A red card, then a kiss! Roberto De Zerbi backs Rodrigo Bentancur after Tottenham star's clash with Manchester United's Shaw

De Zerbi has delivered a passionate defense of Bentancur, revealing he kissed the midfielder in the dressing room despite his costly red card during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United. The Uruguay international was sent off in the second half following a heated touchline altercation with United defender Luke Shaw. The incident occurred shortly after Spurs had fallen behind, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb as they searched for their first Premier League victory of the new campaign.

"Today we show we are a team for the first time this season," the Italian told Sky Sports. "We play as a team. We suffer, we dominate the game. But in every situation, we were in the game. Football is like this. I think this character, I like the situation with Rodrigo [Bentancur] with the red card. We need it in this moment, this situation. Not to bring a red card but we have not accepted the defeat."

He added: "We have to not accept conceding a goal. We have to react in all ways we can. It's a bad way, it's not the right way, but I kissed Bentancur in the dressing room because we need this reaction, this type of reaction with character. Football is character."

Dominic Solanke was handed the captain's armband for the fixture, a decision De Zerbi explained was a reward for the striker's work rate during a fallow period for the club. Solanke, who has now scored four Premier League goals against Manchester United, proved his value by scoring the equalizing goal in the 92nd minute.

His manager was full of praise for the former Bournemouth man's leadership and technical quality. "He is a good player for Tottenham," De Zerbi said of Solanke. "There are not too many strikers better than Solanke. Today he was captain because he deserved it, especially at that moment because he suffered because Tottenham didn't score or win any games. He is a great guy, a great player and we are behind him. We have to believe in ourselves and this football way. If we believe, improve and play as a team, we will score many goals and win many games. If we don't play as a team, it is impossible."

Despite the positive vibes surrounding the late comeback, the reality for Tottenham remains stark. The club is currently navigating its worst start to a league season in decades, having failed to win any of their opening six matches. This is only the fourth time in the club's history they have endured such a run, mirroring disastrous campaigns from 1912-13, 1955-56, and 2008-09.

The lack of wins has placed immense scrutiny on De Zerbi, who arrived in North London with a reputation for attractive, attacking football but has found the Premier League's basement to be a difficult environment to implement his philosophy. The point at Old Trafford moves them slightly closer to safety, but they remain in the relegation zone during this transitional period.

The draw in Manchester is being viewed by De Zerbi as a potential turning point for his squad's mentality. He emphasised that the performance in the second half, specifically the reaction after going down to ten men, was the first time he truly felt his players were operating as a cohesive unit. The Italian's unconventional management style, evidenced by his physical show of affection for a red-carded player, is aimed at building a siege mentality.

He argued that the team's previous outings lacked the "character" required to win at the elite level, regardless of how much possession they enjoyed. By celebrating Bentancur's refusal to accept the match situation, De Zerbi is signaling a shift toward a more aggressive and resilient approach for the remainder of the season.