Why Manchester City 1 Tottenham 0 May Be My Favourite Game of the Season

This season has given us so many great games – 9-0 victories, 7-0 victories, wins in the last minute and overpowering thumpings, Cup Final wins and others, but my favourite game may in fact be the 1:0 victory over Spurs last Saturday.

It was not the prettiest I have seen Manchester City play, for we have marvelled at them in their more fluid moments. It was not the grittiest display either – it was not a victory which had to be ground out. But it was an important illustration of commitment, teamwork and staying power.

The really important thing about this win is the timing of the victory. This was all about coming back. On Wednesday City beat Tottenham in the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg but got knocked out on away goals. That particular victory felt like an empty, crushing defeat. This was partly to do with the fact the Champions League was fast becoming a monkey on our back and partly because of the way in which an incorrect VAR decision effectively knocked us out.

Given how defeated I felt as a fan at that point, I can only imagine quite how the players and management must have felt. To see what you have worked for be wrestled away from you, right at the moment you believed it was in your hands was a debilitating defeat. Getting ready as a fan to go again in a few short days was hard enough. How on earth did Guardiola manage to coax a performance from his elite athletes?

So in this victory, the cojones on display (as Diego Simeone may say) are the reason why it is my favourite performance of the season to date.

Many years ago I broke my arm in a freak cycling accident. Whilst under the influence I attempted to cycle over an old fashioned Volkswagen Beetle. It had seemed like a good idea at the time and i was convinced I was moments away from becoming the new Evil Knievel. As it turned out I was only minutes away from casualty and the car was minutes away from a lengthy period in the body shop.

I tell this story because following this accident it took me a while to get back on a bike and riding again. Of course living in Moss Side did not help at the time because matters were made worse due to everytime I had a bike it ended up being stolen. However that is another tale.

Getting back on the bike again after a traumatic incident, even a drunken incident is pretty hard. I think City players must have had a similar experience against Tottenham on Saturday. Where getting back in the saddle and winning was more important than anything else. This particular result could not rely just upon skill, but required courage too.

So my favourite game of the season was a brave 1-0 victory where City got back in the saddle and pedalled furiously towards the title.