- Manchester City have dropped points at home to Tottenham as Gabriel Jesus has late goal ruled out
- Spurs were lucky to not concede a penalty early on after Erik Lamela clumsily brought down Rodri at a corner
- It took just 20 minutes for City to break the deadlock and it was Raheem Sterling to do it with a header
- Minutes later, Tottenham equalised through Erik Lamela who placed his shot into the net from outside the box
- Sergio Aguero restored City’s lead after the half-hour mark after getting onto the end of De Bruyne’s cross
- Super-sub Lucas Moura scored with his very first touch as he came on to head home a corner in second half
- City thought they won it in stoppage time when Gabriel Jesus had his goal ruled out by VAR with seconds left
Here we were again. The Etihad was enjoying a glorious celebration. For a good, two minutes they cavorted and danced. Gabriel Jesus had been euphorically congratulated at length and both teams had resumed their places. Even the Tottenham players, even with their history here, seemed resigned to defeat. We were two minutes into added time and finally their resilience had been broken.
Jesus had controlled and struck the ball home from Kevin De Bruyne’s corner. It was a victory City certainly deserved. They had overwhelmed Tottenham at times who had Hugo Lloris to thank for a performance of extraordinary agility, leaping one way and the next to defy City.
And then, hesitantly, referee Michael Oliver made that signal with his hands to indicate a television screen; like Give Us A Clue only with more momentous consequences. En route to Jesus Aymeric Laporte had deflected the ball with his arm. And the new rules now state that any hand ball leading directly to a goal, unintentional or not, will be punished.
Gabriel Jesus complains to referee Michael Oliver after his stoppage-time goal is ruled out as Man City draw with Spurs
Gabriel Jesus thought he won it for City as he fired in a third goal for the champions in stoppage-time
Jesus, who was brought on a second-half substitute, celebrates after scoring what he thought was City’s third goal
However, just like the Champions League quarter-final between the two sides last season, VAR ruled out another City late goal
Jesus shows his disappointment at the final whistle after his stoppage-time winner was ruled out by VAR
An upset Jesus confronts Michael Oliver over the decision after the game before walking away in anger
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino (left) talks over the controversial moment with Pep Guardiola (right) at the final whistle
Lucas Moura celebrates after scoring Tottenham’s equaliser during the second half at the Etihad Stadium
The Brazilian was sent on by Mauricio Pochettino for Harry Winks as Tottenham had a corner
Just 19 seconds later, Moura leaps in front of Kyle Walker to head in Tottenham’s equaliser during the second half
Moura’s brilliant header beats City goalkeeper Ederson as the City defenders watch the ball fly into the net
The Brazilian winger celebrates after scoring with his very first touch as he makes it 2-2 from a set-piece
And so, in the far corner Tottenham fans celebrated, as they had here back in April, when Raheem Sterling’s goal was ruled out in the dying seconds and Tottenham were reprieved and sent into a Champions League semi-final.
On the touchline, Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, who do not seem to be the closest of colleagues, embraced. In reality, the both seem bewildered. Not just at the uncanny sense of déjà vu. But also by the twisted overarching narrative of this game.
Statistics will tell you a certain amount about a game of football. In fact, in these days of digital tracking, they can present a pretty full picture Manchester City had 30 shots on goal to Tottenham’s three; they had 54 per cent of the possession; they had 13 corners to Tottenham’s two. In short, they utterly overwhelmed Tottenham here.
Except, of course, they didn’t. The seemingly unstoppable machine of a team did batter Tottenham from every conceivable angle. Had it been a fight, the referee would have stopped it. But Tottenham were still standing at the end. Those three shots? They had elicited two goals. Which, to present a positive spin, is a pretty impressive strike rate.
Tottenham are a team fashioned in the image of their manager, the tough farmer’s kid from an Argentina backwater. They defy stats at times. Their character is undeniable. They were a long way from matching City. And yet, they matched City.
Raheem Sterling is congratulated by his City team-mates after breaking the deadlock inside 20 minutes at the Etihad
The in-form winger heads in De Bruyne’s deep cross as Lloris can only stand and watch it fly across him and into his net
The superb header is Sterling’s fourth goal in two matches after he scored a hat-trick on the opening day of the season
Sterling celebrates breaking the deadlock for his side after scoring with his head at the back post
Tottenham seemed overwhelmed. They conceded 85 per cent of the possession in the opening 15 minutes. This was a much more cautious Mauricio Pochettino than you usually see in his duels with Pep Guardiola.
With Moussa Sissoko on the right side of midfield and Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombélé holding, there was a solidity to this team. Yet without the ball you are nothing. And without the ball and 1-0 down you are less than nothing, which is where Tottenham found themselves after 20 minutes.
