Lineker demands shirt-off rule rethink after late De Ligt drama in Spurs–United 2-2

Only in the Premier League do you get a finish like that: Tottenham convinced they’d nicked it, Manchester United refusing to lie down, and a post-match row about the laws of the game that’s bound to run all week. After Spurs and United split the points 2-2 in north London, Gary Lineker put his pundit’s head above the parapet and called for a rethink on the mandatory yellow card for removing your shirt.

Drama by the bucketload at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham drew first blood on 32 minutes when Bryan Mbeumo stole a march at the far post to nod in a wicked delivery from Amad. United huffed and puffed until the 84th minute, when Mathys Tel showed lovely feet in a crowded box and whipped past Senne Lammens to level.

Spurs believed the winner had arrived late on: Richarlison reacted quickest to glance Wilson Odobert’s goal-bound effort beyond the keeper, sparking absolute bedlam. Off came the shirt, off he sprinted to the corner, and into the book he went. Then came the sting. With seconds left, ex-Ajax skipper Matthijs de Ligt ghosted in at the back post to turn home Bruno Fernandes’ cross and nick United a point.

Lineker: the shirt-off caution is a nonsense

Lineker didn’t mince his words. He reckons the automatic caution for removing a shirt is outdated, especially when it inflates stoppage time and can swing games in those frantic final moments. He did add a striker’s caveat: players know the law, so keep a lid on it and celebrate smarter when the clock’s red. But the gist was clear — the rule is ripe for review.

Richards backs the emotion

Micah Richards had some sympathy for Richarlison, arguing that in the heat of it you’re living every fan’s dream and logic goes out the window. You can see both sides: the law is clunky, yet pros also know the consequences.

Context, standings and a quirky stat

Tottenham, under Frank, sit fifth and were a whisker from another home league win in 2025 before De Ligt’s late intervention. As for Richarlison, the Opta boffins note he’s now the first player, since detailed records began in 2006/07, to be booked for a post-90th-minute shirt-off celebration and then see his team concede afterwards on more than one occasion — echoing that wild finish against Liverpool in April 2023, when Diogo Jota pinched it at the death.

United, under Ruben Amorim, keep showing a strange resilience — not always pretty, often chaotic, but hard to put away. Tel’s impact off the bench, Fernandes’ late quality and De Ligt’s leadership all told in the end.

Pundit’s verdict

Look, emotion is the lifeblood of football. But when a celebration reliably earns you a caution and risks stretching the very time in which your lead can vanish, you’re asking for trouble. My take? Change the law so a shirt-off celebration isn’t an automatic booking unless it’s provocative or time-wasting. In the meantime, lads, find a new routine — knee slide, badge kiss, the lot — and keep your top on until full-time.

For those keeping an eye on form, odds and narratives, our guides to the best betting sites can frame the weekend’s talking points. But here’s the bottom line: the shirt-off yellow is past its sell-by date and the lawmakers should tidy it up.

The last word

A cracking contest, two managers with clear identities, and a finish that’ll be replayed all season. Spurs will feel it’s two dropped; United will call it a character point. And Lineker? He’s kicked off a debate the Premier League can’t brush aside for long.