Updated:
Feb 5, 2023
Seemingly only a few games on from their last face-off against each other. Spurs and Man City faced off against each other once again. However this time with some noticeable changes. Missing entirely from the Man City squad was full-back Joao Cancelo who secured a shock move to Bayern Munich on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season. In contrast in the Tottenham squad was the much-anticipated signing Pedro Porro who secured a deadline day move to Spurs in one of the most intriguing and at times unbelievable transfer sagas of the window with fans and pundits unsure if the deal was even going to be completed.
However, everything managed to get solved and Spurs captured their man though fans were eager for Porro to start the game fans would have to wait as Porro started the game on the bench. A noticeable omission from the touchline was Tottenham boss Antonio Conte who underwent surgery to remove his Gallbladder after experiencing ‘Severe’ abdominal pain. Conte is expected to be absent for several weeks and Tottenham assistant manager Christian Stellini will instead take his place on the touchline for the next several weeks as he did so in today’s game. Both teams went into the game desperate for a win as a win for Spurs would put them 1 point behind Newcastle who sits in 4th while a win for Man City would close the gap on Arsenal to just two points.
It was Man City who started the game on the front foot looking dangerous and gaining several corners. However, Tottenham looked structured and disciplined in their defensive approach early on. It would be Spurs who scored the first goal of the game in the 14th minute. A mistake by Rodri saw Hojberg intercept a poor pass he then managed to play a superb pass while off-balance to Harry Kane who slotted the ball into the back of the net breaking Jimmy Greaves’ goal-scoring record and giving him his 267th Tottenham goal while also giving Spurs the lead. Spurs continued to look threatening playing aggressively and pressing well. However, Man City looked poor struggling to find a sense of rhythm and striker Erling Haaland had to drop deep just to get a glimpse of the ball.
Man City’s first real chance came in the 40th minute a low-driven shot by Rodri was comfortably saved by Hugo Lloris. A Spurs corner in the 42nd Min corner caused a scramble that was eventually cleared away. Man City nearly found an equalizer just before halftime as Riyad Mahrez unleashed a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar and was cleared away much to the relief of Tottenham. The half-time whistle blew and it was Spurs who went down the tunnel at half-time the happier of the two teams as the score was 1-0.
The second half started with no changes for both teams. And Spurs started strong yet again. A 58th-minute sub saw Kevin De Bruyne come on for Riyad Mahrez in a surprising substitution. Tottenham nearly made it two in the 69th minute when Harry Kane battled through the Man City defenders and unleashed a powerful shot however it was well saved by Ederson. Tottenham continued to hunt for a second goal and again they got it in the 76th minute a well-stuck and powerful shot by Heung Min Son was saved by Ederson yet again. Christian Romero was sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card and a foul on Jack Grealish and suddenly the pressure was on for Spurs. There were 5 minutes of added time and it was a shaky 5 mins.
However, Tottenham managed to battle and hold on and it was Tottenham who won the game and it was a well-fought win. Tottenham looked like a completely different team for the duration of the game they pressed high and counter-attacked with ferocious intent. Tottenham moved 1 point behind Newcastle while Man City was unable to capitalize on Arsenal’s loss against Everton on Saturday. Man City will have to go back to the drawing board and seriously reevaluate their game plan while Spurs will look to continue their winning streak. A good night for spurs fans and for Antonio Conte who is recovering back home. Let me know your thoughts and opinions on the game below!
My man of the match: Emerson Royal
