BringBack_leGin
Well-Known Member
- Jul 28, 2004
- 27,719
- 54,929
I’d always rather watch Ronnie O’Sullivan, but sometimes you just need to realise that what Steve Davis does takes a huge amount of skill and intelligence too.
Lloris had one genuine City chance to save all night and he pulled off a very good save but made it look easy.
Aurier made a very exciting winger look very ordinary, making sure all match that Torres, and later Sterling (not sure I even noticed him) never got to play where they wanted to.
Alderweireid was superb, his reading of every situation that came his way was perfect and every tackle he made likewise. Really hope he’s not hurt for long. Would probably have been my man of the match had he lasted the 90.
Dier as it happened was my man of the match. Imperious. His reading of the game was also very good, but more impressive for me was his composure. He never took the dummy from City, and the result was that I’m trying to get past him they either run the ball out of play or pass it into touch. Superb.
Reguilón probably had the tougher side of the pitch with Mahrez, De Bruyne and Walker, the first and third of those players were ineffectual and the middle one couldn’t find a gap to get the ball behind Sergio. That tells you everything you need to know about his performance. Occasional sloppy moment when in his over exuberance he thought he could do Walker for pace, but that’s nitpicking to the extreme.
Sissoko was a wall, wherever City‘a left hand side wanted to be, he was. He’s the reason why every time the ball came down his side, it went back the other direction. I now fully see why he gets the gig in these games.
Højbjerg was everywhere, I lost count of how many times the defence needed help getting it out and he was there to take the ball out, or how any time City tried to get at our centre he was nicking the ball away. It was like there were tell of him on the field at once.
Bergwijn had his best game of the season. He was never getting the better of Walker for pace, but he was a superb outlet and had their centre backs back peddling, he was robust and difficult to dispossess, and every if he wasn’t eye catching, he was in sync with his team mates. The third element in keeping City‘a right hand side quiet.
Ndombele had his best match for us. He took the ball into feet and broke City’s press. He passed well and progressively, of course most so for the opener. He worked hard of the ball and closed down passing lanes. At the time that he came off, he had attempted more tackles than anyone else, he’d mades as many interceptions as anyone else, he’d had 8 more touches than Sissoko and 5 fewer than Højbjerg, playing more passes than either and never being dispossessed, and turned over only twice. In a game where our backs were against it for long periods he did not wilt and he was just as involved as both other midfielders despite being the least defensive of the lot.
Son took his goal beautifully, worked his socks off to make sure he blocked any avenues City wanted to take coming inside, and his pace on the break is a huge reason why we were able to defend the way we did as it meant we were never completely penned in. Wish he’d shot instead of played in the offside Kane if only to calm the palpitations which are that point were in full swing.
Kane was again exceptional, and perhaps only missed out of my man of the match because I’ve come to expect perfection. Shame he was offside and he didn’t have a single chance, but his pass for Lo Celso was magic, his overall hold up play was spot on, his battling back and tackling was immense (3/3) and he saw more of the ball then each of Ndombele, Sissoko and Højbjerg. Rich man tonight, had £120m in his pocket all match.
Lo Celso came on, took his goal beautifully straight away when you’d have expected some rust, and really helped us keep the ball better, win it back better, and resist City better every minute afterwards. His rate of involvement in just 28 minutes would’ve seen him have more touches than any other Spurs player across 90. Looked sharp and fit.
Lucas picked up where Bergwijn left off, but with a little extra tigerishness and zip.
Rodon touched the ball once, a hoof away from the danger zone.
Someone in my Spurs WhatsApp group said we won this ugly. I don’t think anything about this was ugly. Yes, I’d love to see front foot football all the time, but without having the ball, through organisation and concentration, we controlled the match. Of all City’s chances, Lloris only has one non elementary task, whereas our attacks, few though they were, were dangerous. This wasn’t desperate defending and thrashing the ball away, this was saying to City ‘pass yourself to death to you run out of ideas, and in the meantime we back our quality to hurt you’. Amazing that Mourinho’s managed to drill this performance into us with no time on the training pitch with 9 out of 11 starters in the past two weeks.
