One play summed up Tottenham season in loss to Manchester City

Tottenham Hotspur has lacked daring all season and it was certainly evident in the Cup Final loss to Manchester City. As time was drifting by and Tottenham was looking to “push” for an equalizer, one play, from the 1-0 Cup Final loss in the 89th minute sums up the entire Spurs season.

Throw-in to Throw-in as Tottenham Turns

The play started simple enough Tottenham looked to be pushing up the field in a rare moment of defiance against their overlords from the north. Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon had combined to win a throw-in for Spurs up near the Manchester City penalty area.

Looking to milk the clock Pep Guardiola is substituting in Bernardo Silva for Kevin De Bruyne, going from strength to strength. Now given the time to settle in defensively Tottenham does what Spurs have done all season they went backward.

With a throw-in near the penalty area, down a goal, with a minute to go, instead of a long throw into the box or a throw leading a player to the corner for a cross, Tottenham throws it back toward midfield. From there Eric Dier then plays it further back to Hugo Lloris.

In five seconds, the ball has gone from the City defensive third to the Tottenham goalkeeper and City did not once touch the ball. Give the Sky Blues credit for running down the field to apply the semblance of pressure against Tottenham, which is all that is really needed to create a Spurs turnover.

Hugo Lloris played the ball back up the pitch to Toby Alderweireld. At this point City is now closing in on the Belgian defender, he hurriedly plays the ball wide towards Serge Aurier, who is barely back over midfield having been up near the box at the start of the throw-in.

Needless to say, Alderweireld’s pass went out of bounds as Aurier never got far enough back to receive it and Manchester City now had “earned” a throw-in in the Tottenham half without doing anything. All the Sky Blues had to do was run up the pitch and allow Spurs to give it away.

Spurs really never got another sniff of the City end and it was all their own undoing. The unwillingness of this team to make or take any kind of chances, even at the death with everything on the line, is the story of this sad, sad season.

A season that started with hope and Tottenham in first place for the first time in forever has come to a crashing halt, and, likely, this group of players will never win a trophy. Further bringing back this lot for another season is just plain foolhardy, no matter who the coach is. That painful rebuild being talked about two managers ago is long overdue.