Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that he kissed Rodrigo Bentancur in the dressing room despite the Uruguayan being sent off for headbutting Luke Shaw as Tottenham rescued a 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Spurs looked set to be punished for a wasteful performance when Bentancur was given his marching orders five minutes after Bryan Mbeumo’s 73rd-minute opener gave United the lead against the run of play.

But Dominic Solanke popped up in the second minute of added time to head home a precious late equaliser, which lifts Spurs off the bottom of the Premier League table.

The game threatened to unravel for the visitors following Bentancur’s dismissal, but De Zerbi says his side benefited from going down to 10 men, showing great resilience to salvage a point as United floundered.

“I like the situation with Rodrigo and the red card,” De Zerbi told Sky Sports.

“We need, in this moment, this situation. Not to bring a red card, but we have not to accept the defeat. We have not to accept to concede 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.”

Spurs got the goal - their first away from home in the league this season - that their performance deserved, and De Zerbi admitted that, for the first time this term, he felt his side played as a team, even though their wait for a first league win continues.

“I'm very happy because I've seen the right spirit, the right character. I want to start from this character, this reaction, this behaviour,” the Italian continued.

“Today, we showed to be a team for the first time this season. We play as a team, we suffer, we dominate the game.”