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Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Manchester City in London was the fourth by a José Mourinho team over a Pep Guardiola team in the last six meetings. Before this sequence, only one setback for the Catalan in ten games against the Portuguese.
The script of the game was not very different from the usual one in the duel between the two coaches. Conditioned by the goal of Son, a Premier League scorer with nine, just after four minutes. With the rear of the citizenry already lost with the movement of Harry Kane as a “false nine”, aside from the defenders Rúben Dias and Laporte.
Pass from Ndombélé in the space left by Kane, hesitation by Dias and infiltration by the South Korean to open the scoring. The password for City to settle in the attack field, rotate the ball, but with many difficulties to infiltrate. No intensity for a more aggressive loss of pressure, but also with the Spurs avoiding passing errors near Lloris’ goal.
Guardiola expected a lot from Mahrez and Ferrán Torres at the ends, Gabriel Jesús at the reference and De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva arriving from the inside in the 4-3-3 streak. But the visiting team did not score more than one goal in the last five games. Not this time.
Also due to the strength and organization of Tottenham in a defensive phase. Two lines of four compacts, Dier and Alderweireld very safe. In the resumption, Kane articulated as pivot and Son to the right, Ndombélé and Bergwijn alternating to the left and inside. Lucas Moura and Lo Celso entered the vacancies of the last two. In the counterattack in the second half, Lo Celso closed the 2-0, then managed to deny spaces and accelerate offensive transitions.
Confirming a global trend in this pandemic period: whoever intends to play as the protagonist, but without prevailing in possession of the ball due to volume and taking time to define the attacks as soon as he recovers on the offensive field, ends up suffering. On the edge of the field, Guardiola showed some conformity with the failure in 2020/21, with practically no preseason and time to train with a full squad; on FIFA dates, most leave Manchester to serve the national teams.
Better for Mourinho and Tottenham, who sleep at the top of the Premier League, something that has not happened since 2014. And they can stay, since Leicester faces Liverpool. But the team is not limited to the boom in every game. There is a clear and very well executed offensive plan. With impressive efficiency, finishing only four times, twice on target. In the networks. With only 34% ownership. In the next round, a London classic with Chelsea at the top of the table. “Only that.
City needs to adapt to the context to recover in the League. You can finish the round on the second page of the table, embarrassing for the very high investment. He cannot finish 22 times, but only five in the direction of Lloris’ goal and clear chances only in random plays, of balls raised in the area. The poor technical phase of many players is clear, but the collective work also seems to be compromised. He has to evolve, even with Guardiola, without being able to interfere as in other seasons.
But for that it is necessary to review concepts. The “zeitgeist” of world football is all about pressure, speed, efficiency and intelligence to play according to the demands of the game. At this moment, José Mourinho is better adapted and that is reflected in the results.
(Statistics: BBC)
