Manchester City 3 Tottenham 3: tactical analysis

Injury-hit Tottenham ended a run of three consecutive defeats with this spirited draw at Manchester City. For the home side, the result left them without a win in three Premier League games for the first time since April 2017. And all after both teams had scored three apiece, in a game that exploded into life and ended just as dramatically.

Within the first nine minutes, Son Heung-min had given Spurs the lead before inadvertently equalising for City. Erling Haaland then wasted two excellent chances either side of Phil Foden putting City ahead.  The home team typically convert such dominance into a healthy lead, but not on this occasion.

Instead, Ange Postecoglou’s half-time changes helped keep Tottenham in the game, and Giovani Lo Celso’s equaliser gave proof of their competitiveness. That spirit was tested again,  when substitute Jack Grealish put City ahead late on.

But Dejan Kulusevski’s 90th-minute equaliser summed up the visitors’ determination not to be defeated. The Swede rose above Nathan Aké to send the ball flying into the goal, and his opponent flying to the ground. City couldn’t quite pick themselves off the canvas to take all three points.

How the managers saw it

“It’s not the first time we are in this situation where we are playing good but results don’t come,” said Pep Guardiola. “People say we are concerned about the goals we concede, but how many chances did we concede? It’s ridiculous. We concede nothing, but every time for our mistakes and the quality of the opponents we concede a goal.”

“First half, we were lucky to be in the game, we lacked a bit of belief and conviction,” said Postecoglou. “I thought the second half was outstanding, not letting the game get away from us, hanging in there, making the game uncomfortable for City. At no stage could they just control the game. We were pressing, keeping the ball, and it’s because of that I’m really pleased we got our reward.”

Below, our UEFA-licensed tactical experts pick out three key themes from the game...

Kulusevski’s influence 

Dejan Kulusevski operated as the number 10 in Tottenham’s 4-2-3-1 shape, providing the assist for Son’s opening goal on the counter-attack. During sustained possession, as the visitors' full-backs inverted, Kulusevski found useful pockets of space in which to receive. With one of City’s centre-backs jumping out when Kulusevski widened, he could link with Son or any runner available (below).

Kulusevski also back-pressed notably in the 10 role, helping defend against Bernardo Silva or Julián Álvarez when they received in central midfield.

Tottenham opted to build from the back more as the first-half progressed, but it did not lead to any chances. Indeed, Son’s goal was the only shot of the half for the visitors. Spurs actually helped City to create, via multiple high regains from Tottenham’s poor build-up play. Guardiola’s side had enough chances to win the game from high regains alone, but Erling Haaland was uncharacteristically wasteful.

In City’s out-of-possession shape (below), Silva and Álvarez either joined Haaland to press the two centre-backs, or worked back to support Rodri on Spurs’ deepest two pivots. City’s wingers tracked Spurs’ inverting full-backs, allowing a spare centre-back – usually Rúben Dias – to lock on to Kulusevski’s dropping movements. Kulusevski was slowly nullified, as City began to dominate the first half.

City switch between a back four and back three

Once they’d established control and territory, City built with a back four. Pivot Rodri initially progressed the ball into the front line or the number eights, Silva and Álvarez. When Kulusevski disrupted Rodri receiving, centre-back Manuel Akanji moved into midfield as a second pivot (below). Kulusevski was then unable to deal with this double pivot on his own.

Silva drifted wider and Kyle Walker tucked inside to recreate a line of four to build around Spurs. Phil Foden narrowed to join Álvarez, around Haaland (above). This duo’s central combinations regularly unlocked Spurs’ back line, as seen with City’s well-worked second goal.

City’s use of a back-four build helped them progress around Tottenham’s first line and frequently attack the visitors’ full-backs. When Akanji didn’t fully advance into midfield, Walker stayed wider to support underneath and around Foden, with Silva inside (below).

In these moments, switches from right to left, out to Jérémy Doku, helped City advance. Doku held the width no matter the individual movements on the other side, with Josko Gvardiol supporting underneath and Álvarez inside.

Tottenham’s second-half changes

Postecoglou’s half-time changes saw Pierre-Emile Højbjerg added as a second pivot next to Yves Bissouma (below), with Giovani Lo Celso now operating as the number 10. Kulusevski moved back to his usual wide-right role, with Brennan Johnson moved to the left. Højbjerg or Bissouma moved wide to help form a back line of three during build up.

This created either a free man against City’s first-line pairing, or an available teammate in the central spaces, should one of City’s second line jump out to press. The latter was ideal, as both Spurs full-backs inverted (above).

Lo Celso looked much more comfortable as the 10. He linked with the front line well, with one of Højbjerg and Bissouma holding as the pivot. This adapted structure not only gave Tottenham a much better build-up, but also meant they conceded fewer chances from losing the ball in front of their own goal. As such, Tottenham nullified almost all of City’s attacking momentum in the second half.

Without the ball, Spurs’ aggressive press caused City problems in the second half. The players jumpied high to force the ball inwards where possible. They created pressing traps in the centre of the pitch, aggressively seizing on any straight passes.

When one of Tottenham’s central defenders jumped out to press an attacking midfielder, they were often supported by an attacker pressing backwards. Kulusevski in particular was impressive in how he retained his defensive energy (below).

The visitors’ double pivot duelled well in the second half, with the introduction of Højbjerg proving a success. They locked on to Rodri and City’s other attacking midfielder. This left the Spurs back line marking player-for-player and slightly exposed at times. But the duelling in front of their defence was excellent, as was the ability to find their front line in transition, as seen with Lo Celso’s equaliser.

Despite City scoring a third from a rare error in the second half, Spurs continued to create. Kulusevski duly headed home a dramatic but deserved equaliser late on. 

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