The Briefing: Tottenham 0-2 Manchester City - Is the title race over? How big was Ortega's save? (2024)

Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night to move within one win of a fourth straight Premier League title.

City had a number of opportunities in the first half, drawing a couple of good saves from Guglielmo Vicario in the process, but the game was level as both teams went in for the break.

But the game — and the title race — was essentially defined by two moments. First, there was Erling Haaland’s goal after a brilliant assist by Kevin De Bruyne. Then, late on, there was a save by Stefan Ortega from Son Heung-min — with that moment being followed up by City’s late penalty by Haaland.

Here, The Athletic’s experts analyse Tuesday night’s crucial clash.

The Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City match dashboard, showing the threat timeline, territory, match stats, shot maps and pass networks

Was this the night City secured the Premier League title?

You do not need me to tell you, but I will anyway: this was an enormous night for City.

From the build-up, the talk about Spurs not wanting to win (the players did), the fireworks outside an empty hotel, the edgy first half, the Ortega save, the City nerves, the 10 minutes added on, the Haaland penalty (and what a penalty), this had all the drama that people have been craving (albeit not the type that ends with City dropping points, which is what many people are after).

City have struggled against the ‘Big Six’ this season, beating Manchester United twice but not playing as well in the rest. As a result, they have not really had a huge moment that can be looked back on to define their season.

They have been relentless against the rest — they have not lost in five months — and they have done it ruthlessly, but that has invited the talk about it being boring. The full debate is for another day and, as I say, there was no drama here that led to Arsenal’s title hopes being boosted, but this was a night of high drama indeed.

While City still need to beat West Ham on Sunday to get the job done, they have taken a massive step towards winning the title four years in a row and making history in the process.

Sam Lee

How crucial was Ortega’s save?

For a second or two, it felt like the moment that could deny City the title.

Son running through on goal, with no one between him and Ortega, with all the time he needed to pick his spot. It was the goal we have seen him score hundreds of times before.

Had he scored, City would only have a few minutes to save their season. The stadium held its breath — Guardiola even fell to the floor in concern — but all Son could do was shoot straight at Ortega. No one could quite believe it.

It felt like Arjen Robben’s miss in the 2010 World Cup final. Minutes later, Erling Haaland buried the penalty that returned City to pole position.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Did Postecoglou finally show a Plan B?

For some time now, Spurs fans have been accusing Ange Postecoglou of not having a Plan B, of failing to adapt based on the opponent or the players he has available.

But here, Postecoglou unleashed a tactical plan that was radically different from what we have seen from Spurs this season. Rather than the usual 4-3-3, Spurs went for a strikerless 4-4-2, with Son Heung-min wide on the left and Brennan Johnson wide on the right. The four-man midfield was arranged with James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr the most advanced.

It meant no reference point up front for Tottenham but did allow them to block off most of City’s first-half attacks. And with runners from midfield attacking that space, Spurs had the mobility to cause City problems.

The issue was that Spurs lacked quality in the final third and the openings they made never came to anything, but it did leave Spurs fans wondering where this sort of imaginative tactical approach had been over the last few months of the season.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Could Ederson miss Sunday’s game?

It was plain to see that Ederson did not want to leave the pitch after being clattered into by Cristian Romero, but the decision was taken to save him from himself, with apparent concerns about concussion.

Ederson is as tough as they come (he left the City Ground in a sling two weeks ago but was fit enough the next weekend), but head injuries are not to be taken lightly.

If it is a concussion, there are questions over whether he can play in the final game on Sunday because new rules for the 2023-24 season state any player who is removed from a game after suffering a head injury will not be able to play again for a period of seven to 12 days, depending on the severity of the head injury.

Stefan Ortega replaced Ederson, remarkably for the fourth time during a match this season, and fortunately for City, he appears to be the best backup goalkeeper in the world: that save to deny Son at the end is worthy of a new contract all on its own. Ortega is most probably leaving at the end of the season for more regular football, with City already looking for replacements, but what a way to go.

It was not the only possible injury blow for City, as De Bruyne suffered a knock just minutes after his assist for Haaland, was treated and then went off as a substitute a short while later.

Sam Lee

How did City end their bad luck at Spurs’ new stadium?

Phil Foden’s volley denied by a strong left arm, De Bruyne’s spin and shot beaten away — this was beginning to feel like a familiar night.

City’s woeful record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is well-documented, but when they simply had to win, they found a way.

