Spurs Fall 0-1 in Premier League to City
By Aaron Coe
In a good – but nowhere near best match ever game like Wednesday – Manchester City hang-on to beat Tottenham 1-0 in the Premier League.
As has happened three times now this season when Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have squared off, City scored in the opening 6 minutes of the match. However, unlike the UCL thriller only 3 days before, there was no Spurs response and City beat Tottenham 1-0 just like that Monday evening in October.
Overall it was good football to watch and as a Spurs fan after the other night, it just felt like eventually one of the many chances the team had would fall. In the end some timely tackles and goalkeeping from City were enough on a day where Spurs played hard but lacked that cutting edge and top-notch first touch in many areas.
The Team
Mauricio Pochettino rotated in some areas, mostly out of necessity, to put together a patch-work line-up. For Paulo Gazzaniga and Juan Foyth this was their first action since dropping out of the FA Cup in late January. Eric Dier was likewise back in the line-up and honestly, I can’t remember the last time I saw Dier in action in only his 17th League appearance of the season.
Things are getting so thin at N17 Vincent Janssen made the bench today. Yes Vincent Janssen. At least he was listed, I never saw him on the tele.
Ultimately, Pochettino and company rolled with a much more conservative approach than the bravery we saw in the Champions League as Gazzaniga was fronted by a back-three of Sanchez, Alderweireld, and Vertonghen. Those three were being ‘protected’ by Eric Dier and Dele Alli, with Juan Foyth wide right and Ben Davies on the left. Eriksen then served as the connection to Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura up front.
The Game
The first-half started out almost like these two teams hadn’t stopped playing a few days past. Both were racing out of the blocks and it was clear the intensity and adrenaline were both very high. Tottenham’s plan was clear, absorb the pressure and try to beat City quick on the break or over the top. Likewise, it was clear City were going to press and pressure and look for an opportunity early, as they are prone to do.
The strategies ultimately were effective for both teams, but only City was able to capitalize.
Son was in on the left within three minutes only to be denied by Ederson, looking back this may have been the best opportunity of the day and ultimately the cross to a wide-open Lucas Moura would have been the better decision. But Son has been on fire, so I don’t blame him for going for it.
Unfortunately for Spurs and fortunate for City, their striker Sergio Aguero did cross his opportunity and young Phil Foden buried his own header straight into an empty net. 1-0 City, five minutes in, the race was back on.
Unfortunately, again for Spurs, the response was not as emphatic as midweek and after 5 collective fouls between the teams the next shot came at 14 minutes from Eriksen. Tottenham had several good chances still in the first half, as Son was almost through at 16 minutes only to have his shot blocked by Laporte.
Later a little build-up from Spurs led to a nice cross from Juan Foyth, that Lucas Moura was just a step late too as Ederson was quick off his line. Then Son had another chance taking the ball from inside his own half all the way to the top of the penalty area only to have his effort saved by Ederson near the edge of the box.
Likewise, after a very shaky start, Juan Foyth was showing he can still play and Gazzaniga made a nice save on Bernardo on a low, unsighted shot. Dier was looking the rustiest of the team. But Dele was showing some flare and opportunities were to be had. That was the story of the first half for Spurs, the half-chances that didn’t fall but considering the line-up Spurs had to feel pretty good overall.
While the pace slowed a bit in the second half, as did the overall quality of play, it seemed like there were more goals in this game. Further, for the first time I’ve ever seen The Etihad crowd had that sense of the other shoe dropping more and more as the game went on. FYI City fans, that is what heartbreaking losses do to you, enjoy. While that shoe never did fall, seeing City fans squirm felt pretty good.
The End
It was clear both by the play and frankly the chirpiness that grew as the game went on these players had seen enough of each other for a while and as a fan I’ve seen enough of City for now too. But there were still a few moments left in the match.
Eric Dier had a good opportunity but couldn’t get over the open header off a corner with his last action of the match. Leroy Sane got to the end line and played a nice ball back to Raheem Sterling, only to have his well hit side-footer saved by the outstretched leg of Gazzaniga. Lucas Moura played a flick to himself, beat the defenders to the ball, only to have his shot blocked by Stones and bounce off Ederson.
While it felt like the pressure was mounting for Spurs – particularly after another injury to Kevin De Bruyne and the substitution of Sergio Aguero – but ultimately Tottenham could not capitalize. Frankly the last 15 minutes turned into more of a hack fest by both teams than anything close to the previous 200+ minutes of football we had all enjoyed.
After three yellow cards and some half chances the whistle blew, and the game ended. If felt nothing like the other night. No jubilation or heartbreak, just relief from the home side and a sense of what might have been for the visitors and on to the next match.