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United's Bryan Mbuemo scored with the first shot on target in the 32nd minute of what had been a flat contest, nodding in Amad Diallo's clipped ball to the back post for the summer signing's sixth goal of the season.

Spurs had their UEFA Europa League trophy on display before kick-off, a reminder of their triumph over United in May's final which secured UEFA Champions League football and delivered a long-awaited trophy in former boss Ange Postecoglou's last hurrah.

But the gesture did not have the desired effect as Richarlison squandered Spurs' best chance of the first period and the hosts looked uninspired before half-time, which was greeted with a smattering of boos.

They improved slightly after the break but boss Thomas Frank's decision to replace Xavi Simons with Mathys Tel with 10 minutes to play was also booed by the home support.

It was Tel, though, who equalised in the 84th minute before Richarlison gave Spurs the lead seven minutes later by getting a fortunate touch on a Wilson Odobert shot.

But de Ligt levelled at the death from Bruno Fernandes's corner to extend United's unbeaten run to five games and leave Spurs with a single home league win from six games this season.

Both sides are on 18 points from 11 games, with Spurs third and United seventh on goal difference.

Frank emphasised the positives of his side's display after the break.

"Second half, our response, I was extremely happy with. The way we turned around to stay in the game, very happy with that," he said.

Tel was less upbeat. "Second half our reaction was good, we changed the game," he said. "But we're also mad because we had to win today."

Spurs beat United four times in all competitions last season, culminating in the European victory, but it was not enough to save Postecoglou's job after a 17th place finish in the league.

His replacement, Frank, has sought to make Spurs more robust but they have been toothless offensively at times, as was on display in the first half here.

Odobert replaced the anonymous Randal Kolo Muani at the break and produced an early chance with a teasing cross that Romero hit straight at Senne Lammens, who then did well to palm away Joao Palhinha's half volley.

The game seemed to be drifting away from Spurs when three substitutes combined as Odobert found Destiny Udogie, whose cross was trapped by Tel and smashed off de Ligt's shin and in.

Micky van de Ven made a crucial tackle to stop Benjamin Sesko restoring United's lead, an incident that seemed to hurt the striker, before Richarlison seemingly gave Spurs an unlikely winner.

De Ligt rose highest at the far post, however, in the last of six minutes of added time as both teams spurned the chance to move into provisional second place.

United head coach Ruben Amorim said he was disappointed his side had let its lead slip away, despite the late equaliser.

"We have a lot of problems," he said.

"We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving... but we have a lot to do.

"To overcome everything and to manage to score is a good thing. But if you look at the rest of the game, we were comfortable and I think we should do better, be more aggressive, feeling the environment in the stadium, that the three points were there, the space was there.

"We need to expect that in one play anything can happen and change the mood of the stadium. And today was that."