---
title: "Opinion: Spurs fans shouldn’t be fooled by draw at Man City"
canonical: "https://readtottenham.com/2019/08/19/opinion-spurs-fans-shouldnt-be-fooled-by-draw-at-man-city/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Jack Cunningham"
section: "Features"
published: "2019-08-19T19:10:02Z"
modified: "2019-08-20T14:22:03Z"
---

# Opinion: Spurs fans shouldn’t be fooled by draw at Man City

Tottenham Hotspur secured a [2-2 draw](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49384811) with Manchester City at the Etihad and on the face of it is a great result.

However, the scoreline does not tell the [story of the match](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/08/18/man-city-can-dominate-like-against-spurs-would-not-put-past/), and in fact, it probably reveals the gap between the two.

City dominated possession for the majority of the game ending up with[56%](https://www.mancity.com/news/first-team/first-team-news/2019/august/man-city-v-tottenham-all-the-key-stats), but at one point in the first half, they [had 74%](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49302583).

Now possession does not really matter as it depends what the team does with the ball, but should Tottenham’s [supposed title contenders](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/tottenham-are-contenders-for-premier-league-manchester-city-pep-guardiola/article29112015.ece) only have a [26% share](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49302583) of the ball for a period of time?

No is the answer.

City had a staggering [30 shots](https://www.mancity.com/news/first-team/first-team-news/2019/august/man-city-v-tottenham-all-the-key-stats) at goal ten of which [were on target](https://www.mancity.com/news/first-team/first-team-news/2019/august/man-city-v-tottenham-all-the-key-stats) – Spurs, on the other hand, had [three shots](https://www.espn.co.uk/football/matchstats?gameId=541832).

Two of these ended up as goals – now you could say it was clinical finishing and that they executed Mauricio Pochettino’s game plan, but they were [comfortably outplayed](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/man-city-tottenham-spurs-news-pep-guardiola-a9064786.html) for the entire match.

Spurs had Hugo Lloris in [sublime form](https://hotspurhq.com/2019/08/18/hugo-lloris-shines-in-tottenham-player-ratings-against-city/2/), and he is the reason that they ended up [with a point](https://hotspurhq.com/2019/08/18/hugo-lloris-shines-in-tottenham-player-ratings-against-city/2/). Christian Eriksen [was hopeless](https://hotspurhq.com/2019/08/18/hugo-lloris-shines-in-tottenham-player-ratings-against-city/4/), especially tracking [Kevin de Brunye](https://hotspurhq.com/2019/08/18/hugo-lloris-shines-in-tottenham-player-ratings-against-city/4/) – who got away from him twice to provide [two assists](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kevin-de-bruyne/profil/spieler/88755).

Tottenham also have to thank VAR and the new [handball law](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49388102) – which will now rule out any goal if the ball comes off an [attacker’s hand](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49388102) even if it is accidental.

In this case, the ball skimmed [Aymeric Laporte’s arm](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49388102) dropped to Gabriel Jesus, and he [buried the ball](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/var-its-job-disallowing-gabriel-18959940).

[VAR](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/var-its-job-disallowing-gabriel-18959940) then had a look and [Spurs survived](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49388102). It is early in the season and Tottenham were missing one of their [new signings](https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/tottenham-manchester-city-injury-news-16751575) and also [Heung Min Son](https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/tottenham-manchester-city-injury-news-16751575) but Pochettino must be worried that [they were dominated](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/man-city-tottenham-spurs-news-pep-guardiola-a9064786.html) for the whole game.

Spurs are arguably [title challengers](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/epl/tottenham-are-contenders-for-premier-league-manchester-city-pep-guardiola/article29112015.ece) this year, but this match just proved how far ahead City are – the result should not mask the [obvious gap](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/man-city-tottenham-spurs-news-pep-guardiola-a9064786.html).