One of the toughest and most uncompromising matches of the 24th round of the English Premier League took place in London. In the championship race, when every point was worth a shot, Tottenham hosted Manchester City at home and, despite being two goals behind, avoided defeat.
Guardiola's men took full control of the situation in the first half of the match. Ryan Scherky and Antoine Semeno scored consecutive goals, putting the visitors ahead 2-0. City's quick passes and quick opening of attacks particularly challenged Tottenham's defense in the first half.
But the second half turned into a completely different scene. The hosts sharply increased pressure, a series of attacks began, and Dominic Solanke scored a brace, equalizing the score 2-2. The game continued at a high tempo for the remaining minutes, but the scoreboard remained unchanged - the sides shared one point each.
Ratings given to City players
Following the match, a reputable source, esteemedkompany.com, reviewed Manchester City's performances. Here are the ratings along with the most important episodes:
Gianluigi Donnarumma - 8/10
The Italian goalkeeper saved the team several times during continuous pressure in the second half. Sequential saves were the decisive factor in "City" reaching the draw not as a "leaky boat," but as an entire boat.
Mateusz Nunes - 6/10
Neither in defense nor in working with the ball did he appear as stable as expected. Delays in decision-making were noticeable in some episodes.
Abdukodir Khusanov - 6/10
At the beginning of the match, our compatriot created important obstacles, in several situations he "shut off" the opponent's forwards. However, an ill-considered foul resulted in a yellow card, and after that, Khusanov's confidence in his game decreased somewhat.
Mark Gexi - 6.5/10
He acted civilly when working with the ball, but failed to fully neutralize Solanke's dangerous performances.
Ryan Ait-Nuri - 6/10
He tried his best, but in some situations he was left out of the center of the game - his impact was minimal.
Nico O'Reilly - 6.5/10
He worked well in midfield in the first half. After moving to the left defence due to a change of position, the impact on the attack was not the same as before.
Rodri - 6.5/10
Control and distribution in the first department - a high level. Fatigue had an effect in the second half, being substituted as a precaution when the game became tense.
Bernardo Silva - 7/10
The team leader, as usual, became a working engine. However, towards the end of the game, a significant expenditure of effort was noticed, and he was also substituted.
Ryan Sherki - 7.5/10
He scored a goal, and also played a useful role for the team with his movements and positioning. His activity was one of the factors that gave City a big advantage in the first half.
Antoine Semeno - 7.5/10
Along with the goal, he was one of the most striking players in the game. His speed on the wing and sharp movements created danger.
Erling Haaland - 6.5/10
He provided an assist to Sherki but lost the chance to make the score even more advantageous than 2:0 with an unconvincing shot. In the second half, the impact on the game decreased.
Reserved:
Niko - 6/10 - worked in midfield, but many believe that when pressure intensified, he would have been more beneficial if he had joined earlier.
Tijjani Reynders - 6/10 - has agility, also had the opportunity to score twice with a header, but lacked accuracy.
Schedule, Gap, and Big Game Ahead
After this draw, Manchester City reached 47 points and remains in second place in the league table. Thanks to Arsenal's victory in this round, the gap between the leaders has increased to 6 points.
Now, another very difficult challenge awaits the Citizens: an away match against the reigning champions, Liverpool, on February 8th. If City wants to make their championship dream a reality, the score must be clear in that match, and the mistakes must be minimal.
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