tit.
In another embarrassing capitulation, Spurs decided to do all their playing in the first half before coughing up a surprise half time lead, to Man City.
In a war of errors, there can be only one winner.
It was a pretty indifferent first half from both sides, in front of a quiet City “crowd”.
Pep Guardiola has slammed the home atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium 😬 pic.twitter.com/8aS3Eo57bh
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) January 20, 2023
The home team having dropped their real game changers, with De Bruyne not starting it was a good sign for Spurs. But that was countered by Conte’s choice of Emerson and Davies.
Thankfully Bentancur was back after his post World Cup layoff but still only in that midfield two Conte loves.
Again outmanned in the middle Spurs struggled a lot of the time. Players on the ball having two or three opponents on them and not being able to keep the ball. The had very little ball retention and very little go forward. Luckily they were stopping City doing that much. Some still don’t know how to play to Haaland.
It was a better first half than we had come to expect. One that got even better just before the break. Some life from Spurs, finally some pressing in the first half. The front three and Bentancur chasing down from a back pass, Bentancur getting in on the defender their keeper played it out to and Kulusevski curls in the opener.
It wasn’t the last mistake of the night.
It wasn’t even two minutes later when it became the bizarrest first half of Spurs season son far. Bentancur’s hump up to Kane on the break, Kulu then puts the ball through to Kane, who slides in and takes it off the defender, a Kane pile driver is saved up in the air for… for… Emerson Royal to double Spurs’ lead. Yes, that Emerson Royal.
To show how bizarre the first half had been people were saying Royal had been the best player on the pitch. Talking him up. Well, he hadn’t exactly been targeted as usual and hadn’t sliced a clearance into his own net, so small mercies.
First goal, scored in the first half, a two goal lead at half time. It was good while it lasted. And it didn’t last long. Here come the Spurs errors.
It starts with a cross from the left, which should have been cut out and then a scramble in the Spurs box as a couple of players in blue fight for the ball with a larger number of those in white, while Hugo does a dying swan act. Yes, a classic Spurs omniclusterfuckshambles.
And that was it, six minutes after the second half had started and the tone for the game was set. Spursy.
Two minutes later and they’re level. A lobbed ball into the box and Perisic is keeping pace with Mahrez but not in the right position to stop the City player nodding the ball across to Haaland. Just far too easy.
The only surprise was that it took them another ten minutes to take the lead. More amazingly it could have been Spurs that went 3-2 up. A nice breakaway and Kulusevski’s cross is met by Perisic but his shot is met by a City defender’s foot, who didn’t know much about it.
But it was them, a cross field ball and Perisic gambles and loses. Mahrez then does what he does against Spurs. Barely scores against any other team but when Spurs rock up, here comes the goals. Again, amazingly, sticking to his right his shot beats Hugo at the near post. A slight touch from Davies in preventing the cross/shot, the captain still should have done better, a lot better, than that.
With that Conte finally made a change. A like-for-like, one left wingback for another. In a surprise to many, Sessegnon’s introduction didn’t improve much.
Again Son was left on the park, while looking… hell he’s not even a shadow of his former self. Where is last season’s top scorer? The next change was again like-for-like, positionally, Bissouma for Bentancur but you imagine the last 15 minutes of a Bentancur at 50% would still be worth having on the pitch.
Then came a change I’d been asking for some months now, as Emerson and Davies made way for Richarlison and Lenglet, meaning Kulusevski moved to right wingback. This would allow Conte to play three in the middle if he went 3-5-2 and keep his best attacking options on the pitch, though does that include Son or Richarlison?
The other part of that substitution block made the final error leading to a goal of the night, as Mahrez got his second.just before the final whistle. Just a hump up the park from the City keeper and he chests the ball back towards his own goal for Mahrez to get in and chip the ball over Lloris for the fourth. Why do they always play the ball towards trouble?
Yes it was better for moments from Spurs and no you can’t legislate for so many bad mistakes from individual players. But I mean they didn’t even have to bring on De Bryune, while Haaland wasn’t really much in the game. And like that even Conte’s hoodoo over Guardiola has gone.
Three points ahead of Brighton, they have two games in hand and are on a bit of a roll. Fulham up next, it’s a six pointer and they haven’t been doing to bad of late, just that narrow loss to Newcastle to end a five game win streak.
And all while Spurs are looking at players. Not signing, just looking. 11 days left… until the panic buying…