Three Key Takeaways: Manchester City Draws 2-2 vs. visiting Tottenham

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Nicolas Otamendi of Manchester City attempts to volley the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on January 21, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

After last weekend’s 4-0 disastrous defeat at Everton, Manchester City drew 2-2 on Saturday against visiting Tottenham Hotspur.

Pep Guardiola‘s side were looking for an impressive win over another title challenger, while Tottenham were looking to win their seventh league match in-a-row.

Gabriel Jesus featured on the bench in his first game for Manchester City, while Leroy Sane returned to the starting line-up from injury. The side warmed up in their new Nike training gear, which was a spiffy darkish yellow. For Tottenham, defender Kevin Wimmer stepped into the starting lineup for the injured Jan Vertonghen.

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From the get-go, Manchester City looked to pressure Tottenham’s strong defense early. David Silva came close to scoring 20 minutes in, but Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris pushed away the Spaniard’s left-footed strike.

After the ensuing corner, Pablo Zabaleta‘s sweetly strucken left-footed volley just missed the bottom left corner.

Sergio Aguero‘s 38th minute effort was also saved by Lloris, who was busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half. The two sides went into the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0, with Manchester City flustering Tottenham on multiple occasions.

Four minutes into the second half, Leroy Sane broke the deadlock, tapping home Lloris’ failed clearance. The French keeper was hesitant to come out for a ball, which allowed Sane to pounce and tap home for a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later, Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 after Lloris failed to hold firm to a cross by Raheem Sterling. It was another blunder by the keeper, who handed Manchester City a two-goal cushion.

However, the game turned just a few minutes later. A missed foul on Raheem Sterling by Kyle Walker allowed Spurs to get back into the match. Dele Alli headed home in the 58th to make it 2-1. Referee Andre Marriner missed the push on Sterling by Walker on a breakaway which clearly could have been a penalty, and red card scenario.

Substitute Son Hueng-min equalized for Tottenham in the 77th minute, finishing home Harry Kane‘s assist. Jesus made his debut in the 82nd minute and almost won it for Manchester City. He finished home De Bruyne’s cross for a tap-in that was whistled for offsides.

At the final whistle, Manchester City and Tottenham shared the points in a hard-fought match at the Etihad. However, the Citizens should feel hard done by after the blown call by Marriner which allowed Tottenham to come back.

Manchester City held the edge in possession 55%-45%, forcing five saves out of Lloris. Claudio Bravo was rarely troubled, but failed to make a save for the second straight match.

Following the match, Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport he was ‘upset’ not to win but said his team had a outstanding performance. “We played good, it was an outstanding performance but it’s a pity what happened. All you can do is create and play better and better but it is the same for the whole season. We are upset, sad at what happened but I am so proud about what we did and the players don’t deserve that again.”
Definitely the players will be upset with the blown call, but they have to move onto the next match. Following the action at the Etihad, here are my three takeaways.

1.) City’s intensity was strong, defensive breakdowns hurt.
From the opening whistle, Manchester City wanted to take it to Tottenham after last weekend’s poor result. It showed clearly, and they were the better side for the 90+ minutes. However, defensive breakdowns cost them the game. A missed call by Marriner cannot be the solo reason for the loss, as City were still 2-0 ahead. Yes the missed call made a difference, but Manchester City need to keep their heads off and finish off the match. A point is better than none, and their overall performance was a whole level better than a week ago. Guardiola needs to praise their intensity and make sure that same intensity comes out on a week to week basis.

2.) Gabriel Jesus ‘impressed’ in short debut.
After his £36 move from Palmeiras, a lot was made about the Brazilian wonderkid. At 19, he is a young talent that had a great season in Brazil’s Serie A. After missing out at Everton, Jesus was eligible today and came off the bench late. He quickly made an impact, taking on Kyle Walker, beating him down the sideline, and putting a cross into a dangerous area. Not long after, he was a step offsides when he tapped home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. He also headed wide from close range. It may not have been the perfect debut, but Jesus brings a lot of skill and energy to Pep’s team. With the bright lights on him, Jesus shined in a short appearance and will be expected to do great things for this team going forward.

3.) Tottenham dug deep and fought back after looking sluggish.
The strengths of Tottenham Hotspur this season have been strong defending, and consistent scoring. For the first half, they looked sluggish defensively, while offensively they couldn’t muster many chances. After going down 2-0, it woke up the visitors. Dele Alli’s 11th league goal brought them life, before Son slotted home their equalizer. Overall, it was a good comeback for Spurs but they have to improve overall to be in the title race. Defensively, they are banged up with injuries while Manchester City’s consistent pressure forced them into many turnovers. You hardly ever see Hugo Lloris make mistakes, but his mistakes almost cost Tottenham on the road today. The main thing is, Manchester City know they can contend with the best if they play with this energy.

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Manchester City’s next fixture will be a week from today at Crystal Palace for their F.A. Cup fourth round draw. Their next Premier League fixture will be on February 1st at West Ham United, before hosting Swansea just four days after.