Tottenham 1 – 5 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS
29 Aug
If there were any doubts that Manchester City could challenge for the Premier League title this season, they were swept away on Sunday as the Blues produced a breathtaking display to defeat Spurs. Full of incisive passing, fluid movement and decisive finishing, it was a 90 minutes that hinted at how special this season may become. Obviously, nothing is won in August, but with three wins in three games and having scored twelve goals in the process, we are all set for an exciting year.
Headlines will go, deservedly, to Edin Dzeko for his quartet of goals, and it is remarkable how he has started this season. Castigated last year by many City fans for his slow start in adapting to the English game, he’s now displaying the form which convinced Roberto Mancini to go to great lengths to sign him. Although he struggled last season, it was always clear he needed time to settle and with six goals in the opening three Premier League matches, he’s hit the ground running.
Confidence plays a huge role and with his goals has come an assurance about his play. He has great self-belief and it’s pleasing to see the pace, strength and hold up play of which he is more than capable. As I wrote in my column in the matchday programme before the Swansea game, “if he can score a couple of early goals, boost his confidence and get the fans behind him, he could have a productive season.”
On his debut, Samir Nasri was magnificent. The fluidity of the movement between himself, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Dzeko was mesmerising, fully exploiting Harry Redknapp’s tactical deficiency. Although Tottenham can be exciting going forward, Redknapp, by declining to use anyone to provide a screen for the defence, allowed City’s creative players to roam free and control the game. In contrast, Mancini had Yaya Toure and the superb Gareth Barry in slightly deeper roles, providing a much needed balance.
With Nigel de Jong and Kolo Touré unavailable for this game, plus the likes of Tévez, Balotelli, Milner and Johnson on the bench, we now have a squad that is capable of challenging on four fronts. When the other competitions start, as they do in the near future, we will need all members of the squad raring to go. So although Micah Richards and Milner will feel aggrieved to miss out yesterday, they know that they will be needed soon enough.
Opposition View: Spurs, for all their attacking threat, looked vulnerable at the back. Redknapp sends them out in an attacking mode which is all well and good, but faced with a side like City, who possess such quality going forward, they would have been better served employing a defensive midfielder or two. Gareth Bale on the left put in a couple of stunning crosses, and Jermain Defoe looked lively when he came off the bench, but for a side hoping to finish in the top four, they were massively underwhelming.
As for City, we head into the international break with three wins under our belt, a display that sends a message to the rest of the league and a new goalscoring sensation. Everything is certainly Edin in the right direction.
Credit where credit is due, city looked the part. But, they should with the money that’s been spent. Also, circumstances played their part too, no king, gallas, sandro for example. A poor forward line crouch is as much a hindrance as a forward. Then there is the upset the modric situation is causing, all these meant spurs weren’t firing on all cylinders while city’s expensively put together squad has it the ground running. We took you season last but 1 and you stole 4pts last season. It will right itself, football always does but in the meantime, enjoy it and good luck in the premiership I hope you win it.
Eventually all that money was going to produce a side that can challenge for the title and if Mancini can keep them all happy I think you have a good chance this season. Glad to see RM has relaxed his previously defensive approach.
Spurs were toothless up front as usual and our third and fourth choice centre halves are no match for your strikers. Made worse by Spurs only defensive midfielder being unavailable which left the defence exposed.
Looks like we are competing for different targets this year with Spurs focusing on the Europa League and City aiming for the title so I can wish you good luck without any risk of conflicts.
By the way if you have three strikers and a defender available we will give them a good home.
you forgot to add.. if city pay half their wages.
Dzecko was superb and Nasri fit right in . Things are looking great just a shame United are looking top as well at the moment.
Also credit to Mancini to finally bring stability to the team. I was taken aback when I saw Zabaleta in the line-up but credit to our humble, hard-working man as he tamed Gareth Bale. Spurs strength lies in its wings, tame Bale and Lennon and you have toothless lion with no claws.
First off well done to city, I was at the game and you deserved the win, but the difference was harry’s poor line up. You say Lennon and bale are the key to spurs you’re wrong, it has been modric but he asked not to play 2 hours before the game which doesn’t help and then Harry plays him with another creative centre mid who had a shocking game ( kranjcar). You out played us where we were weak. I hate Chelsea for the way they’ve conducted themselves with the modric saga, it is ruining are season. Good luck to the city and I hope you smash chelsea .
We lost to a much better team on the day. City players were much too fast for us. Yet, we had one or two chances to score but didn’t. We need a much better striking force if we are going to do well this season. Our defence also needs strengthening.
Now we only need Gourcuff!!