United scored thanks to Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but in their first game under interim manager Ryan Mason, Tottenham displayed the kind of energy that has severely been lacking for much of their tumultuous season.
They were given hope by Pedro Porro's goal early in the second half, and Son's close-range goal capped the escape at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In contrast to Tottenham's instability, United look positively stable despite the continuing bidding war to buy the club from the Glazer family.
They won the League Cup earlier this season and beat Brighton on penalties on Sunday to book an FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City.
In contrast to the Newcastle rout, where Tottenham's leaky defense let up their first goal after only two minutes, this time it took them seven minutes to fall.
Sancho was given time and space to curl a beautiful finish into the far corner after Rashford found him on the left edge of the penalty box and it was his first goal in 14 appearances. He nearly got a second but Ivan Perisic cleared his attempt off the line.
Marcus Rashford had the Tottenham defense beat, and in the 44th minute, he made a break for it and scored his 29th goal of the year. Rashford sped past Eric Dier after receiving a feed from Bruno Fernandes and guided a controlled finish past Fraser Forster from eight yards.
In the second half, Tottenham fought harder, and Clement Lenglet's header from Perisic's cross hit the crossbar.
When the right-back blazed past David De Gea from just inside the area in the 56th minute, Porro, a much-maligned January acquisition from Sporting Lisbon, cut the lead in half.
When it appeared easier to score when the United midfielder broke through the Tottenham defense, Fernandes hit the bar.
With just De Gea to beat, Son squandered a golden opportunity to tie the score, and Dier missed an equally superb headed chance.
Tottenham was pushing forward with newfound vigor, and Son scored their well-earned equalizer in the 79th minute by tapping in Kane's cross at the far post.
Talking points
After Brazilian winger Antony went to the ground against Tottenham, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag gave him the benefit of the doubt.
After playing against Brighton for a demanding 120 minutes on Sunday, the Red Devils exhibited no evidence of exhaustion, leading 2-0 at halftime. Before Spurs fought back in the second half to tie it back to 2-2, goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford gave the visitors the upper hand.
In the opening 45 minutes, Antony was one United player who didn't stand out. The 23-year-old, who cost £82 million to buy from Ajax in August, has scored four Premier League goals and displayed flashes of brilliance.
But in addition to his theatrics, he has also drawn criticism for his inconsistency. The winger went down in search of a free kick early on in the match against Spurs.
To his manager's obvious annoyance, he didn't get it but instead stayed on the floor. When the ball was out of play, Ten Hag scolded his player again and ordered him to stand up.
The winger decided from rebutting his supervisor, but found it difficult to engage in the battle after that. However, it was the tourists who were in complete control as they descended the tunnel. Antony was subbed off just before full time.
Marcus Rashford back amongst goals
In an effort to help the squad, Marcus Rashford pushed himself to return from injury in time for the FA Cup semifinal last weekend. He was crucial to several of United's goals tonight, and he appeared a little more rested.
Sancho's first goal was assisted by Rashford, who also scored the second goal late in the first half.
He has now scored 29 goals and has 10 assists for the season. These are outstanding numbers, and it is only a matter of time before he scores his 30th goal of the campaign.
This was his first goal since April 5 due to injury, and the international break's interruption also meant that he had only three goals in March and April combined. Maintaining his fitness is the first step in Rashford's quest to regain the rhythm he was in at the beginning of the year. This was a solid beginning.
Aston Villa match is now crucial
With a victory here, United might have guaranteed a berth in the top four. This weekend's matchup with Aston Villa has gained in significance.
Under Unai Emery, Villa are improving and will make the afternoon at Old Trafford difficult.
If they succeed, they can reduce the distance from United to only three points. We will have two games in hand, but with a win to clinch fourth place, we can put them out of reach.
Europa League script plays out again
Manchester United's tendency to blow leads is becoming worrisome. At halftime, the squad was easily winning 2-0 and was poised to continue racking up points.
Unfortunately, the game ended in a 2-2 stalemate after conceding two goals in the second half, much like United's most recent home draw with Sevilla.
When the score was 2-1, Bruno Fernandes blew a critical opportunity, and this proved to be the decisive moment.
Even while a point isn't the worst outcome possible, this was disappointing. United ought to have earned all three points and all but guaranteed a position in the Champions League. United is still trying to defeat a top Premier League opponent on the road.
Cold-Hot Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho should be more confident going forward after banishing his Wembley penalty demons in the weekend shootout, according to Erik ten Hag, who stated this in the lead-up to the game.
Sancho quickly demonstrated that his manager was correct. After only seven minutes, he scored against Tottenham with a wicked shot that arrowed into the bottom corner.
This was the goal he needed after a strong recent stretch of playing time. He began engaging players and appeared more assured right away. He also nearly added a second.
Jadon Sancho has now scored six goals this season, and if the season ends well, he might even reach double digits.
Unfortunately, his performance encapsulated United's. He lost momentum after a strong beginning.
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