Gives boss plenty to ponder
NO young player goes through their early career without a few bumps in the road, and Luke Thomas suffered a jolt in just his second game.
The teenage left-back again did well on the whole, and did not look out of place in such a high-profile fixture against elite-level players.
His crossing again was exceptional, and he has now created six opportunities over the course of his two games.
But there was also a cruel lesson. There were two occasions when he miscontrolled or did not move the ball quickly enough.
On other days these may not have even ended up in chances, but on Sunday, they led to two Kane goals.
That the errors were so severely punished may be a benefit to Thomas in the long run.
The harsher the punishment, the more alarming the lesson, and it could help the 19-year-old sharpen up his game more quickly.
CITY are now well and truly on the back foot in the Champions League race.
Even a point for Manchester United in midweek means City have to be victorious on the final day.
But if they don’t make the Champions
FRUSTRATING AFTERNOON: Left, Youri Tielemans battles for possession with Tottenham’s Giovanni Lo Celso. Above, Serge Aurier is closed down by City strikers Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy. Below, Harvey Barnes tries to surge past Moussa Sissoko
League, and the analysis begins on where it went wrong, the defeat at Spurs won’t get a mention.
Matches away at sides with greater resources than City are the bonus games, the ones they are not expected to gain anything from.
If City end up in fifth, they will be having flashbacks of Bournemouth, Norwich, and Southampton at home, not Spurs.
FOR the first time since the restart, City have a full week to prepare for a fixture. They will need it, not only for the recovery time but also to come up with a system that, given their injury problems, shows off their strengths and minimises their weaknesses.
If the back three remained as Ryan Bennett, Wes Morgan and Jonny Evans, it would need to sit deeper.
But given City will likely need all three points, dropping back to shut down space in behind is not really an option.
But what if the personnel were changed? Marc Albrighton could return to fitness in time for Sunday’s match, and he could slot in at rightwing-back, allowing Justin to move into the back three and add some pace. If Albrighton is not ready in time, could Hamza Choudhury move into a back three? He has the speed and defensive aggression Rodgers might crave.
Equally, Rodgers could revert to a back four. As an attacking force, City struggled in their usual 4-1-4-1 shape following the restart, hence the change to a back three. But it would provide a more solid base to build upon, and could be a success if the midfield, wide-men and Jamie Vardy are organised to ensure they don’t become isolated.
There’s lots for Rodgers to think about over the next few days.