Tottenham managed to bail out captain Hugo Lloris, bouncing back from a two-goal disadvantage thanks to uncharacteristic errors from their goalkeeper, to snatch a 2-2 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday evening.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were under the cosh for the entire first half-time but went into the break with the score at 0-0. However, soon after the break, City punished Spurs, when Lloris mishit a headed clearance straight into Leroy Sane’s way, who made no mistake. Not long after, the Frenchman was the culprit again, spilling a cross from Raheem Sterling for Kevin De Bruyne to hit home the Citizens’ second of the match.
However, they did not lose heart and within five minutes, cut the lead to half after Kyle Walker did some good work on the right-side to set up Dele Alli, who made the cross count from close range. City kept threatning the Spurs’ goal and should have had a penalty when Walker shoved Sterling when the Englishman was through on goal, but the referee continued play. And within a matter of seconds, Spurs made the most of the reprieve as Eriksen found Kane in the box, who flicked the ball onto Son Heung-Min to bury it in the bottom corner to level things up. City kept knocking at the doors, but Pochettino’s men held on for a point.
The win sees Tottenham stay in the second place, however, they will be ruing the opportunity to put a gap between themselves and Liverpool, who were defeated by Swansea City earlier in the day. In what was a largely subdued performance, let’s see how each Spurs’ player fared:
Hugo Lloris – 3
Blunderous. The Tottenham captain had a night to forget as he made two very costly errors, in the space of five minutes, that were directly responsible for both Manchester City’s goals. Although he did make a decent stop in the first-half to deny David Silva.
Eric Dier – 6
Failed to pick up the runners from the midfield but did make some crucial interceptions throughout the evening. Fairly solid.
Toby Alderweireld – 6
Was a rock at the back for Spurs, denying Aguero the space to cause problems. Made some intelligent tackles, but was taken off in the second half due to a hamstring problem. With Jan Vertonghen already out injured, this could be a serious issue for Pochettino.
Kevin Wimmer – 4
Replaced Vertonghen in the starting XI and looked suspect from the outright. Was booked very early into the game for impeding Zabaleta. Struggled badly and was rightly taken off at the half-time.
Kyle Walker – 6
Was always a threat going forward and gave Clichy a hard time on the flanks. However, was extremely lucky not to give away a penalty after shoving Sterling in the back when he was through on goal.
Victor Wanyama – 7
Powerhouse in the midfield. Never backed down from a challenge and did very well to keep Spurs tight in the middle of the park. Moved into centre-back position after Alderweireld’s injury and did not put a foot wrong there either.
Moussa Dembele – 6
Another good display from the Belgian in the midfield. Tidy in possession, always up for a fight. However, seemed to wear off as the game progressed and as a reason, was substituted for Harry Winks.
Danny Rose – 8
Excellent outing for the left-back once again. Defended admirably throughout, a last-ditch tackle on Sterling in the penalty box being the highlight. And as usual, got forward very well to support his teammates in attack.
Christian Eriksen – 5
After shining bright in recent weeks, Eriksen was completely invisible on the evening. Had no impact whatsoever in the final third, as he struggled to come up to terms with the pace of the game.
Dele Alli – 6
Had been kept quiet by the Citizens for most of the game. But showed that you can’t keep him out of the game, popping in to score a well-taken goal, following a fine run, to help his team back into the match in the second half.
Harry Kane – 6
Cut an isolated figure at the top for Tottenham for much of the game. However, showed his quality with a beautiful flick to set up Son for the equalizer.
Substitutes
Son Heung-Min – 7
Replaced the struggling Wimmer at the kick-off after half-time and was instantly causing problems on the left-flank with his direct running. Took his goal well, with a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner to level things for his team. Impact substitution.
Harry Winks – 7
Made a difference in the middle of the park after coming on for the injured Alderweireld. Used the ball intelligently and along the way, helped his team get some sort of control in the midfield.
Moussa Sissoko – NA
Replaced Dembele in the 78th minute, but did not make any notable contribution.
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