Tottenham Bend But Don’t Break
By Ryan Wrenn
A point on the road to Manchester City might appear discouraging given Tottenham’s recent form, but really it’s a testament to how much the club continues to evolve.
Tottenham’s three match winning streak against City since the beginning of last season speak enough for itself. Saturday’s 2-2 result puts those prior results in a bold font however.
Consider what Mauricio Pochettino’s side had facing them from the other half of the Etihad pitch. Pep Guardiola named a supremely top heavy City side that featured Leroy Sané, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Agüero.
Few other managers would be able to fit all those players onto the same pitch, much less have the confidence to think that it would work. Such is Guardiola’s prodigious ability.
For long stretches of both the first and second halves of Saturday’s match, the gambit seemed to pay off. Spurs simply could not keep track of all of City’s moving parts. Hugo Lloris was brought into action early and often, and eventually was forced into two gaffs that resulted in City going 2-0 up by the 54th minute.
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Two or more seasons ago, this string of events regularly spelled doom for Tottenham. They lacked the means, the confidence and the experience to continue to fight when the odds stacked higher and higher against them like this.
Pochettino’s Spurs is a different creature however. They aren’t immune from implosions — see: the final four matches of last season — but they are far more rare than they used to be.
In this case, Pochettino’s changes — both tactical and as the result of injuries — came together to create a response that allowed Tottenham to pull back. First Dele Alli then Heung-min Son contributed goals that sustained Tottenham’s unbeaten streak and kept them in the hunt for the title.
Was it pretty? Absolutely not. City’s onslaught’s overwhelmed the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United so far this season. By all rights Tottenham should have conceded more than two unfortunate goals.
What it was was resilient, the kind of performance that a genuine title contender turns in when it counts. Messy points are still points, after all.
This kind of resolve is as much a reflection of Spurs’ innate talent as its psychological strength. Pochettino is molding a generation of footballers who overcome daunting odds — and, most importantly, believe they can do it again.
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It’s too soon to say how long this buoyancy can be sustained, and if it’s enough for Tottenham to rise above the rest of the competition. For now it’s simply a reassuring reminder that this is the best and most promising Spurs side in at least a generation.