De Zerbi made Solanke captain to show confidence in striker

Roberto De Zerbi explained he handed Dominic Solanke the captain's armband for Tottenham's Premier League trip to Manchester United as a show of faith in the striker, who had been under public criticism.

Solanke repaid that trust with a 92nd-minute equaliser at Old Trafford on Saturday, heading home Sandro Tonali's cross to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw after the visitors had been reduced to 10 men following Rodrigo Bentancur's red card.

"After the last game, the criticism, I wanted to put him captain to show my confidence and the confidence of the team, because all other players were happy when I said Domi Solanke was captain," De Zerbi said in his post-match press conference. "When one player of us is in a difficult situation, all other players and staff and myself, we have to show to be close with him, like a family, like a team, like a normal team."

De Zerbi added that the goal was a reward Solanke had earned. "He deserved everything he did today. He's a great guy, great player, he suffered for the criticism, because we didn't score, we didn't win, we have no striker — no, no, we have the striker and we have a great striker."

The Tottenham head coach was unequivocal about Solanke's importance to the side. "I think in this moment for us, we can't find a striker better than Dominic Solanke. He has to improve in physical condition, in confidence, and he was captain for that reason."

Tottenham had dominated long periods of the match before going behind and losing Bentancur to a red card, making Solanke's late header all the more significant in salvaging a point.