Haaland’s tap-in was their 79th Premier League shot at the stadium and their first goal. According to the quality of those chances, the average team would be expected to score more than nine. His second, from the penalty spot, felt like a title-clincher and the end of an unusual duck.

More crucial still was the fact City kept Spurs out. In those same six tussles at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, they have scored six from an expected total of 5.3, but an incredible save from Ortega to deny Son – their chief punisher over the years – ensured that City left their bogey stadium with a monumental clean sheet.

Thom Harris

Was this Bentancur back to his best?

It was a night that ended in a huge amount of frustration for Rodrigo Bentancur — he was raging when substituted after 55 minutes — but before then, this had probably been his best performance of the season.

It’s been a long road back for Bentancur after returning from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in October and having other niggles since, but on Tuesday night we had a glimpse of the midfielder back to his best.

Sometimes it takes seeing a player being like their old self to realise how much you’ve missed them and that was the case with Bentancur here. That ability to take the ball in tight areas, glide away from challenges and play incisive passes was such a feature of his first year at the club until that ACL injury.

The early substitution was surely a consequence of his ongoing search for full fitness, but this was a performance that offered promise for next season, which was always deemed a more realistic timeframe to see him consistently able to play at full pelt.

Charlie Eccleshare

Why did City focus their play down the right?

Tottenham’s surprising defensive shape — pressing aggressively out of a 4-2-4 to put City’s build-up under pressure — caused City plenty of issues in their approach play in a tense first half.

As the front four pushed on, the lofted pass into De Bruyne and Foden opened up, but City struggled to get the ball to stick, with Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and Bentancur covering the ground and sticking to their defensive duties well.

The centre of the pitch was congested, so City started to spear passes out to the wing, with Kyle Walker the main beneficiary in the opening 20 minutes down the right. Up against Micky van de Ven, a centre-back covering at full-back, the space opened up as the Dutchman instinctively shuffled inside.

With a few hesitant crosses and pull-backs, Guardiola switched things up as the opening 45 minutes progressed, pushing Bernardo Silva into a higher position to receive those passes — the idea being to double up the threat; Silva able to cut inside onto his left foot and Walker to overlap if the opportunity arose. City’s passing network illustrates that clear lean to the right, unable to make much headway on the opposite side.

City had to adapt to an unusually scrappy night in the centre of midfield and that played into a strange, slightly tentative first half.

Thom Harris

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

Postecoglou was critical of the atmosphere around the club. He said: “I think the last 48 hours have revealed to me the foundations are fairly fragile. That’s what I feel.

“The last 48 hours have revealed a fair bit to me. That’s alright, that just means I’ve got to go back to the drawing board with some things. Outside (the club), inside. It’s been an interesting exercise.

“I probably misread the situation as to what I think is important in our endeavour to becoming a winning team. But that’s OK, that’s why I’m here.”

What did Pep Guardiola say?

Guardiola was reticent to celebrate too much after Tuesday’s win. He said: “The players are not celebrating anything. Happy of course, relieved because we wanted to arrive to the last game.

“We know we have a job to do and the fans will support us of course.

“Now it is Kudus, Antonio, Bowen, Ward-Prowse and Soucek with the set pieces. Anything can happen.

“Like I said before, to win Wimbledon, tennis players say the serve to win is the most difficult. We need to prepare well, focus and try again.”

What next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Sunday, May 19 Sheffield United (A), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

Spurs travel to Bramall Lane to face a bottom-placed side who have conceded 54 goals at home this season. Still, Sheffield United have only lost once at home to Spurs in the Premier League (January 2021), winning three and drawing one.

The reverse fixture in September was a close one, too, with Posetcoglou’s side leaving it late. Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski completed a 2-1 turnaround for Spurs, who were losing 1-0 up until the 97th minute.

What next for Manchester City?

Sunday, May 19 West Ham United (H), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

City face a West Ham side led by David Moyes for the final time. Could they provide an upset?

Former Manchester United manager Moyes has a decent record against City, winning 15 of his 41 games against them (only against Fulham has he won more). West Ham, however, have an awful record away to City in the Premier League: they have lost their last seven games at the Etihad by an aggregate score of 15-4.

Recommended reading

• Everton, 777 and a takeover that still hasn’t happened. So what now?
• The Premier League has a depth of English talent not witnessed for decades
• Football’s 50 most valuable clubs and what it tells us about the global state of the sport

(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)