CITY 2 SPURS 2
With the Etihad Stadium bathed in late afternoon sunshine, the champions started their home Premier League campaign against last season’s beaten Champions League finalists.
City started with typical energy and verve, pinning Spurs back and forcing errors with the high press and were unlucky not go ahead on seven minutes after a glorious move – started by Ederson and continued by Bernardo and Kyle Walker – ended with Raheem Sterling’s shot from close range deflected over.
The Blues felt aggrieved on 12 minutes when Rodrigo appeared to be wrestled to the floor as a corner came in, but VAR decided there was nothing doing – TV replays suggested City might have had a case.
It was total domination at that stage and on 20 minutes, the Blues were rewarded when Kevin De Bruyne’s cross found the head of Sterling who put the ball past Hugo Lloris from a difficult angle.
But the lead would last just three minutes as Tottenham made a rare venture out of their half to score with their first shot on target, a low shot from 20 yards past an unsighted Ederson from Erik Lamela.
Whether it was deserved or not is immaterial – but it did feel like a cheap goal to concede.
City resumed full throttle football and deservedly were ahead again on 34 minutes and once again it was the brilliance of De Bruyne who created the goal, fizzing in a low drive for Aguero to sweep past Lloris from close range.
Ilkay Gundogan should have scored a few minutes before the break after De Bruyne – again – picked the German out with a low cross but he struck his shot inches wide.
Spurs’ goal continued to live a charmed life as Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aguero, Bernardo and De Bruyne all went close just after the restart as the Blues resumed near total control.
And yet, despite the being outplayed for long periods, Tottenham were level before the hour as Lucas Moura headed home from a corner just seconds after replacing Harry Winks.
Like a relentless machine, City began again.
And when Gabriel Jesus put the ball in the net deep into injury time, it looked as though justice had been served given the Blues’ dominance.... but VAR had other ideas.
