Everybody knew this was not how the story would go and so we had the Manchester City fightback, Matheus Nunes pulling one back and then a concerted attempt by Spurs to seal the deal. They created chances, a good number of them, yet they could not take them.
When the substitute, Richarlison, failed to finish at close range on 83 minutes, it felt obvious that City would have the opportunity to save their skins, to rescue a performance that did not reach the levels that Pep Guardiola demands.
They got it, the ball falling to the 19-year-old, Nico O'Reilly, after Guglielmo Vicario had flapped at a corner and his shot was goalbound, only to be cleared off the line by the substitute, Yves Bissouma.
Spurs would get the job done, this a result to energise their season, however much they forced their fans through the wringer.
It was a night when the teamsheets were always going to be scrutinised, especially after Guardiola's comments following City's victory over Watford in the previous round. He said he would "play the second team" in this tie; City were "not going to waste energy, for sure." And yet they were strong; six changes, although three of them were John Stones, Nathan Aké and Ilkay Gündogan.
This story is from the October 31, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the October 31, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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