Man City's lingering defensive holes exposed by Tottenham
Signing Marc Guéhi midway through the season was a coup for Manchester City -- but it hasn't solved everything.
Guardiola's best teams would go up two goals and then squeeze the life out of the game. This version of City seems unable to exert the same level of control.
The momentum shift after halftime was drastic, and City couldn't cope. Without Donnarumma in goal they would have lost the match. They can't blame the lapse on Rodri's absence either, although the former Ballon d'Or winner is clearly still learning what his body can and can't do after suffering a serious knee injury.
From City's point of view, both Tottenham goals were avoidable. Solanke's second was a wonderfully creative finish, but Nico González -- freshly on as a substitute -- won't want to see a replay of his role in the buildup.
You could argue this has been coming. City kept clean sheets against Wolves and Galatasaray last week, but both teams had good spells in the second half when they might have scored.
Unlike the other two, Tottenham were able to take advantage of their period on the front foot. -- Dawson
Spurs silence doubters with will to try for the win
This fixture inevitably evokes memories of Tottenham's 2023-24 season when Man City came to town needing a win to stay clear in the title race. Then-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou admitted his surprise at some home fans appearing to be content their side lost that day as it meant north London rivals Arsenal would be denied a first league title since 2004.
The dynamic was different this time -- City arrived here seven points behind Arsenal -- but it was once again fair to ask how many inside the ground would have been quietly content with a defeat here. There was a notable anodyne atmosphere as a result during a first half City utterly dominated. Boos rang out at halftime but the stadium was more a picture of apathy than anger as the fans watched yet another disappointing home performance.
And yet, the second half could not have been more different. Nobody could question the intent of Spurs' players, who were unrecognizable in the second half and could have even won it late on.
There is a long way to go in the title race -- that game in 2024 came in mid-May -- and so this result won't have felt as decisive to those Spurs fans fearing Arsenal's big day is coming. But Tottenham could easily have folded here, but instead they fought back -- and did their bitterest rivals a precious favor. -- Olley
Cherki proving his addition at Man City was right on target
There were doubts about Rayan Cherki when he arrived from Lyon in the summer. There were questions about his attitude and whether he could fit into Guardiola's system.
It's only February and most of those have been answered.
You can tell in the way Guardiola interacts with him that he's a player who delights and frustrates the City boss in equal measure. He has said before that he wants the Frenchman to work harder out of possession and to be as good at the simple things as he is at the tricks and flicks.
What's not in question, though, is Cherki's output. He's one of only five players from Europe's top five leagues to register more than 10 goals and more than 10 assists since the start of the FIFA Club World Cup. The others are Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López and Luis Díaz. It's not bad company to keep.
Not even a year into his City career, Guardiola will believe he can get much more out of Cherki, but already the £40 million deal to bring him in looks like an absolute steal. -- Dawson