From the first whistle, it was clear what Tottenham Hotspur’s strategy against Pep Guardiola’s men at Etihad Stadium earlier this afternoon would be—rugby-style up-and-unders.
From kickoff, Spurs – who now prefer to be called Hotspur for sponsorship reasons – played the ball back to keeper Guglielmo Vicario.
The Italian immediately pumped it up and forward into the Manchester City third and into touch. This was deliberate and a precursor to what would happen consistently.
The first of Hotspur’s two goals, which came in the first half, was a direct consequence of this ploy.
Pedro Porro got hold of the ball by the corner flag on the right. He pumped a long high ball almost to the centre line. Mohammed Kudus, hugging the touchline, flicked it inside for Richarlison. Aided by a John Stones slip while trying to effect an offside, the Brazilian ran free towards the box-goal line intersection to square to Brennan Johnson wide on the left to slot home past James Trafford.
Throughout the game, City struggled with this up-and-under.
At 39 minutes, just five minutes after conceding, City defenders struggled under yet another high ball.
Nico Gonzalez allowed the ball to drop onto his head, but the pass to Trafford was short. In the melee that followed after Kudus had brought the ball down on his chest, Trafford came outside the box to block, undoubtedly with his hand, but this was missed by referee Peter Brooks. City survived.
There was no one to the rescue, though, for the young keeper and City graduate at 45+2 minutes when he dawdled on a back pass. With Johnson pressing, he made a short pass to Gonzalez in the middle inside the box, with Pape Matar Sarr on his back. With the Spaniard sprawled on the floor, Richarlison fired for goal. The goalie’s block fell on Joao Palhinha to score via a double ricochet.
It had been clear for a while, though, that it wouldn’t be City’s day.
On 28 minutes, Erling Haaland, who appears to be getting used to the role of ball-playing striker, pitched the ball off Rodrigo Bentancur almost in the centre circle. He dribbled, yes, that’s true, past three. He got past the fourth Hotspur defender by sheer brute force. Having done that, he played a Kevn de Bruyne-type through pass for Omar Marmoush on the penalty spot. The Egyptian, one-on-one, fired into Vicario’s body.
Again, on 45+7 minutes, City’s new boy, Rayan Cherki, played a short corner to Nico Lewis. When the ball returned to him, he squared on to Haaland’s head in the small box, but the big Norwegian missed the target with only the keeper to beat. To be fair, the ball had been slightly behind him.
The game went to the break at 2-nil.
The second half was a Hotspur defensive masterclass with flashes of City’s creative ability on display, but nothing to cause alarm.
Sensing a defeat to his bogey side, Guardiola replaced Marmoush – who played in a strange position out wide on the City left – with Jeremy Doku midway through the second half
A flustered Trafford continued to make mistakes as the game progressed, or did it deteriorate for City?
On 72 minutes, the Englishman rushed out of his box to intercept another up-and-under. He missed the ball, but Sarr misjudged it. Anyway, even if he hadn’t, he would have been ruled offside. But that illustrated just how insecure Trafford was. The 22-year-old City academy graduate made his return to the Etihad after shining at Burnley for almost two seasons.
Doku created some good moments, but all in vain.
On 90+2, Trafford somewhat redeemed himself, saving a low strike from Dominic Solanke, but the game had long been lost courtesy of a huge dollop of his doing.
Unlikely to start the next game.
From kickoff, Spurs – who now prefer to be called Hotspur for sponsorship reasons – played the ball back to keeper Guglielmo Vicario.
The Italian immediately pumped it up and forward into the Manchester City third and into touch. This was deliberate and a precursor to what would happen consistently.
The first of Hotspur’s two goals, which came in the first half, was a direct consequence of this ploy.
Pedro Porro got hold of the ball by the corner flag on the right. He pumped a long high ball almost to the centre line. Mohammed Kudus, hugging the touchline, flicked it inside for Richarlison. Aided by a John Stones slip while trying to effect an offside, the Brazilian ran free towards the box-goal line intersection to square to Brennan Johnson wide on the left to slot home past James Trafford.
Throughout the game, City struggled with this up-and-under.
At 39 minutes, just five minutes after conceding, City defenders struggled under yet another high ball.
Nico Gonzalez allowed the ball to drop onto his head, but the pass to Trafford was short. In the melee that followed after Kudus had brought the ball down on his chest, Trafford came outside the box to block, undoubtedly with his hand, but this was missed by referee Peter Brooks. City survived.
There was no one to the rescue, though, for the young keeper and City graduate at 45+2 minutes when he dawdled on a back pass. With Johnson pressing, he made a short pass to Gonzalez in the middle inside the box, with Pape Matar Sarr on his back. With the Spaniard sprawled on the floor, Richarlison fired for goal. The goalie’s block fell on Joao Palhinha to score via a double ricochet.
It had been clear for a while, though, that it wouldn’t be City’s day.
On 28 minutes, Erling Haaland, who appears to be getting used to the role of ball-playing striker, pitched the ball off Rodrigo Bentancur almost in the centre circle. He dribbled, yes, that’s true, past three. He got past the fourth Hotspur defender by sheer brute force. Having done that, he played a Kevn de Bruyne-type through pass for Omar Marmoush on the penalty spot. The Egyptian, one-on-one, fired into Vicario’s body.
Again, on 45+7 minutes, City’s new boy, Rayan Cherki, played a short corner to Nico Lewis. When the ball returned to him, he squared on to Haaland’s head in the small box, but the big Norwegian missed the target with only the keeper to beat. To be fair, the ball had been slightly behind him.
The game went to the break at 2-nil.
The second half was a Hotspur defensive masterclass with flashes of City’s creative ability on display, but nothing to cause alarm.
Sensing a defeat to his bogey side, Guardiola replaced Marmoush – who played in a strange position out wide on the City left – with Jeremy Doku midway through the second half
A flustered Trafford continued to make mistakes as the game progressed, or did it deteriorate for City?
On 72 minutes, the Englishman rushed out of his box to intercept another up-and-under. He missed the ball, but Sarr misjudged it. Anyway, even if he hadn’t, he would have been ruled offside. But that illustrated just how insecure Trafford was. The 22-year-old City academy graduate made his return to the Etihad after shining at Burnley for almost two seasons.
Doku created some good moments, but all in vain.
On 90+2, Trafford somewhat redeemed himself, saving a low strike from Dominic Solanke, but the game had long been lost courtesy of a huge dollop of his doing.
Unlikely to start the next game.
Last night, a West Ham United performance against Chelsea at home confirmed that manager Graham Potter was the prime candidate for first mentor to lose this job this season.
His desperately poor side went down 5-1 – making what was an average showing by Enzo Maresca’s men seem grand.
