Tottenham's Dominic Solanke was the hero on Sunday as he secured a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, yet the forward couldn't shake the feeling he missed a golden opportunity to make the result even better.
The visitors dominated large spells of the game but were wasteful in front of goal. Early on, Solanke failed to punish a mistake from United keeper Senne Lammens and later missed another chance when he couldn't convert Savinho's delivery.
With just over 15 minutes remaining, Bryan Mbemo put the hosts ahead. It looked like United would hang on for the win, but in stoppage time, Solanke shrugged off Lisandro Martinez's challenge and powered in a header past Lammens.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Solanke reflected on his team’s performance:
We dominated the first half but lacked that clinical edge. It’s been a recurring theme this season. We could have been ahead by a few goals but ended up settling for just one point.
He also praised the team's character in bouncing back from adversity.
We showed incredible spirit. In previous matches this season, we’ve reacted poorly to conceding, but today we demonstrated our fighting qualities and determination.
Despite his vital goal, Solanke was far from satisfied with his own performance.
I should have scored a hat-trick. I know I lacked precision, but I kept pushing, found myself in good positions, and managed to get on the scoresheet.
This match held special significance for Solanke as it was his first outing as Tottenham captain.
The forward shared his joy:
Being captain of such a great club for the first time and scoring a goal is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my career.
He hopes the drawn match can be the catalyst for Roberto De Zerbi's side to turn their season around.
We have a foundation to build on. We haven’t managed situations like this well enough before. I hope this marks the start of something positive.
With this point, Tottenham climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table, though they still find themselves in relegation trouble following a dismal start to the campaign.
