Manchester City 3-3 Tottenham: Dejan Kulusevski snatches point for Spurs in classic as Pep Guardiola’s side stumble

Tottenham ended their losing run at the Etihad as a dramatic late header from Dejan Kulusevski secured a point in a frenetic 3-3 draw at the Etihad.

Kulusevski’s header salvaged a point after it looked like Spurs had thrown the game away. Minutes earlier, a mistake by Yves Bissouma had led to a goal by Jack Grealish that looked certain to hand victory to the home side.

The visitors were depleted by injuries but uncompromising in sticking to Ange Postecoglou’s aggressive, front-foot style. They took the lead through a nicely worked goal on the break from Son Heung-min in the first half, but defensive problems soon followed.

City missed a number of chances in the first half, with Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez hitting the woodwork and Erling Haaland blasting wide with the goal agape, but went into the break in front. An own goal from Son within two minutes of his opening goal levelled the game up before City worked an intricate move for Phil Foden to put them ahead.

In the second half Tottenham fought their way back into the game and deservedly pulled level through Giovanni Lo Celso. The two late goals followed and there was controversy in injury time, when Grealish appeared to be through on goal but the game was stopped for an earlier foul on Haaland.

That’s certainly one way to end a losing streak. Prior to this afternoon Spurs had lost three matches on the spin, and had slipped from first to sixth in the Premier League table. When Jack Grealish put City 3-2 ahead with little time left, a fourth looked inevitable.

Just as they had done all day though, Spurs kept the faith, kept playing through City and kept working their way through on the left. Kulusevski’s late header earned a deserved draw, as a Spurs team depleted by injury took the game to the European champions.

Postecoglou has always said that his team has to stick to the plan, and he’ll take the blame when it doesn’t work. His style was vindicated in the first three months of the season and was again today. Sometimes there are heart-in-mouth moments, and they will give goals away playing like this; but if Postecolgou’s improvement of Tottenham continues, they might redefine the term ‘Spursy’ to something completely different.

He performed two different roles in this match and did them both brilliantly. In the first half he was the James Maddison stand-in behind the front three, and set up Son’s opener; when he switched to the left in the second he was a constant threat, and his late header – via his shoulder – capped an excellent performance.

Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 7, Akanji 6, Dias 6, Gvardiol 6; Rodri 6, Bernardo Silva 7, Foden 7; Doku 6, Alvarez 7, Haaland 5. Subs: Ake 6, Kovacic 6, Grealish 7, Lewis 7

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario 7; Porro 6, Emerson Royal 6, Davies 6, Udogie 7; Bissouma 5, Lo Celso 7, Kulusevski 8; Johnson 7, Son 7, Gil 5. Subs: Skipp 6, Hojbjerg 6, Donley 6, Richarlison 6

6’ GOAL! Man City 0-1 Tottenham (Son): Wow! Spurs clear the corner and Gil finds Kulusevski, who bangs one right over the top for Son. Doku has tracked him but Son gets his head to the ball to surge into the City area, and his angled drive goes through Ederson to give Spurs the lead!

9’ GOAL! Man City 1-1 Tottenham (Son og): Oh my, it’s level immediately. City win a free kick on the right of the area. Alvarez whips it in, Haaland gets a flick on it and the ball hits Son’s thigh and flies into the far corner. What a start here!

31’ GOAL! Man City 2-1 Tottenham (Foden): It’s a computer game goal from City! Doku slides a cute pass through to Alvareaz on the edge of the six yard box. Alvarez has a touch, spins and squares to Foden, who places the ball in from close range.

69’ GOAL! Man City 2-2 Tottenham (Lo Celso): It’s been coming, and Spurs are level! Davies wins a header in the centre circle and it flies to Son, who lays it off to Lo Celso outside the area. Lo Celso cuts across the D as Son makes a decoy run, and curls a delicious 20-yarder in off the post!

81’ GOAL! Man City 3-2 Tottenham (Grealish): Oh what a disaster for Bissouma. He overlpays with the ball in midfield and gives it away cheaply to Rodri. City work it to Haaland on the right of the area, who cuts it across to Grealish to slide it home from ten yards out.

90’ GOAL! Man City 3-3 Tottenham (Kulusevski): Oh my oh my, we’re level! Spurs push forward down the left once more. Johnson goes past Walker down the right, and floats a ball into the middle. Kulusevski rises above Ake, and his header clips in off the underside of the bar!