PEP’S BLUEMOON ECLIPSED BY SON
Spurs fight back for point as frustrated Guardiola sees City blow their lead
IT was a season in one minute: hope, bewilderment, fury, disappointment. From a position of authority came another combustion and, in all probability, the end of a dream.
Pep Guardiola expected Manchester City to get a penalty in the 76th minute when Raheem Sterling was shoved in the back by Kyle Walker. Referee Andre Marriner ignored it and 60 seconds later, Tottenham had scored their second goal through substitute Heung-min Son to complete a stunning comeback.
They should never have been allowed to. Two appalling errors from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had given City unexpected presents but all Tottenham needed were two shots on target in 90 minutes to blow a hole in City’s ambitions. It was a sorry end to what should have been a significant day for the club.
There was an apologetic feel to Guardiola’s programme notes which, given what had happened at Goodison Park last weekend, was understandable. It was inevitable, then, that changes would be made but it was slightly surprising that John Stones was the fall guy. He was nowhere near the worst performer on that ruinous day at Goodison but Guardiola deemed this to be the right time to dispense with his £50million defender and restore Aleksander Kolarov to stiffen the defence. Claudio Bravo, much derided and increasingly fallible, kept his place.
For much of the first half, though, Bravo was a spectator. Guardiola had no interest in being conservative and, as this contest had to be won, he set City up to attack. The triumvirate of Sergio Aguero, Sterling and Leroy Sane were implored to wreak havoc.
From the first whistle, they followed their manager’s instructions to the letter. Passes zipped about, rat-a-tat-tat, as if they were on a five-a-side pitch, the speed of the interchanges leaving Tottenham’s midfielders dizzy as David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne ran between the lines.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino looked on, hands wedged into his trouser pockets, occasionally shaking his head as City dominated. So muted were Tottenham as an attacking force, they only touched the ball once in the opposition penalty area in the first half. City’s tally, by contrast, was 28.
Yet, as at Everton, there was nothing to show for it. All those darting runs, the intense pressing and the determination to hunt in packs made no difference to the scoreline. They were too deliberate or lacked composure and Tottenham survived.
Take the interplay between Aguero and De Bruyne in the 36th minute. It was a joy to watch them carve out an opportunity but by the time the Belgian had picked out City’s No10 at the back post, the moment was gone and Lloris saved comfortably.
There were many other moments. Pablo Zabaleta cracked a left-footed drive that zipped past the far post; Sane headed wide, Sterling demanded a penalty when he tangled with Victor Wanyama, Lloris made a fine save from another Aguero shot. All City wanted was one chink of light to cash in.
Four minutes into the second half they had it. There was nothing glorious about the build-up, just a straight ball up the middle for Sane to scamper after. On this occasion, Lloris suffered a short circuit, racing out but heading his attempted clearance straight at Sane.
Replays showed the ball appeared to strike Sane on a hand but he was able to walk the ball into an empty net, triggering an explosion of joy and relief. Nobody looked more delighted than Guardiola, who threw his arms wide and screamed before bellowing approval to De Bruyne.
If that was bad from Lloris, worse would soon follow. When City launched a counter-attack in the 54th minute, Sterling hurtling down the right, it didn’t seem possible they would score but Lloris allowed a cross he should have collected easily to squirm from his grasp and De Bruyne pounced to tap in.
It was all so uncharacteristic from the France goalkeeper, one of the safest pairs of hands in the League, and his despair was obvious. Pochettino sat in his dugout and glowered towards Tottenham’s penalty area. Guardiola, meanwhile, blew kisses to the crowd.
His joy, however, was short lived. From what should have been a position that allowed them to see the game out, Tottenham came to life, finally looking like a team of potential title winners. A quick break down the right, a gem of a cross from Walker and a thumping header from Dele Alli. Game on.
Soon it was game all square. Guardiola’s fury had not subsided from the Sterling penalty claim when Tottenham moved forward.
City showed no intensity in trying to stop them and they were carved open as Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane combined to set Son free to equalise.
From a neutral point of view, this was a feast for the eyes. Neither side looked prepared to shake hands and accept a point and both went for broke in the final 15 minutes, with Guardiola’s response to the setback being to send on Gabriel Jesus.
His impact could almost have immediate but a linesman’s flag cut short his celebrations after he had slid on to the end of a De Bruyne cross and the disallowed goal left Guardiola, not for the first time, on his knees in despair.