Tottenham suffocated a possession-hungry Manchester City in a fascinating tactical contest between two old foes
You know, this might just catch on. For an hour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the white shirts of Spurs and the all-blacks of Manchester City played out a game of such familiar contrasts, possession v non-possession, that it felt like watching a sporting remake from the Legends Tours, Tyson v Holyfield or Benn v Eubank.
Perhaps the best thing about José v Pep is that it remains so completely itself. Football may be in a state of constant refinement at the top end. But these two, not so much. So we got Davis v Higgins in north London – and beyond that an evening where Mourinho’s counterpunching Spurs exposed with a brutal clarity the weak points in this City team. A few years back Guardiola referred to Tottenham as “the Harry Kane team” with a raise of the eyebrows, a puff of the cheeks and a pat on the head. Well, Pep, you asked for it.
