Tottenham 4-1 Man City – Talking Points

Prior to this match, Tottenham had a dismal record against Manchester City, having won just once and drawn once and lost eight of their matches from the 2010/11 season till 2014/15. However, the first match between the two sides at White Hart Lane during the 2015/16 saw Tottenham rip apart Manchester City and take a convincing 4-1 victory. Here are the talking points from the match-

1. Kevin de Bruyne is proving his worth

£55 million is a lot of money and a large price tag to live up to. The Premier League has seen players falter with such a massive price tags on their head but Manchester City’s Kevin de Bryune is so far proving his worth since he joined them. 3 goals in 4 matches across all competitions has shown he has quickly adapted to the pace of the Premier League.

Assists should start flowing as he trains more with his new team and develops an effective understanding and partnership

1. Harry Kane finds his scoring touch

51 matches and 31 goals were the amazing statistical highlights from Harry Kane’s breakthrough 2014/15 season. Many however dubbed the Englishman as a one-season wonder and it looked true, with him failing to score in the first six games of the season (although, he was a constant threat on the attack and a team player).

He finally broke the deadlock through a wonderful volley off a rebounded Christain Eriken free kick that was the third goal for Spurs (although he was offside). This would no doubt give his confidence a big boost and he might just start to score more regularly now.

1. Off-side calls

The second and third goals of Tottenham came through offside play that was not seen or given by the officials. The linesman normally do an amazing job with the offside calls and while, it’s really tough to judge it sometimes, the decisions today were pretty obvious with no obstructions to their view.

Manchester City will really be questioning these goals, but even their opening goal seemed a close call as Toure’s pass found De Bruyne who might have been offside.

1. Tottenham’s Defensive Work

City have one of the most devastating attacking forces in European Football. However, the Spurs defence were up to the task, with each member of the back four performing well and minimizing the overall threat of the Manchester City attack. They covered each other and even the Midfielders and forwards pulled their weight with defensive duties when called upon.

Also, Lloris was amazing between the sticks, helping keep Tottenham in the game in the first half when City had the momentum.

1. Tottenham’s upward momentum and a City hurdle

At the start of the season, Tottenham seemed a shaky and disorganized unit. However, they have really picked up their game in the last couple of games and no better way than to prove it by destroying City 4-1. The biggest addition that seemed to have made the change was Son Heung-Min in their attack, while Lamela and Kane have improved their play since the start of the season. If Tottenham want to challenge for the Champions League spot, they need to keep this team spirit, work together well, sustain the momentum and capitalize on their rivals stumble.

City on the other hand have had their perfect start to the season taken away with two consecutive defeats. The team’s frontline seems to be contained well by other team’s defenders and their defence is prone on the counter. Manuel Pellegrini needs to adjust the squad and hope this is just a small stumble in the season, as a team of their caliber need to be challenging for the trophies.