks ago, as against Fulham, United players were second to challenges, sluggish, space left achingly open.

Howls of anguish followed a chance that should have been buried by Mohammed Kudus. Further Tottenham chances followed. Boos accompanied Senne Lammens clearing his lines by belting the ball into the stands. Had Tottenham possessed anything like nerve in front of goal, they could have been beyond reach within an opening half hour that reduced Old Trafford to an anguished hush. Instead, the familiar path of beginning brightly to little avail was followed. If Spurs can start scoring goals they might be seriously dangerous. And yet they lie third-bottom of a Premier League table awaiting asterisks and appendices.

As prescribed by Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs counter-pressed with vigour, taking control of a midfield area where their opponents’ energy deficit was glaring. Carlos Baleba, signed for £70m, one of De Zerbi’s players at Brighton, arrived on the hour. The answer to a problem unsolved since Carrick’s retirement does not appear to be Youri Tielemans, who the debutant replaced. The Belgian, with significant miles on the clock, appears the latest example of United falling foul of buying cheap and probably needing to buy twice.

A marked increase in output that followed Baleba’s arrival pushed the game into United’s hands as Tottenham dropped off. De Zerbi-ball heavies the legs, particularly when rewards are scarce. Injustice, Bentancur’s red card, replenished them. Dominic Solanke’s goal, via unconventional means, came when the 10 men pushed onwards as United failed to press home their advantage, a pattern all too familiar this season. The anti-City chants were brought to a halt. Wallowing in others’ plight is little comfort when you are yourself stuck in the mud.