During a fast-paced five-a-side match, Manchester City went from dominating Tottenham to making careless mistakes that may secretly frustrate Pep Guardiola more than the referee’s questionable call in added time to allow play to continue before ultimately awarding a foul on Erling Haaland after he assisted Jack Grealish.
Haaland and his team members encircled the referee, which could result in an FA charge against City for their inability to manage their players. However, what is most relevant to the title race is how the champions have fallen three points behind Arsenal after 14 matches.
Dejan Kulusevski emerged as the hero for the visiting team. In the chaotic final minutes of the match, Brennan Johnson made his way down the left side and placed the ball into City’s penalty area. The Swedish winger then used his shoulder to score against Ederson, tying the game at 3-3.
The tie marks a pause for Ange Postecoglou’s team, impressively breaking a streak of three losses in a row. The reigning champions have lost a total of six points in their last three games. This is the first time since March-April 2017 that they have not won three consecutive matches in the Premier League, making it fair to say that City is experiencing a slight dip in form compared to their usual high standards.
On Wednesday, Aston Villa will face a challenge without Rodri and Jack Grealish, who are suspended due to receiving a booking on Sunday. Guardiola may be frustrated with Grealish, as his yellow card was a result of kicking the ball in a childish manner. Grealish had substituted in for Jérémy Doku, who seemed to have sustained an injury, adding to City’s difficulties.
Grealish appeared to secure all the points for his team in the merit column, scoring on the 81st minute. City’s No 10 has not been scoring enough, with this being his first goal of the campaign. This can be attributed to Postecoglou’s determination that his team will play their unique brand of football regardless of their opponents.
Yves Bissouma was close to achieving his objective when he was suddenly robbed by Rodri. The ball went straight to Haaland, who had been wasteful in his attempts throughout the game. He managed to pass the ball over and Grealish successfully scored. Despite this, City’s performance was weak and they were unable to maintain their lead. In the final minutes of extra time, Haaland believed he had once again set up Grealish for a potential goal.
Tottenham got off to a good start and scored a breakaway goal against City, which is a classic way to break through their defense. Kulusevski sent a curved pass over the high line of the champions to Son Heung-min. The Spurs captain was competing with Doku, who is known for his speed, but the Belgian lacked determination and Son was able to get past Ederson.
City started strong, but three minutes into the ninth minute, they were tied by their opponents. The goal came quickly and directly from a free-kick taken by Julián Álvarez on the right side of the field. The ball grazed Haaland’s forehead and deflected off Son before going into the net, leaving goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario helpless. In the chaotic moments that followed, City had a chance to take the lead when Vicario made a mistake and passed to Emerson, who fumbled under pressure from Bernardo Silva. The ball ended up at Haaland’s feet, but he missed the opportunity to score from close range.
The strategy outlined by Postecoglou involves playing with high defensive lines, pressing the opponent, and attacking aggressively. However, so far his team has been forced to defend near their own goal and rely on counterattacks for success. This is a common tactic used by Manchester City to disrupt even the most well thought out plans. Tottenham’s first goal was scored on a counterattack and they came close to scoring another using the same approach. Johnson dribbled past Rúben Dias down the right side, but Dias did not give up and showed impressive recovery skills. Later, Guardiola showed contrasting emotions when he saw Silva make a mistake and pass the ball straight to Bryan Gil, who had a good chance to score near the goal.
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City scored their first goal after a well-executed attack that resulted in Doku hitting the ball against Tottenham’s crossbar. Belgian player Álvarez then passed it to Foden who calmly placed it into the goal, past Vicario.
The game had turned into a display of City’s attacking plays and opportunities, causing Tottenham to resort to desperate measures while lacking enough players to stop the constant onslaught. As a result, Bissouma passed the ball to Álvarez, who then passed it to Haaland for what should have been a third goal. However, the skilled striker missed the shot, visibly disappointing himself.
Postecoglou typically showed disappointment on his face, especially when City managed to evade pressure. However, this is just one of the many things they are skilled at. At halftime, the Australian may have replaced this expression with relief as Spurs were only trailing by one goal, giving them some hope. According to Postecoglou, the team had a discussion rather than getting angry, and this seemed to change Tottenham’s performance. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s substitution for the second half, replacing Gil, also helped to strengthen Spurs.
The pace of the game slowed down for City, resulting in a goal by Giovani Lo Celso to tie the score at 2-2. Álvarez carelessly flicked the ball, which was intercepted by Ben Davies. Son then passed it to Lo Celso, who scored from a distance and curled it in off the base of Ederson’s right post.
Grealish believed he had secured the victory, but Kulusevski’s intervention changed the game. The final moments were full of excitement and controversy, starting with Emerson Royal’s tackle on Haaland. This situation is likely far from over.
Source: theguardian.com
