Spurs 0-2 Manchester City Review

PREMIER LEAGUE

MOTM: Stefan Ortega

It’s a difficult match to pick out for given the struggles City did have in getting control of the ball during the first half, looking like a team that knew what was on the line and many had moments that would have been crucial to the result. The biggest moment of all was Stefan Ortega making the late save after Son took the ball off Akanji. Reminiscent of the Martinez save in the World Cup final. If City lift the Premier League trophy on Sunday afternoon then this save will become one of the key moments in the entire title race.

Notable Stats:

• Manchester City have sat at the top of the table heading into the final game of the season for six of the last seven Premier League seasons. Only exception being 2019-20.

• Manchester City are now unbeaten in the 22 consecutive Premier League games (W18 D4).

• Erling Haaland’s opening goal was the first that Manchester City have scored in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It took 79 shots to get to the first one that went in.

• Kevin De Bruyne has assisted Erling Haaland 12 times in the Premier League since the beginning of last season, at least four more times than any other player has for a teammate in the competition.

• Kevin De Bruyne has now recorded 10+ assists in six different Premier League seasons, the joint most times alongside Cesc Fabregas. Now ahead also in second place for the most assists (112) in the competition’s history.

Thoughts on Manchester City

Here is the starting eleven of City including the average positions of each player during the match. You’ll notice how narrow the approach is and that was part of the plan from City to stifle Spurs and prevent an transitions in the central lane. You’ll also notice that the FBs providing width had a tough time imposing themselves on the game.

It was absolutely a match that required City to suffer in order to win. Only at Liverpool (A) and in this game did City have less than 50% possession. Most blocks (23) they’ve made in a game all season. Most tackles and interceptions (31) they’ve made in a game all season. Second most defensive third tackles made (10) in a game all season.

Kyle Walker gave Spurs plenty of problems in behind on their left side where VDV was playing left back. Eventually they adjusted to that through Son and then Kulusevski coming on in the second half.

Both teams packed the central spaces to gain control and despite having more of the ball Spurs were mostly limited to playing long passes out wide to Johnson and Son in order to provide any threat to the City back line. Rodri, Kovacic and Bernardo Silva coming into the middle as a three in the buildup. Foden and De Bruyne acting like double 10s behind Haaland had to be picked up by PEH and Bentancur as they looked for passes between the lines. It meant a number of dangerous transitions for City by getting the ball through to Foden or De Bruyne but also when those passes didn’t work Spurs weren’t able to by pass Kovacic or Rodri very quickly to attack Dias/Akanji.

Thread by MAS Possession covers that setup here.

City did try to press Spurs quite high up the pitch, similar to what we saw against Brighton and it gave them 11 high turnovers. One led to a shot which was the one De Bruyne had saved.

Phil Foden plays a crucial role in both City goals. Anticipating and winning the loose ball against Romero and playing the cross into the box that Bernardo picks up to play De Bruyne in behind. For the second goal, after a clever header from Haaland into his path Foden puts a long pass in behind for Doku to run onto and eventually win the penalty. The pass is moving away from the Spurs keeper and Porro which is why Doku is able to reach it and Vicario cannot come out to claim.

Phil Foden controlling the tempo, knowing when to slow down the game. Not rush.

Bernardo Silva put in a very good performance against Spurs by progressing the team up the pitch on their right side. The ball in behind for De Bruyne in the first goal.

Josko Gvardiol has shown this season to be excellent at cutting inside onto his right (weaker foot) to play passes like we saw against Fulham. He’s also very good at using his stronger left foot to fizz balls into the half space to the likes of Foden/De Bruyne. We’ll only see more of these combinations next season now he’s so comfortable in the position and confident in his skill-set.

Guardiola made the big call with his substitutions by bringing on Jeremy Doku and Stefan Ortega. Doku did a good job progressing City down their left side not looking to rush his movements in the box. Winning City the penalty in the second half. Ortega as mentioned as man of the match, he makes perhaps the season defining save for Manchester City.

Jeremy Doku is a player that I’d be excited for seeing develop next season. Guardiola said a few weeks back that he had to impact off the bench much better and against Real Madrid, Chelsea and Spurs last night he did that.

Thoughts on Tottenham

Here is the starting eleven from Tottenham and their average position’s which you’ll notice is just as narrow as the City eleven was. Johnson the main outlet down the right side, Son moved between being a wide left threat and coming inside. Sarr, Son, Maddison and Johnson coming inside as a row of four OOP was part of why City struggled to moving the ball forward centrally from Dias/Akanji. PEH and Bentancur picking up Foden and De Bruyne.

Despite all the talk pre-match about the fans wanting Spurs to lose, the players pressed Manchester City to force mistakes. Rushing their buildup and then locking off most of the back passes Foden or De Bruyne had. Making it difficult to do anything other than play mostly in transition. They were happy to trade off the space left in-behind in order to rush Manchester City. In the first half it seems like it was working but in the second half that’s how City scored their first goal.

When the press worked, it left a lot of space to expose, given the width of City is provided through Gvardiol and Walker. Leaving Dias and Akanji exposed but Spurs failed to take advantage of those first half opportunities with the right final pass. In the second half they made the right final pass a couple times but through Stefan Ortega City managed to keep a clean sheet. Once Spurs got tired, City gained more control of the ball and their advantage in the press went away. Punishing the space in behind Spurs left them. De Bruyne for the first goal and Doku for the second.

Manchester City Moving Forward

City now sit at the top of the table heading into the final game of the season, knowing that a win against West Ham will bring the title to the Etihad. Cementing this team in history with four titles in a row. Arsenal will play against Everton hoping for a result that gifts them the league.

The job is not done but the reaction of the Manchester City players after the final whistle against Spurs tells you how they all viewed the game. It was their toughest hurdle in the title run-in to overcome mentally. These players are incredible but they are also human.

West Ham awaits with little to play for but City have seen that become a problem during the 21/22 season, needing a come from behind win. Then a final trip to Wembley where they can become the first English team to do back-to-back doubles.

Interesting Links

• To stay up to date with the Manchester City outfield players minutes, checkout our G Sheet here.

• Sky Blue Times thread on the match here.

• Mark Stats Bot post on the match here.

• Full Highlights here.

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