Solanke Rescues Tottenham With Late Equaliser As De Zerbi Demands More Character From His Players

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that he kissed midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur in the dressing room following his side’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United, explaining that the gesture was intended to encourage greater fighting spirit and character among his players.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the Italian manager praised Tottenham’s determination to recover from conceding a goal but criticised the manner in which Bentancur was sent off during Saturday’s Premier League encounter.

Bentancur was introduced in the 66th minute as a replacement for Lucas Bergvall but spent only 12 minutes on the pitch before receiving a red card for violent conduct. The Uruguayan midfielder appeared to make a headbutt motion towards Manchester United defender Luke Shaw during a confrontation.

Despite expressing his disapproval of the incident, De Zerbi said he appreciated the determination behind the midfielder’s reaction, stressing that Tottenham needed to develop a stronger mentality and refuse to surrender when faced with difficult situations.

The former Brighton and Chelsea manager described the performance as a significant step towards building team unity, noting that his players demonstrated resilience and remained competitive despite falling behind and being reduced to 10 men.

De Zerbi explained that while Bentancur’s actions were not the appropriate way to respond to adversity, he wanted his players to show the determination to fight back rather than accept defeat without a struggle.

Manchester United took the lead in the 73rd minute when Bryan Mbeumo converted an opportunity created by Matheus Cunha, putting the visitors in a strong position to claim all three points.

However, Tottenham refused to give up and found a late equaliser in the 92nd minute through Dominic Solanke, who headed home to secure a valuable point for the hosts.

Solanke praised his teammates for their resilience, describing their response after conceding as a demonstration of the fighting spirit that had sometimes been missing from their performances this season.

The Tottenham forward also admitted that he could have scored more goals during the encounter, acknowledging that he failed to take advantage of some promising opportunities. Nevertheless, he expressed satisfaction with finding the net and helping his team avoid defeat.

Solanke further described scoring while captaining Tottenham for the first time as a memorable moment in his career. He expressed hope that the result would provide a foundation for improved performances in the coming matches.

The draw offered Tottenham an opportunity to build confidence, while De Zerbi made it clear that developing character, resilience and collective responsibility would be central to his efforts to improve the team’s performances.