Man Metropolis blow lead at Tottenham: Premier League title worries for Metropolis, much less strain on Frank
LONDON — Manchester Metropolis suffered a serious blow to their Premier League title hopes as Dominic Solanke‘s scorpion kick helped Tottenham Hotspur battle again from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
Rayan Cherki gave Metropolis a Tenth-minute lead earlier than Antoine Semenyo doubled their benefit a minute earlier than the break as Spurs misplaced possession twice cheaply in their very own half.
Spurs regarded shorn of confidence within the opening interval however had been remodeled after the break as Solanke bundled the ball dwelling at 53 minutes. Tottenham went ahead in quest of an equalizer and it got here in essentially the most spectacular style as Conor Gallagher‘s right-wing cross flew behind Solanke however he flicked out his proper boot and looped the ball brilliantly over Metropolis goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola added Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush late as they looked for a game-winner however Spurs got here closest with Donnarumma denying makes an attempt from Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons.
The consequence leaves Man Metropolis six factors behind leaders Arsenal after the Gunners comfortably beat Leeds United on Saturday. — James Olley
Man Metropolis’s title hopes slip additional in one other shock twist
One other weekend, one other momentum shift.
First it was Man Metropolis’s defeat at Manchester United. Then it was Metropolis’s win over Wolves alongside Arsenal’s dwelling defeat to United. This weekend, it was Arsenal comfortably navigating a tough journey to Leeds United and Metropolis slipping up at Tottenham.
The underside line is that Arsenal have prolonged their lead on the prime to 6 factors and the momentum is again with Mikel Arteta’s facet. After main 2-0 at halftime, Metropolis’s draw at Spurs will seem to be a large missed alternative for Guardiola.
If issues go as anticipated for Metropolis in opposition to Newcastle on Wednesday, there will likely be a Carabao Cup closing to stay up for in March. However Metropolis’s subsequent Premier League sport is in opposition to Liverpool at Anfield; Arsenal face Sunderland at dwelling 24 hours earlier.
It has been an unpredictable season, however this coming weekend already looks like the time when Arsenal may very well be 9 factors clear by Sunday night time.
Guardiola has by no means been one to make grand trophy predictions in the course of the first half of a season. He solely ever says that he needs his staff “to be there” when the run-in begins. They’re nearly clinging on, however it’s starting to achieve the stage of a season the place an enormous hole turns into unmanageable. — Rob Dawson
Beneath-fire Frank can thank Solanke for alleviating strain on Spurs coach
Maybe Spurs supervisor Thomas Frank’s chief excuse for his or her disappointing latest kind has been a wretched harm checklist, which once more totaled 11 gamers. He may properly surprise how various things can be had he not misplaced Solanke for greater than 4 months with an ankle harm.
This was solely Solanke’s sixth look since returning — and solely his third begin — however he supplied a leading edge no different striker on the membership can at present match. Following on from very important strikes in opposition to Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, Solanke now has 4 objectives in these six matches and the second was a second of pure inspiration.
There may be little doubt that Spurs are struggling for attacking fluidity proper now. It’s a constant criticism of Frank that the soccer they’re producing below his administration is so underwhelming.
What a lift it’s for a beleaguered supervisor, then, that Solanke is ready to add this type of efficiency to a misfiring assault. Frank stays firmly below strain however this is able to have been far worse had it not been for the England worldwide main Spurs’ comeback from a two-goal deficit. — Olley
Man Metropolis’s lingering defensive holes uncovered by Tottenham
Signing Marc Guéhi halfway via the season was a coup for Manchester Metropolis — however it hasn’t solved every thing.
Guardiola’s greatest groups would go up two objectives after which squeeze the life out of the sport. This model of Metropolis appears unable to exert the identical stage of management.
The momentum shift after halftime was drastic, and Metropolis could not cope. With out Donnarumma in objective they might have misplaced the match. They can not blame the lapse on Rodri‘s absence both, though the previous Ballon d’Or winner is clearly nonetheless studying what his physique can and might’t do after struggling a critical knee harm.
From Metropolis’s viewpoint, each Tottenham objectives had been avoidable. Solanke’s second was a splendidly artistic end, however Nico González — freshly on as an alternative — will not need to see a replay of his position within the buildup.
You might argue this has been coming. Metropolis saved clear sheets in opposition to Wolves and Galatasaray final week, however each groups had good spells within the second half once they might need scored.
In contrast to the opposite two, Tottenham had been in a position to reap the benefits of their interval on the entrance foot. — Dawson
Spurs silence doubters with will to strive for the win
This fixture inevitably evokes reminiscences of Tottenham’s 2023-24 season when Man Metropolis got here to city needing a win to remain clear within the title race. Then-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou admitted his shock at some dwelling followers showing to be content material their facet misplaced that day because it meant north London rivals Arsenal can be denied a primary league title since 2004.
The dynamic was completely different this time — Metropolis arrived right here seven factors behind Arsenal — however it was as soon as once more honest to ask what number of inside the bottom would have been quietly content material with a defeat right here. There was a notable anodyne environment in consequence throughout a primary half Metropolis totally dominated. Boos rang out at halftime however the stadium was extra an image of apathy than anger because the followers watched one more disappointing dwelling efficiency.
And but, the second half couldn’t have been extra completely different. No person may query the intent of Spurs’ gamers, who had been unrecognizable within the second half and will have even received it late on.
There’s a lengthy technique to go within the title race — that sport in 2024 got here in mid-Might — and so this consequence will not have felt as decisive to these Spurs followers fearing Arsenal’s large day is coming. However Tottenham may simply have folded right here, however as an alternative they fought again — and did their bitterest rivals a valuable favor. — Olley
Cherki proving his addition at Man Metropolis was proper on the right track
There have been doubts about Rayan Cherki when he arrived from Lyon in the summertime. There have been questions on his perspective and whether or not he may match into Guardiola’s system.
It is solely February and most of these have been answered.
You may inform in the best way Guardiola interacts with him that he is a participant who delights and frustrates the Metropolis boss in equal measure. He has stated earlier than that he needs the Frenchman to work more durable out of possession and to be pretty much as good on the easy issues as he’s on the tips and flicks.
What’s not in query, although, is Cherki’s output. He is certainly one of solely 5 gamers from Europe’s prime 5 leagues to register greater than 10 objectives and greater than 10 assists because the begin of the FIFA Membership World Cup. The others are Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López and Luis Díaz. It isn’t dangerous firm to maintain.
Not even a yr into his Metropolis profession, Guardiola will consider he can get far more out of Cherki, however already the £40 million deal to carry him in seems like an absolute steal. — Dawson
