Tottenham’s Win Over City Was No Fluke
By Ryan Wrenn
Mauricio Pochettino’s trademark high press was enough for Tottenham to finish off Manchester City before the whistle sounded for the first half.
It should have been obvious. Not only did Tottenham manage to earn the double over City just last season, but Pochettino’s Espaynol team beat Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona at the height of the latter’s power. There isn’t a team in the Premier League who seemed more likely to deliver Pep’s first defeat with his new club.
That being said, it was far from a foregone conclusion. Prior to this match against City, Tottenham were a shadow of the team that finished third last season. It didn’t show up in the results — Tottenham were undefeated with four wins and two draws coming into the weekend, good enough to put them second in the table — but it was clear as day to anyone watching that this wasn’t Tottenham at its best.
But for the 4-0 annihilation of Stoke City, the results were narrow affairs against pitiable teams. A 1-0 scoreline over Sunderland or a 2-1 over Middlesbrough aren’t exactly the results of a steamrolling team.
The problem — if going undefeated while also mostly winning could be described as such — was that Tottenham were often frustrated by relatively simple defensive tactics. Each of Sunderland, Middlesbrough, CSKA Moscow and Monaco succeeded in crowding men behind the ball and pushing Tottenham’s usually-formidable attack out of the spaces it most thrives in — specifically the narrow area right in front of goal.
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It’s no surprise that a player who tends to feature in a wider area like Heung-min Son would be the unquestionable bright spot of this Tottenham side so far this term. The South Korean operates on the edge of tightly compacted defenses and, more often than not, either finds a way through or creates one for a teammate.
Pochettino had no reason to believe that any of these conditions would be present on Sunday. City — particularly Pep’s City — are not a team who sit back. Perhaps they make some small accommodation for the strengths of a particular opposition, like bringing on Fernando on Sunday in place of a more advanced attacking midfielder. But Pep would certainly never ask nine of his outfield players to sit behind the ball.
Which worked precisely to Tottenham’s advantage. Afforded the freedom of space and movement, Pochettino’s four-man attack ran rampant against City’s defense and Claudio Bravo. They chased down balls, harassed those in possession and generally never slowed down throughout the first 45 minutes.
Such pressing efforts afforded Tottenham two advantages. The most obvious, of course, is that it allowed them to retrieve the ball in areas of the pitch that made quick transitions devastating. City’s defense was caught out of shape and were never able to rest on the ball with any level of confidence.
Less evident was the effect the press had on City’s build up play. Guardiola’s teams rely heavily on retaining possession, and thus patient, deliberate build up play from back to front is absolutely central to their game. With Tottenham’s midfield and attack relentlessly closing down each and every options, suddenly City’s attack dried up just when they needed it most. It’s no surprise that Sergio Agüero failed to receive the ball in a meaningful position even once in the first half.
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What criticism can be mustered for Pochettino’s methods here inevitably center on one thing: sustainability. When Spurs returned after the interval, the intensity of the press declined significantly. More and more as the half wore on, Tottenham were content to sit back and absorb City’s pressure while only occasionally threatening in the same way they had throughout the first 45 minutes.
This isn’t a bug in Pochettino’s system however. Since at least last season, this is simply how Tottenham play. Implement the feverishly high press early, earn a decent cushion of a lead and then rely on the best defense in the league to see out the win.
Admittedly, such tactics were more of a gamble against City. This was, after all, the most potent attack in the Premier League. A two goal lead can quickly become precarious if even one of Agüero’s shots finds its way past Hugo Lloris.
Perhaps Eric Dier could have been brought on sooner if it was indeed Pochettino’s intention to wait out the game. Similarly, players like Son and Dele Alli could have been subbed out in favor of players who could have sustained the energy of the press.
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Regardless, even as they defended their lead Tottenham never looked particularly vulnerable. Thanks in large part to the efforts of both centre-backs and, in particular, Victor Wanyama, City never found the right rhythm. There’s good reason why Tottenham haven’t conceded a goal in open play after seven Premier League matches played.
This was, all told, perhaps the most clear example of Tottenham’s quality since Pochettino took over. The 4-1 win over City in the corresponding fixture last term or the 5-3 over Chelsea the year before that were great, thrilling games. This 2-0 win feels like the first real statement win of Tottenham’s Pochettino era.