I believe it was inevitable.
Pep Guardiola was pulling out his hair as his team, Man City, rode their luck in getting a two all draw with the visiting Spurs.
The not good enough
Spaniard was thoroughly bewildered by English officiating again, when one whole decision in the game didn’t go his way.
He did get it right in that this was deja-vu all over again, his team batter Everton much like they did Spurs for most of the game. While in that game Everton scored with their four attempts, Spurs only had the two, which they duly scored from, one more chance on target was all they needed for the win, because unlike Everton, Spurs couldn’t keep a clean sheet.
Hugo’s Howler Nightmare.
Spurs were the first team to make City look ordinary, here they were the first team since to make them look half decent. The first half was a slopfest of sloppiness from the visitors. This is not what Vertonghen died for.
Wimmer looks like a player that hasn’t played. He came in last year, almost in the same circumstances, very little game time and played exceptionally well, there was even a good case for keeping him in the starting XI when Jan came back fit.
They were all over the Austrian and the rest, it was left to Toby and Hugo to save the day. One great tackle by Toby on Zabaleta and some cracking play pushing Aguero out of his comfort zone, after City went long ball. And Toby didn’t stop ’em Hugo did, making a couple of cracking saves.
Spurs were lucking to go in at the break with no goals against. City were lucky to go in at the break with eleven players on the park. Zabaleta off the ground, uncontrolled, studs up into Walker’s, I think, leg. Ref deemed a red card offence should get no card of any colour, Pep didn’t mention it so neither did the media.
Pep also didn’t mention Sane controlling the ball with his arm before he scored, funny that. Hugo had to go with the head when exposed yet again, it didn’t go to plan and with the help of foul play gifted them the opener.
Error? Yes. Howler? No. That came later. For their second you couldn’t quite believe it was Hugo. From a rare Spurs attack before you knew it the ball was being crossed into the Spurs’ box and with no real threat Hugo was coughing up the ball like that right at de Bruyne’s feet. Howler? Yes, oh yes.
But I’ll stick up for him – enters fanboy mode – he’s saved the team on numerous occasions like the first half, there’s the odd error, there always is with ‘keepers and they are highlighted more as they usual end up in goals. This will have got them out of his system, yes it won’t be the last but I’d bet you won’t see any for a while.
The thing is with this City side it only takes one goal, one goal to get them wobbling and well it only takes one shot on target to get that goal. Just a few minutes after they were thinking it’s all over, it was on again. Toby’s ball to Dele, to Kane, a bit of miss control onto Walker and he puts a first time cross in – makes all the difference, not dithering – right onto Dele’s head for 2-1.
Then the talking point, or Pep’s whinge.
Played through the middle, the suspiciously offside looking, Sterling is through on goal when the floundering Walker gives him a little push in the right direction, Sterling fluffs the ball into Hugo’s arms.
Pep goes apoplectic, Spurs go up the park and equalise. Eriksen wide, into Kane, a lovely dink off by the striker and Son – who replaced Wimmer at the break – finishes it off.
Cue the outrage.
Well, yes it should have been a pen – if he was onside – and Walker would have got a red card for preventing a goal scoring opportunity while not attempting to play the ball. But it was Sterling, he would have fluffed it anyway, like Walker he was putting off actually kicking the ball and should he have been on the pitch anyway?
The talk is that Sterling should have gone down with the push to “win” the penalty. What they don’t say is that he failed to “win” a penalty earlier in the game with a dive. A bit of pushing and shoving with Wanyama, Sterling threw himself to the floor to see his protestations waved off. Yellow for diving, if not then a yellow for his tantrum then, well he should have got one when claiming another penalty after an outstanding tackle by Danny Rose.
Two or three yellows there that Pep missed out mentioning.
Oh and yes I’m coming round everyone’s opinion of Danny Rose, no he’s not the greatest left-back ever, but hell he’s reached a level I never thought he’d get the slightest bit close to.
Then came Jesus, he was going to get on the end of a cross… it was nailed on… He was offside, did Pep see this, thankfully the linesman did.
The search for positives.
Well, could have been on the end of a shellacking, should have been not with the way City played, but with how poor Spurs were. Been some bog awful first halves this season, this one ranks down there.
But a point is a point, especially from that two nil down and playing like crap position. It’s a point gained on the scousers but two dropped to others. But can there be any positives when Toby went off holding his leg?