LONDON — Manchester City suffered a major blow to their Premier League title hopes as Dominic Solanke‘s scorpion kick helped Tottenham Hotspur fight back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
Rayan Cherki gave City a 10th-minute lead before Antoine Semenyo doubled their advantage a minute before the break as Spurs lost possession twice cheaply in their own half.
Spurs looked shorn of confidence in the opening period but were transformed after the break as Solanke bundled the ball home at 53 minutes. Tottenham went forward in search of an equalizer and it came in the most spectacular fashion as Conor Gallagher‘s right-wing cross flew behind Solanke but he flicked out his right boot and looped the ball brilliantly over City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City manager Pep Guardiola added Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush late as they searched for a game-winner but Spurs came closest with Donnarumma denying attempts from Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons.
The result leaves Man City six points behind leaders Arsenal after the Gunners comfortably beat Leeds United on Saturday. — James Olley
Man City’s title hopes slip further in another surprise twist
Another weekend, another momentum shift.
First it was Man City’s defeat at Manchester United. Then it was City’s win over Wolves alongside Arsenal’s home defeat to United. This weekend, it was Arsenal comfortably navigating a tricky trip to Leeds United and City slipping up at Tottenham.
The bottom line is that Arsenal have extended their lead at the top to six points and the momentum is back with Mikel Arteta’s side. After leading 2-0 at halftime, City’s draw at Spurs will seem like a massive missed opportunity for Guardiola.
If things go as expected for City against Newcastle on Wednesday, there will be a Carabao Cup final to look forward to in March. But City’s next Premier League game is against Liverpool at Anfield; Arsenal face Sunderland at home 24 hours earlier.
It has been an unpredictable season, but this coming weekend already seems like the time when Arsenal could be nine points clear by Sunday night.
Guardiola has never been one to make grand trophy predictions during the first half of a season. He only ever says that he wants his team “to be there” when the run-in begins. They’re just about clinging on, but it’s beginning to reach the stage of a season where a big gap becomes unmanageable. — Rob Dawson
Under-fire Frank can thank Solanke for easing pressure on Spurs coach
Perhaps Spurs manager Thomas Frank’s chief excuse for their disappointing recent form has been a wretched injury list, which again totaled 11 players. He might well wonder how different things would be had he not lost Solanke for more than four months with an ankle injury.
This was only Solanke’s sixth appearance since returning — and only his third start — but he provided a cutting edge no other striker at the club can currently match. Following on from vital strikes against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, Solanke now has four goals in those six matches and the second one was a moment of pure inspiration.
There is little doubt that Spurs are struggling for attacking fluidity right now. It is a consistent criticism of Frank that the soccer they are producing under his management is so underwhelming.
What a boost it is for a beleaguered manager, then, that Solanke is able to add this sort of potency to a misfiring attack. Frank remains firmly under pressure but this would have been far worse had it not been for the England international leading Spurs’ comeback from a two-goal deficit. — Olley
Man City’s lingering defensive holes exposed by Tottenham
Signing Marc Guéhi midway through the season was a coup for Manchester City — but it hasn’t solved everything.
Guardiola’s best teams would go up two goals and then squeeze the life out of the game. This version of City seems unable to exert the same level of control.
The momentum shift after halftime was drastic, and City couldn’t cope. Without Donnarumma in goal they would have lost the match. They can’t blame the lapse on Rodri‘s absence either, although the former Ballon d’Or winner is clearly still learning what his body can and can’t do after suffering a serious knee injury.
From City’s point of view, both Tottenham goals were avoidable. Solanke’s second was a wonderfully creative finish, but Nico González — freshly on as a substitute — won’t want to see a replay of his role in the buildup.
You could argue this has been coming. City kept clean sheets against Wolves and Galatasaray last week, but both teams had good spells in the second half when they might have scored.
Unlike the other two, Tottenham were able to take advantage of their period on the front foot. — Dawson
Spurs silence doubters with will to try for the win
This fixture inevitably evokes memories of Tottenham’s 2023-24 season when Man City came to town needing a win to stay clear in the title race. Then-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou admitted his surprise at some home fans appearing to be content their side lost that day as it meant north London rivals Arsenal would be denied a first league title since 2004.
The dynamic was different this time — City arrived here seven points behind Arsenal — but it was once again fair to ask how many inside the ground would have been quietly content with a defeat here. There was a notable anodyne atmosphere as a result during a first half City utterly dominated. Boos rang out at halftime but the stadium was more a picture of apathy than anger as the fans watched yet another disappointing home performance.
And yet, the second half could not have been more different. Nobody could question the intent of Spurs’ players, who were unrecognizable in the second half and could have even won it late on.
There is a long way to go in the title race — that game in 2024 came in mid-May — and so this result won’t have felt as decisive to those Spurs fans fearing Arsenal’s big day is coming. But Tottenham could easily have folded here, but instead they fought back — and did their bitterest rivals a precious favor. — Olley
Cherki proving his addition at Man City was right on target
There were doubts about Rayan Cherki when he arrived from Lyon in the summer. There were questions about his attitude and whether he could fit into Guardiola’s system.
It’s only February and most of those have been answered.
You can tell in the way Guardiola interacts with him that he’s a player who delights and frustrates the City boss in equal measure. He has said before that he wants the Frenchman to work harder out of possession and to be as good at the simple things as he is at the tricks and flicks.
What’s not in question, though, is Cherki’s output. He’s one of only five players from Europe’s top five leagues to register more than 10 goals and more than 10 assists since the start of the FIFA Club World Cup. The others are Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López and Luis Díaz. It’s not bad company to keep.
Not even a year into his City career, Guardiola will believe he can get much more out of Cherki, but already the £40 million deal to bring him in looks like an absolute steal. — Dawson
