Manchester City vs. Tottenham: Three Takeaways
Manchester, England - Well, they’ve managed to do it again. Manchester City and Tottenham have somehow produced another instant classic, this time coming in the form of a 3-3 draw in a pivotal English Premier League clash over the weekend. Despite City being in the midst of one of the most dominant runs in European club soccer history, Spurs always seem to cause problems for the Mancunians. Since 2015, Tottenham own an impressive 9-3-9 record against MC in all competitions. Legendary manager Pep Guardiola has lost six league matches against Spurs since taking over City in 2016, his worst record against any club in the English topflight. Both the Cityzens’ 4-3 Champions League win in 2019 and Spurs’ last-second 3-2 victory in 2022 may be regarded as the two most entertaining meetings in recent history, but this past weekend’s draw may have been the most unpredictable. In honor of a match that created as many questions as it answered, here are the three main takeaways from Manchester City vs. Tottenham:
Photo: BBC
Ange Postecoglou Compromises For No One
The question of how to beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is one that many have faced, and few have solved. The Cityzens pulled off the treble last season and have claimed the EPL title in five out of the last six seasons. Under the direction of the Spanish manager, City has earned a reputation for making games look easy, controlling possession and dominating all phases of play. Based on the talent level and tactical awareness that City plays with, many opposition managers choose to sit deep with a hope to hit Guardiola’s side on the counterattack. First year Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, however, is certainly not one of those coaches. In just a short amount of time, the Australian has carved a space for himself as one of the great minds in modern soccer. Postecoglou is stubborn and relentless with his drive to play expansive and attacking soccer. The former Celtic head man has injected a much-needed sense of pace and urgency into a Tottenham team that was relatively stagnant over the last few seasons.
Against City, Postecoglou once again attempted to implement his explosive, build-from-the-back playstyle. While Spurs struggled at times to get past the City press, most notably on Jack Grealish’s goal in the 81st minute, Tottenham’s willingness to challenge City in all areas of the pitch proved to be decisive at times. With the guidance of Postecoglou, Tottenham played with an offensive urgency and directness that caused the City backline and transition defense a plethora of problems. Whether it was Kulusevski’s 90th minute header or Le Celso’s strike to equalize the match at 2-2, Spurs constantly looked to progress the ball and put City under pressure. This weekend certainly proved that no matter what team he’s up against or what the scenario is, Ange Postecoglou is going to play the same style of soccer for better or for worse.
Manchester City Don’t Need Haaland… Kinda
Photo: AP Photos/ Dave T
It’s not exactly that Manchester City don’t need Erling Haaland to win games, it’s more that City no longer require the Norwegian to shoulder as much of the goal scoring burden. Since bursting onto the scene with RB Salzburg in the 2019-20 campaign, the striker has already rewritten the history books. Last season, Haaland not only set the EPL goal scoring record with 36, but also accounted for close to 40% of the club’s goals. This season, despite already netting 14 in the EPL, City have been significantly less reliant on the poacher’s scoring contributions. In general, 14 goals in 14 matches is an unbelievable return, but when compared to Haaland’s 17 goals in his first 14 matches last season, it’s clear that there’s something different about this campaign. While it could be argued that the attacker is less lethal in front of the net, the main reason for his decrease in goals is the continued improvements of Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden, along with the arrival of Jeremy Doku. Together, the trio have greatly helped to diversify City’s attack.
Haaland’s performance against Tottenham certainly had its ups and downs. The attacker failed to register a goal, but picked up an assist and was a key part of the build-up for another. The Norwegian’s improved passing and comfortability in deeper positions has allowed for City to utilize the defensive attention that Haaland demands to open up space for other players. With defenses keying in on the City striker, Pep Guardiola has figured out ways to get the most out of his wingers and other forwards. Despite City finding goals throughout the roster, Erling Haaland’s inability to get on the scoresheet this weekend was pivotal in the final score of the match. Haaland’s misses in the 13th minute and 36th minute certainly would’ve helped the Mancunians, but City’s offense was still immensely effective without the goal scoring contributions of the striker.
Son Heung-min Is Still One Of The Best
At 31 years old, Son Heung-min already has a strong case to be considered the “greatest Asian soccer player” in the game’s history. The South Korean has been scorching down the sidelines, dishing out assists, and scoring incredible goals since he first entered Europe with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Since becoming a professional in the 2010-11 season, Son has tallied double digit league goals 10 times, and after reaching nine scores this weekend, the Tottenham star looks poised to make it eight consecutive EPL seasons with 10.
Despite scoring an own goal over the weekend, Son still managed to be perhaps the most influential player on the pitch for either side. Son not only bagged Spurs’ first goal of the game, but was directly involved with the other two scores. The Korean’s three “goal-creating actions” were the most by any player for either team. Additionally, Son’s four “progressive passes” was the highest tally by a Spurs player and his “take-on” success rate of 100% was the best for either side (with more than one attempt). Son has been one of the best players in the world for around the last six seasons, however this season could go down as his most impressive. Tottenham were powered by the consistent goal scoring output of Harry Kane from 2012-2023. However, with the striker leaving this summer, much of the goal scoring responsibilities were expected to fall to Son. Well, so far this season, the winger has handled those responsibilities with ease, leading Tottenham in goals and aiding Ange Postecoglou’s side to one of their best league starts in years.