Raheem Sterling headed it home, a good header, angled with power, an additional repertoire to his ever-growing game and his fourth goal of the season. Yet it was the genius of Kevin De Bruyne which would stand out in its creation and throughout the half.
The in-swinging cross, with pace, curl and clinical accuracy was wonderful. It pretty much invited a goal, evading craning Tottenham necks and dropping into Sterling’s path. That would not be De Bruyne’s last mesmeric contribution.
Like a slow blossoming flower, Tottenham seemed reluctant to engage. Yet the goal sparked an apparently subdued competitive edge. They ventured into City’s half, working the ball out to Danny Rose on the left and back inside to Tanguy Ndombélé.
Erik Lamela holds out his arms as he celebrates scoring Spurs’ equaliser moments after they conceded the opening goal
The Argentine forward curled in a left-footed shot from outside the area which caught City goalkeeper Ederson off guard
Lamela shushes as his Tottenham team-mates come over to congratulate him on his equaliser
He threaded a ball through for Erik Lamela, yet there seemed little danger. Ilkay Gundogan, though, was sleeping and declined to track his man. The Argentinian thus grew in confidence, ran on towards the penalty area and shot, almost before Ederson had considered the possibility. Without having been seriously tested, the goalkeeper was picking the ball out from the net and City found themselves at 1-1 23 minutes in.
In some ways, it was heartening that a flaw could exist in what seems to be an impregnable team. They seemed so dominant over a supposed title challenger, that you longed for a sterner test. It began to emerge.
Sissoko started to make those direct runs which can sometimes trouble defenders. Ndombélé and Winks began to get a foot on the ball in midfield. Still, they couldn’t feed Harry Kane, however. But the game resembled a contest.
Except that the combination on De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva on the right side is pretty much impossible to supress. It was left to Davidson Sanchez, Ndombélé and Rose to try.
Sergio Aguero wheels away in celebration after restoring Manchester City’s lead over Tottenham at the Etihad
The Argentine striker (right) got in front of Toby Alderweireld to poke Kevin de Bruyne’s (not pictured) past Hugo Lloris
Aguero watches his shot curl into the net as Lloris is left rooted to the spot as City go 2-1 up in the first half
The City squad celebrate as the home support applaud their side for restoring the lead after the half-hour mark
On 35 minutes, they were breached, Bernardo and Dr Bruyne combining for the Belgian to slide in one of those tantalising low cross in which City specialise. Sprinting to the near post ahead of Toby Alderweireld was Sergio Auero, with a touch to make it 2-0.
De Bruyne was unleashed now, somehow looking a free spirit in what you know is an incredibly systematic approach to football. But as he sprinted down on goal, turning Sanchez one way, then the other, he appeared unstoppable. However, he would shoot wildly wide.
He would then cross yet again for Gundogan on 43 minutes and the German shot wide. Having spent so much of last season injured, De Bruyne has come back pretty much rested, fit and seemingly unplayable.
City were relentless. Half time brought only a temporary break. Within the opening eight minutes of the second half, Hugo Lloris would be diving low and with superb agility to scramble a deflected Olek ZInchenko shot away; De Bruyne would shoot just wide; Lloris would be needed to block an Aguero strike; and Bernardo Silva would waste an excellent chance by shooting at the keeper. If this is the third best team, then the Premier League really is a duopoly.
Spurs were lucky to not concede a penalty early on after Erik Lamela clumsily brought down Rodri at a corner
Tottenham captain Lloris comes out to punch a cross as he leaps over City defender Nicolas Otamendi
Yet there is something about Spurs, certainly against City. And definitely something about Lucas Moura, never seemingly quite good enough to be first choice starter, yet always present an the opportune moment to score an iconic goal.
On 56 minutes, Winks trotted off and Moura came on as Spurs lined up a corner. You could perhaps forgive Kyle Walker for not paying attention; the Brazilian didn’t seem the obvious target man.
Yet Lamela lifted the ball beautifully into the near post, Moura stole in front of Walker, flicked a header across the goal and into the corner of the net. With two shots on goal to City’s 23, Tottenham somehow shared the spoils. Moura had been on the pitch all of ten seconds and scored with his first touch.
Yet this was no watershed. The game merely resumed in its pervious pattern. Llloris would have to produce a flying save from a Rodri shot on the hour.
It produced a flurry of corners and chances, the best of which were a Bernardo Silva looping shot which hit the bar and fell into the goalkeeper’s arm and a Nicolas Otamendi header which Danny Rose hacked off the line.
City playmaker Bernardo Silva has a shot at goal and was a constant thorn in Tottenham’s side throughout the match
Christian Eriksen (centre) vies with his former Spurs team-mate Kyle Walker (right) as the two battle it out for possession
Kyle Walker-Peters (right) is dispossessed by Sterling (left) in a dangerous area after the Spurs right-back was caught napping
https://youtu.be/tGMTVwcXd7Q
source:dailymail