Pep forced to swap control for chaotic blitz

SO PEP GUARDIOLA appeared to be right again. The three minutes when it looked like his world had fallen in seem to serve as vindication for the Manchester City manager. He does not like playing with this much attacking abandon. He does not like going so direct, so quickly.

Because, for him, City lose control of matches when they play like this.

Given the nature of Tottenham’s two first-half goals — bang, bang before Ederson could even contemplate apologising about the first — that is exactly what happened last night. It resulted in City heading for the tunnel to booing at half-time. They are never usually booed off.

The irony was that City looked more dangerous, showing more zeal on the ball than they had done in some time — even the four-goal victory over Chelsea earlier in the month. While not reflected by the score, it felt like the decision to play Julian Alvarez behind Erling Haaland was paying off. Haaland was alive to the pass over the top of a Spurs back five, once reaching Nathan Ake’s angled chip but failing to beat Hugo Lloris. Perhaps before the World Cup, and an enforced break that stunted his rhythm, it loops past the goalkeeper.

Not last night, nor when his head met Rodri’s clever cross but flew over.

But City were making a statement, that they had not forgotten how to go at opposition with a tempo and gumption, not afraid of tossing the odd ball into the box for the big man to size up. The rewards for that would come later, although not before they were staring at potentially falling 11 points behind Arsenal.

The trouble with all that flying forward, in Guardiola’s eyes, is that the court becomes a bit squeaky and resembles a basketball match. He has never wanted one of those.

Not good for the blood pressure; or the knees, given he spends most of the game crouching in angst.

His philosophy is that if they have the round thing then the opposition simply cannot score and they therefore cannot lose. The problem with City recently is that they have not done enough with the ball anyway. They did last night, but then were turned over in midfield and conceded the sort of goals usually reserved for inglorious Champions League defeats of years gone by, those games still giving Guardiola nightmares and shaping his thinking ever since.

But it is significantly more fun. And City own the stardust to sprinkle fun. Supporters will remember this comeback, the blitz once the beleaguered Simon Hooper blew his whistle to restart. The Haaland header.

The stunning Rico Lewis block. The Riyad Mahrez goals. They would not necessarily reminisce about grinding Spurs down to win 2-0. Guardiola is here to make far grander memories, of course, yet maybe here came evidence that if they are going to struggle to retain this title, the defending champions might as well do so by getting bodies close to Haaland with vim. Play to your strengths, of which he most certainly is.