Our reporter Michael Plant gives his reaction after Manchester City's dramatic draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Hello it's Michael Pan coming to you from the Etihad Stadium where just over 5-10 minutes
00:05 ago we just had the end of an infusely entertaining game between Manchester City and Tottenham
00:11 which finished 3-3 with City twice letting one goal of Amitjie slip in the second half
00:17 for Spurs to come away from the Etihad with a point. A really disappointing result in
00:22 the end for City given that. City I suppose will be disappointed it was only a couple
00:27 of weeks ago that they had put together a record of 23 straight home wins in all competitions
00:33 and if not dropped points, well failed to win the last two Premier League home matches.
00:38 So disappointment from them and I think disappointment just as they say they were leading going into
00:42 the latter stages and failed to hold on to what would have been a really important three
00:45 points and they are now three points behind leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premier
00:50 League table. I'll just run you through a brief kind of summary of what happened today.
00:53 I think it was performance in the first half City we'll be really pleased with. It's been
00:57 a pattern recently in the Premier League that City start games well at home and it does
01:01 slip a little bit as the game goes on. That was certainly the case today. I think they
01:05 were really good in the first half, really energetic, moved the ball really well. Spurs
01:08 couldn't really deal with them if I'm all honest. It was actually Tottenham who got
01:12 a lead within six minutes. Long ball downfield from Kulasevski. Son got his head to the ball
01:16 ahead of Doku. One on one with Ederson. Smashed the ball, kind of managed to squirm in between
01:20 Ederson's arms. Bit disappointing from the Manchester City goalkeeper if I'm honest in
01:23 that one. But City didn't let that lead last very long for Spurs. They equalised a couple
01:28 of minutes later. Actually Son inadvertently putting the ball into his own goal. Free kick
01:32 in from Alvarez. Deflected off his knee. City as you see took the lead. Made it 2-1 later
01:38 in the second half from Phil Foden. Really nice interplay between Doku, Alvarez and then
01:44 deflected to Foden. Took a touch, slotted it past Vicario in the Tottenham goal to give
01:49 City a 2-1 advantage at half time. Well worth it in my eyes. Well worth it in my eyes, apologies
01:55 just distracted by a couple of things in the background there. But yeah well worth it in
01:58 my eyes for City. They actually could have made it 3-1. Julio Alvarez hit the post. And
02:03 you went into half time and I was thinking that's surely another goal for City. This
02:06 would finish the game off. But City really didn't come out and play on the same level
02:10 I think in the second half. I think they allowed Spurs back into this match. I don't think
02:13 that they, I don't think Pep Guardiola would be particularly happy with the level of performances
02:17 that they gave after the break. And it was Spurs who got back into the lead, or back
02:21 on level terms via Giovanni Lo Celso. He cut inside, caught a lovely shot into the far
02:26 corner. Ederson no chance with that. Bringing it back to 2-2. Then 10 minutes left. City
02:31 equalised via Jack, or should go back into the lead I should say, via Jack Grealish.
02:36 Really really nice move from them. Rodgerie won the ball, flicked it to Erling Haaland
02:40 who crossed it into Jack Grealish. And he swept it into the goal. 3-2 you think, well
02:45 we know the script with City. They don't let leads slip from this position. But they did.
02:49 A very late goal in the 90th minute actually from Kulishevski. Ball floated up to the back
02:54 post. He won the header against Nathan Ake. Flat footed from the Dutchman of Eden Keeley.
02:59 Really really disappointed with Hailly. Yeah, Hailly didn't manage to deal with that cross.
03:04 And ultimately City get a 3-3 draw. There was a bit of late drama though because Erling
03:07 Haaland was fouled around the halfway line. Picked up the ball and slotted a pass into
03:12 Jack Grealish who went one on one in against the Tottenham goal. And actually you thought
03:16 he was getting a one on one chance, every chance of scoring. But the referee, rather
03:19 than playing the advantage, immediately blew for a foul. And actually prevented City from
03:24 having a clear shot at goal. The fans were absolutely livid with that. Understandably
03:28 so, but it's one of those things that happens so quick and I've always got a little bit
03:31 of sympathy for the referee. But a couple of other little bits I suppose to discuss
03:35 is that City once again conceding goals. They conceded four against Chelsea, conceded two
03:42 against RB Leipzig. Cheap goals I would say in that game. And then once again conceding
03:48 three here today. I actually asked Pep Guardiola about it in midweek after the... I'm just
03:54 looking to see if no one's... they're looking at my bag. Should be alright. But yeah, I
03:58 actually asked Pep Guardiola about that in midweek and Guardiola admitted they have got
04:02 to start defending better Manchester City. So it's an area going forward that I think
04:05 the team are going to have to address. And look, they're still playing well City. They're
04:08 still second in the league. Only three points off Arsenal and the table but a disappointing
04:12 run in terms of defending from them. And then one other thing, Rodri picked up a booking
04:16 in the first half and it means he's going to be suspended for the midweek trip to Aston
04:19 Villa. Of course, one of the informed sides in the division even if they didn't have a
04:23 particularly good result today in the Premier League. And there was also talk that Jacqui
04:28 Reilly, she also picked up a booking and is suspended. Now, we need to double check that
04:31 one. I actually don't think he is. I think he's only on four bookings but we'll need
04:33 to double check that one with the Premier League. But yeah, as I say, overall a relatively
04:37 disappointing day for City who allowed twice leads to slip in the latter stages of the
04:43 game. And as I say, next up it is that trip to Villa Park. Really difficult fixture and
04:47 a game that, you know, the way Unai Emery's side are playing at the moment, I suspect
04:50 it will be a very difficult game for Pep Guardiola's men. But for me, Michael Plant, at a very
04:54 cold and a very wet Etihad Stadium, thank you for watching.