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It was a very interesting game between Premier League counterparts Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League quarterfinals, with The Spurs getting a much-needed advantage heading into the second leg.
Heung min Son continued his terrific form and scored a late goal to give the Londoners a great victory to remember for ages. Striker Harry Kane limped off with an ankle injury and it will be a big concern for the North London club but for now they can enjoy celebrating the historic win.
Sergio Aguero’s missed penalty will be talked about a lot in the coming days but the VAR controversy that led to the penalty will also be a big discussion point. Tactically Pochettino got it right as Sissoko and Winks got the better of the City midfield and absorbed all pressure to finally come out on the top.
The fact that Tottenham did not concede an away goal will help them in the away tie and they will not be any pressure as they have nothing to lose now. Here, we look at three reasons why Tottenham came out victorious.
#1 Lloris’ save
The use of VAR is dividing opinions in the football circles and no one is sure whether technology is helpful or a bane in itself. The visitors were awarded an early penalty for a handball by Danny Rose. The decision seemed harsh as Danny was no way in control of his hands.
But Spurs had Lloris to thank as he saved the Sergio Aguero penalty which was a soft one but still the save was good. Lloris has denied Aguero more than once now and it seems he has the Argentine’s number.
He has already saved penalties from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Jamie Vardy this season and Spurs have their captain playing an important role in the important matches. Pochettino would hope that Lloris’ form continues for one more match as they aim to reach the semifinals for the first time. Harry Kane’s injury will also play a big role in the away tie.
#2 Winks and Sissoko had the better of City’s midfield
Tottenham’s manager got the tactical part correct as he played with two holding midfielders in a home match which is not always the case for the attacking Spurs team. But he planned to stifle the City midfield for space and it paid off.
Spurs defence was in great form but appreciation must go to the dirty work done by both Sissoko and Winks in the midfield. They won the second balls, they did not play a high line and thus negating the impact of Sterling and Mahrez. City were badly missing Bernardo Silva as he was ruled out with a thigh injury. Without him they had no one to carry the ball from midfield to the forward line.
Riyad Mahrez was largely ineffective throughout the match and that left Sterling and Aguero to carry all the attacking responsibility on their shoulders. Pochettino would love to have the same midfield in the away tie as well.
#3 Son steps up
The most important part of the match was the goal scored by Son. He kept running throughout the match and pounced on a ball that looked to be running out of play. He has already scored 18 goals this season playing 13 games less than last term.
His role is more important in the team now as Harry Kane is not in the best of forms and Son has taken up the responsibility to score important goals. Kane went straight down the tunnel after a clash with Delph. And it will be interesting to see if Son repeats the performance at the Etihad.
Son has an ability to score goals from the most unbelievable positions and his work rate is comparable to what Park Ji Sung offered at United some years back. Pochettino has got the best out of Son and it will be interesting to see if he is able to motivate the team for a one major push at the end of the season.