Lloris had one genuine City chance to save all night and he pulled off a very good save but made it look easy.
Aurier made a very exciting winger look very ordinary, making sure all match that Torres, and later Sterling (not sure I even noticed him) never got to play where they wanted to.
Alderweireid was superb, his reading of every situation that came his way was perfect and every tackle he made likewise. Really hope he’s not hurt for long. Would probably have been my man of the match had he lasted the 90.
Dier as it happened was my man of the match. Imperious. His reading of the game was also very good, but more impressive for me was his composure. He never took the dummy from City, and the result was that I’m trying to get past him they either run the ball out of play or pass it into touch. Superb.
Reguilón probably had the tougher side of the pitch with Mahrez, De Bruyne and Walker, the first and third of those players were ineffectual and the middle one couldn’t find a gap to get the ball behind Sergio. That tells you everything you need to know about his performance. Occasional sloppy moment when in his over exuberance he thought he could do Walker for pace, but that’s nitpicking to the extreme.
Sissoko was a wall, wherever City‘a left hand side wanted to be, he was. He’s the reason why every time the ball came down his side, it went back the other direction. I now fully see why he gets the gig in these games.
Højbjerg was everywhere, I lost count of how many times the defence needed help getting it out and he was there to take the ball out, or how any time City tried to get at our centre he was nicking the ball away. It was like there were tell of him on the field at once.
Bergwijn had his best game of the season. He was never getting the better of Walker for pace, but he was a superb outlet and had their centre backs back peddling, he was robust and difficult to dispossess, and every if he wasn’t eye catching, he was in sync with his team mates. The third element in keeping City‘a right hand side quiet.
Ndombele had his best match for us. He took the ball into feet and broke City’s press. He passed well and progressively, of course most so for the opener. He worked hard of the ball and closed down passing lanes. At the time that he came off, he had attempted more tackles than anyone else, he’d mades as many interceptions as anyone else, he’d had 8 more touches than Sissoko and 5 fewer than Højbjerg, playing more passes than either and never being dispossessed, and turned over only twice. In a game where our backs were against it for long periods he did not wilt and he was just as involved as both other midfielders despite being the least defensive of the lot.
Son took his goal beautifully, worked his socks off to make sure he blocked any avenues City wanted to take coming inside, and his pace on the break is a huge reason why we were able to defend the way we did as it meant we were never completely penned in. Wish he’d shot instead of played in the offside Kane if only to calm the palpitations which are that point were in full swing.
Kane was again exceptional, and perhaps only missed out of my man of the match because I’ve come to expect perfection. Shame he was offside and he didn’t have a single chance, but his pass for Lo Celso was magic, his overall hold up play was spot on, his battling back and tackling was immense (3/3) and he saw more of the ball then each of Ndombele, Sissoko and Højbjerg. Rich man tonight, had £120m in his pocket all match.
Lo Celso came on, took his goal beautifully straight away when you’d have expected some rust, and really helped us keep the ball better, win it back better, and resist City better every minute afterwards. His rate of involvement in just 28 minutes would’ve seen him have more touches than any other Spurs player across 90. Looked sharp and fit.
Lucas picked up where Bergwijn left off, but with a little extra tigerishness and zip.
Rodon touched the ball once, a hoof away from the danger zone.
Someone in my Spurs WhatsApp group said we won this ugly. I don’t think anything about this was ugly. Yes, I’d love to see front foot football all the time, but without having the ball, through organisation and concentration, we controlled the match. Of all City’s chances, Lloris only has one non elementary task, whereas our attacks, few though they were, were dangerous. This wasn’t desperate defending and thrashing the ball away, this was saying to City ‘pass yourself to death to you run out of ideas, and in the meantime we back our quality to hurt you’. Amazing that Mourinho’s managed to drill this performance into us with no time on the training pitch with 9 out of 11 starters in the past two weeks.
Last edited:
