but they have something over Pep and Citeh.
Spurs had lost the last three games after taking the lead, doing it a fourth time would have been the Premier League record and in their attempts to keep being Spursy they were on track to do it before getting the leveller.
Ange went with the same back line, in a starting XI that only saw one change from the previous game – Bentancur being out with injury, replaced by the returning Bissouma from suspension – and Spurs fans could see the horror unfold in front of their eyes. Haaland versus Emerson and Davies.
Luckily in the opening stages while Spurs were doing their usual fannying about and giving the ball away, City weren’t taking what chances they had.Then six minutes in from a Vicario save and spill, City got a corner which Vicario punched clear and Gil outmuscled Foden and passed to Kulusevski, Spurs currently had pretty much a four on two when Kulu played a first time ball towards two onrushing Spurs payers. Son ghosted round Doku, while Johnson kept Walker occupied. Now Pep won’t be happy with Doku, but he’s new, he doesn’t know in such situations Pep wants the opposition fouled, then you smile and the ref lets you off with it. No he let Son go into the box and have a bang that went through the City keeper.
Too early?
Well, it didn’t take long before it went Spursy. A needless foul given away by Lo Celso, after a needless throw given away, after some decent defensive play. The free kick missed everyone but Son. Tommy Hutchison would always point out he didn’t score at both ends in the ’81 Cup final. He scored for both teams but in the same end.
Spurs were riding their luck, as many have said. One player would be screaming and moaning later on, maybe just maybe it was a bit of deflection from the sitters he was missing. Haaland somehow putting the ball wide from about the penalty spot but yeah Erling… ref had a shocker eh.
It took ’em 20 minutes of missing sitters and hitting the woodwork before City took the lead. Spurs had plenty of opportunities to clear the ball properly before they just ignored Foden wandering into the box to get on the end of a pass. Enough defenders there, just too many who didn’t know what they were doing. Emerson and Davies.
At the break Ange replaced Gil with Hojbjerg. Gil started well and had some good moments, especially the build up to the goal but he kept making the wrong decision and taking too many touches but it’s not enough to bin him off.
They also started the second half like they were carrying on from the first, in which they only had a third of the ball and two shots to City’s 12. Vicario’s ball out for Davies was easily cut out but he followed it up with another exceptional save. As I said before, he’ll give us the vapours with the ball at his feet, with those around him but we won’t worry about his shot stopping.
25 minutes in and Spurs were more in it, they were pressing City more up the pitch and that pressing led to a punt that was cut out by Davies with his head. The ball falling to Son who laid it off to Lo Celso and as the Korean ran to the right of the box he dragged the City defence with him, opening it up for the Argentine to cut in on his favoured left to curl the ball inside the post.
Two in two for Lo Celso, after just one in his previous fifty off games for the club. As I said, amazing what happens when you play a player in his preferred position and play go forward football. Excellent individual and team goal.
When City’s Doku went off to be replaced by Grealish, before the equaliser I thought that was a boost for Spurs. Much like Foden who I described as a one trick pony, so is Grealish. Of course he went and added to that trick, like Foden. Again it was their own fault, Bissouma initially did well, then tried to do too much and be too clever – he hasn’t been the same since that dive – again the scorer was all on his lonesome as the cross came in. Skipp was just mincing about in the middle doing nothing – another one of those strange subs Spurs managers do, as he replaced Lo Celso just 10 minutes after his goal, he didn’t look happy.
But it’s Spurs, there’s always late goals and Spurs keep on attacking, it was just down to which end it would come. Skipp did well to keep the ball and get it off to Son, who played it on to Johnson, who was now on the left wing, the Welshman gets by Walker with ease and puts in an excellent cross which is met mid goal by Kulusevski coming in from the right and wanting it more than his defender to power in the headed equaliser.
There was just enough time for the City players, manager, and chums in the media to find their distraction from City’s third straight league game without a victory. Emerson trips Haaland, again needlessly, appeals for the foul the Norwegian gets straight up and lobs the ball over to Grealish as the ref doesn’t blew but does as Grealish is close to the ball. Cue outrage all round. Haaland was spectacular in his tantrum as I said early, a great way to deflect from those sitters.
It was Grealish, he originally looked offside, he wasn’t, maybe that’s what the ref thought or he thought it wasn’t going to the City player, but again it was Grealish he wasn’t going to score, he would have stopped let someone get in front of him, so he could beat a man, well try and beat a man, when he would just run into them, lose the ball and fall over.
The overreaction by the City players – which they’ve been charged for – the media and the fans is beyond pathetic for a call that had little to do with the outcome of the match. I mean calling it the worst decision you’ve ever seen. I’m surprised they didn’t say “literally” it’s such hyperbole. I mean, Spurs fans have seen Jan Vertonghen flagged offside in his own half, a ball how many yards over the goal line not been given and City players get away with professional foul after professional foul, without getting a card.
I do like Ange’s response… it doesn’t affect me at all… I don’t think that is the story of the game today, there are better storylines from that fantastic game of football than one refereeing decision
.
Well, they didn’t get that record of losing four straight games after taking the lead, and that sign over Pep is still there, from Poch being the first to beat hi in English football, to Nuno’s first game.