Opinion: Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Man City
Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 2-0 defeat against Manchester City last night, although it’s safe to say not all of the fanbase was that displeased with the result. Not to mention the bitter disappointment experienced by Arsenal fans around the world.
Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:
Hurts, Doesn’t it Arsenal?
For just a couple of hours, Arsenal fans got to experience exactly what it’s like to be a Tottenham Hotspur supporter. It’s the hope that kills you. Ange Postecoglou may not like it, but a whole load of Spurs fans were very happy to dent the title aspirations of their bitter rivals. At the end of the day, I think Europa League football is far better suited to Tottenham next season, so I don’t think we exactly lost anything tonight. Hopefully, Man City get the job done at the weekend and Spurs can work hard over the summer to close the gap next season.
Ange Postecoglou’s Anger
Jokes about Arsenal aside, I totally get Postecoglou’s anger. He wants Tottenham to be in a position where we are competing with the likes of Arsenal and Man City, not playing petty games for the sake of bragging rights from the sidelines. He wants Spurs to focus on their own game, which wasn’t the narrative at all in the build-up to the game last night. What is a bit of fun for the fans is frustrating for the man whose job it is to train us to compete. But that is exactly why he is the right man for the job. Hopefully, next season we will be actually fighting for something of our own at this stage of the season.
Invoice for Rodrigo Bentancur
Talking of angry reactions, how much is Daniel Levy going to charge Rodrigo Bentancur for that chair he pulverised into smithereens? After what was a very productive first-half from Bentancur, in which he controlled the pace of the game and helped Spurs to outnumber Man City in midfield, he was hooked with just 55 minutes on the clock. Spurs needed an extra attacker and he was on a booking, so the substitution makes sense. I get the feeling that his outburst was a build-up of 12 frustrating months for the Uruguayan. Hopefully, he can get back to his best over the summer because what a player he was last season!
Radu Dragusin Impresses
Perhaps the best two performances on the night came from Radu Dragusin and Guglielmo Vicario. We know all about what Vicario can do between the sticks, but this was our first real look at Dragusin beyond the awful team performance against Fulham. He looked completely at home with the likes of Erling Haaland and didn’t shy away from a physical battle. He was also far more composed on the ball last night, even on his weaker side. And what about that headed clearance off the line?! I would assume he will appear more as Romero’s understudy next season, with a new left-footed centre-back to be signed in the summer. But the future looks bright for Radu Dragusin.
Mikey Moore’s Tottenham Debut
Talking of the future being bright, the real silver lining of the evening was young Mikey Moore making his Tottenham debut off the bench in the dying minutes. He even got on the ball a few times before the final whistle. That officially makes him Tottenham’s youngest-ever Premier League player, overtaking Dane Scarlett. Congratulations to Mikey and his family!
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