Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have been undergoing a tough schedule in the English Premier League of late, having played Chelsea and Liverpool before they welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad yesterday. Both games against the Blues and the Reds ended frustrating draws to the three-time defending champions Manchester City, and they were looking to get back into winning ways on Matchday 14. Nevertheless, the result of last night’s match saw Manchester City’s winless run extend to three games, and they have slipped to third of the Premier League table as a result.
Manchester City Took the Lead Twice After Going 1-0 Down, But to No Avail
Guardiola’s side welcomed Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur, who did no win any of their last three games after an invincible start to the season, and the hunger to win by the visitors allowed them to take the first lead of the game via club captain Son Heung-min. The 31-year-old South Korean striker received the ball around the last quarter of the football field and finished off a devastating counterattack by his team for his ninth goal in 15 appearances in all competitions for Spurs.
Nevertheless, the skipper of Spurs turned from hero to zero seconds later in the match, when he could not get out of the way during Julián Álvarez’s freekick set piece delivery and subsequently guided the ball into the back of his own net. Son’s own goal gave an opportunity for Manchester City to mount a comeback, and Phil Foden was there to make sure his team capitalise on their attacking play moments after the half hour mark. The England international had to thank Álvarez for his goal, after the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning forward timed his run perfectly for a Jérémy Doku pass, and he set up Foden for a cool finish for Manchester City’s first lead in the game.
The home team enjoyed their 2-1 lead for almost 40 minutes, until Spurs brought the game to all square again, via another Argentine player Giovani Lo Celso. The 27-year-old midfielder, who rumoured to join Barcelona for the injured Gavi in the upcoming winter transfer window, found the net after a brave Ben Davies intercepted Manchester City’s pass and found his captain Son, before the South Korean gave the ball away to Lo Celso. The Argentine carefully positioned himself, followed by a solid strike that brushed the post and ended in the bottom left corner.
Manchester City Dropped to Third After Three Consecutive Draws
City would go on to regain their lead with nine minutes remaining in the normal playing time, courtesy of Jack Grealish’s first goal the season. Yves Bissouma was firstly dispossessed by Rodri just before the dangerous zone, and the Spaniard sent a through ball to Erling Haaland, who then pulled it back for the England winger Grealish to give Manchester City their second lead in the match. The home side must have thought they have won the game with Grealish’s inaugural goal of the year, but they would have their hearts broken in the final moments of the game, when 23-year-old Dejan Kulusevski rose the highest to meet a Spurs delivery from the left flank.
The Swedish player’s fourth goal in 15 games in 2023/2024 meant City drop points for the third time in a row in the English Premier League, and the poor three-game winless streak make Guardiola’s men fall into third in the league table, trailing leaders Arsenal and second-placed Liverpool by 3 and 1 points after 14 Matchdays respectively. Spurs, on the other hand, stayed fifth after their enthralling 3-3 draw with the defending champions.
Did you know? Kylian Mbappé rescue a point for Paris Saint-Germain at death against Newcastle in Group F last midweek? Check out this article for more details of the game now.
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) December 3, 2023
Roy Keane: “Doubtful About City Winning That Title.”
Roy Keane, former captain of Manchester City’s rivals United believed that the Cityzens might not be able to win four successive Premier League crowns. He said: “If you’ve won one or two trophies, you look at that hunger and desire in the dressing room and I think that’s there, certainly from the manager. But if you look at Spurs’ first goal today, the goalkeeper has to save it. He would have last year. Haaland missed a couple of chances today, he normally score them. They’re still scoring plenty of goals, but the worry over the last three or four weeks is there’s clearly something amiss defensively.”
The player who won seven league titles with the Red Devils continued to add: “I certainly wouldn’t bet against Man City, but I am starting to become doubtful about City winning that title. There’s a reason it hasn’t been won four years in a row because keeping those levels up, that hunger, desire, you get a few injuries, some of the top boys coming off it. But certainly Arsenal and Liverpool I’m looking at, especially Arsenal with the strength and depth they’ve got and the experience of last year.”
In addition to comments on Manchester City‘s recent performances, Keane also spoke about Spurs’ chances of finishing Top Four this year. “They need to get some of their better players back. They’ve had a decent start to the season, there’s been a sticky patch over the last few weeks, but they’ve played some decent stuff. Get one or two [players] in during January as well. Could they be competing for the top four? It’s a big ask, but I’m impressed with the manager. His personality is helping with the club at the moment.”
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