Baleba's debut lifts United but Solanke header earns Spurs a late point at Old Trafford

Carlos Baleba finally made his Manchester United debut at Old Trafford on Saturday, coming off the bench in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur that ended in late frustration for the hosts.

Manager Michael Carrick introduced Baleba alongside Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee on the hour mark, replacing Youri Tielemans, Leny Yoro and Amad with the scores level at 0-0. The Belgian midfielder, whose debut had been delayed after he signed from Brighton carrying an ankle injury, was greeted with a standing ovation by the Old Trafford crowd.

United broke the deadlock shortly after those changes, but Dominic Solanke punished them in added time, beating Lisandro Martinez to a header inside the box to snatch a share of the spoils for Spurs.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was candid about what Baleba and the other substitutes brought to the game. “One of the good things about today was, of course, them coming in and helping us out a lot — everyone could see it,” he said. “We needed that extra spark a little bit in the end, that fresh legs. And I’m very happy for them as well that they could show themselves, but that’s what we’ve been seeing every day in training as well, so for us it’s nothing new.”

Lammens also credited Carrick’s tactical adjustments at the interval for shifting the momentum. “In the first half, everyone could see that we needed to be better with the ball and without the ball. They had a very good plan to try to press us, which was difficult to get out of. Then at half-time, you see we made some changes tactically, and you can see you pull the game towards you — you have the feeling you’re in control.”

Despite the dropped points, the Belgian goalkeeper urged his teammates to channel the disappointment quickly, with a demanding run of away fixtures on the horizon. “After a disappointment, you can take that disappointment with you, or you can get it changed real quick and know there’s a game coming up very quickly,” he said. “We know we showed a lot of good things today, so take those things and learn from the bad things.”

Baleba’s arrival from the bench was widely seen as one of the few bright spots on another frustrating evening for United, who were unable to hold on for what would have been a valuable home win.