Lammens reveals Carrick's defensive demands went unheeded as Spurs snatch late draw at Old Trafford

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Dominic Solanke’s stoppage-time header cancelling out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener and leaving the Red Devils with just one win from their opening six Premier League matches.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens spoke candidly after the final whistle, revealing that manager Michael Carrick has been repeatedly pressing the squad on defensive discipline — a message that ultimately went unheeded at the crucial moment.

“The manager has been hammering a lot about defending as a team, being able to put pressure on the opposition team, especially on the crosses,” Lammens said. “I think today was better, but then you see in the end, one good cross and one good header, and the win can go away like that.”

United had appeared well-placed to claim all three points after Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card reduced Spurs to 10 men, but the Belgian goalkeeper acknowledged the failure to close out the game was a recurring lesson the squad must absorb.

“It’s very disappointing, because you find a way to get the advantage, to score a goal, to get 1-0 up against 10 men — that’s the position you want to be in,” Lammens added. “These are the games you have to try to pull towards yourself. To win these games is very important if you want to have a good season.”

United have now conceded nine league goals in six matches, and Lammens was careful to frame the defensive frailties as a collective problem rather than individual error. “I think it’s a team thing,” he said. “It doesn’t really start with one mistake from someone. We’ve been trying to make a difference there, and I think it’s been better already, but it’s a pity that today, especially in the end like that, the win slipped away from us.”

Carrick’s side face a demanding run of fixtures in the coming days, with a Champions League trip to Atlético Madrid to come before a league visit to Leeds United at Elland Road.