Hits and Flops - Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur

Gabriel Jesus's stoppage-time goal was disallowed by VAR
Gabriel Jesus's stoppage-time goal was disallowed by VAR

Manchester City are expected to be perennial winners, but Tottenham Hotspur proved to be the spanner in their works on the day. When the home side scored early, everyone expected them to run away with the match, but two goals that came completely out of the blue for Spurs turned the tide of the game in two out of the three most decisive moments in the 2-2 draw.

The early clash between the two potential title competitors ended square but only by inches, with VAR featuring in a late controversially disallowed goal for Manchester City for Aymeric Laporte's inadvertent handball in the box.

The visitors became the first side to win any points at the Etihad in the league this calendar year. Let's take a look at those who shone and those who fell short in this game.

Hit - Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne ran the Manchester City show
Kevin De Bruyne ran the Manchester City show

Pep Guardiola's juggernaut cut through the league and fended off Liverpool's challenge last season without Kevin De Bruyne's help for most of the games. The Belgian has returned this season and has begun the first couple of games for City in a real show of strength.

De Bruyne has registered 3 assists in two games so far and came close to increasing that tally plenty of times against Spurs. He ran the game in midfield for the home team and provided a consistent threat against a Spurs side that afforded him space. He punished them for it repeatedly, but Manchester City's usually prolific finishing let them down on more than one occasion.

City's attack, led by De Bruyne who played in a free role often ending up close to Aguero or on either flank, registered 30 shots in the game, with 10 of them being on target, yet, uncharacteristically they only scored two. Their ineffectiveness in front of goal, though, shouldn't take the accolades away from what was a reminder of how good a player the Belgian can be when given the freedom to dictate play.

reFlop - Tottenham's Pressing

Pochettino's usually dynamic pressing side were passive against Manchester City
Pochettino's usually dynamic pressing side were passive against Manchester City

One of the reasons that De Bruyne was so effective was the lack of Tottenham's pressing for most of the game. It allowed City's playmaker-in-chief to run riot and pick out his team-mates with deadly accuracy on more than a couple of occasions.

Were City facing a different opponent, it may have been prudent for them to sit back and absorb City's incessant pressure. Spurs may be one of the few sides whose usual pressing nature has harangued Manchester City in the past. Most effectively in last season's Champions League ties.

This tie saw a completely different Tottenham on the pitch as Mauricio Pochettino's team sat in a poorly executed block that seemed unnatural for this team. A usually dynamic team that pushes opponents into mistakes on and off the ball seemed drab and listless and City played around them for the large part.

Hit - Erik Lamela

Lamela was crucial to both equalisers Spurs scored against Manchester City
Lamela was crucial to both equalisers Spurs scored against Manchester City

What will be considered a good result for Tottenham will hide a poor performance from Mauricio Pochettino's team. Within that bleak outing, Erik Lamela's contribution stands out as a winner.

Against sides like Guardiola's Manchester City, you take what you can get and make the best of it. Spurs were expected to at least give them a run for the money, yet they failed to generate any creative output in the game.

Two moments of impressive play with Erik Lamela at the centre of it is what earned them the point that they've won and the two they have stolen from City.

The first bit saw Tanguy Ndombele play the ball to an advanced Erik Lamela who had passing options but cleverly used the big frame of Rodri as a shield to bend his shot around him and beat Ederson who was poorly positioned.

In the second instance, it was his corner that found Lucas Moura's head to equalise for the second time and put the onus on City to try and beat them again.

Flops - Manchester City substitutes

David Silva and Riyad Mahrez both failed to impact the game
David Silva and Riyad Mahrez both failed to impact the game

With the immense talent in the Manchester City squad, their bench usually boasts a tremendous amount of talent, capable of easily deputising for the talent already on the pitch. It feels harsh to criticise David Silva, Riyad Mahrez, and Gabriel Jesus who replaced Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Sergio Aguero respectively.

Gabriel Jesus was the best of the lot, coming close on a couple of occasions and he seemed to have pulled off a stoppage-time winner for City when he had the ball in the back of the net but had his goal disallowed. This was the second time already this season that Jesus had a goal ruled out by VAR after Sterling's left arm was ruled offside against West Ham.

The sky-high expectations we have of Riyad Mahrez and David Silva were not met in this game, though. David Silva was passive by his own tremendous standards for the twenty or so minutes he was on the pitch.

Riyad Mahrez had the ball in advanced positions multiple times in the last 10 minutes but was caught dawdling on the ball, failing to keep up with the pace of the game.

Hit - VAR

The VAR decision in stoppage time keeps the title race interesting early on
The VAR decision in stoppage time keeps the title race interesting early on

You can look at this either as a hit or a flop, but the argument for VAR being a hit in this particular instance is that it ruled correctly in the most crucial refereeing decision of the game.

On a couple of instances, it seemed like Manchester City may have had a penalty, but VAR chose not to overrule the referee. However, when it came to Jesus's goal in stoppage time, it correctly spotted a glancing inadvertent handball from Aymeric Laporte in the build-up, which by the new rules dictates that the goal must be disallowed.

In the large scheme of things, it also deprives City of two points in a crucial game early in the season which, though cruel to the defending champions, keeps things interesting from a title race point of view.

It allows for the speculation around other sides challenging for the title early on as City make their slip-ups early on and others remain perfect.

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Edited by Sai Teja