LONDON // If Manchester City fans were disappointed with Manuel Pellegrini’s confirmation on Friday that David Silva would miss the trip to Tottenham Hotspur with a calf problem, they could at least console themselves with the news that Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart were fit to return from their own injury lay-offs.
Neither man was involved in Tuesday’s victory over Sunderland in the League Cup, with Kompany also missing the from the 2-1 defeat against West Ham United last weekend, the first time City had been beaten in the Premier League this term.
Pellegrini’s diagnoses just 24 hours before kick-off at White Hart Lane proved inaccurate: Hart began the game as a substitute while Kompany was forced to withdraw from the squad and was replaced on the bench by youngster George Evans.
The pair’s absence represented an opportunity for Willy Caballero in goal and Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demichelis in the heart of the back line, the trio who played in the comfortable win over Sunderland.
Against rather stiffer opposition in North London, defensive frailties cost City as they lost their third game in four in all competitions, allowing Manchester United to jump over them at the top of the table.
This was a defeat that never looked like happening in the first 40 minutes. City deservedly took the lead through Kevin de Bruyne midway through the first half and appeared in control.
Tottenham, instructed to get the ball forward quickly by an animated Mauricio Pochettino on the touchline, failed to find any sort of rhythm and were second best in almost every department.
A glimmer of hope for the home crowd was the shakiness of Demichelis and Otamendi. They looked nervous on the ball and almost let Harry Kane in on more than one occasion. An air kick from Otamendi was the most notable example of a handful of unforced errors; had Tottenham been sharper in attacking areas, they could easily have capitalised.
Without Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala – faster and more mobile centre-backs – City’s back line was forced to push deeper than usual, leading to larger gaps between the lines that Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen attempted to exploit.
There was a stroke of luck in the manner in which Tottenham got back into the game, with Kyle Walker clearly offside in the build-up to Eric Dier’s well-struck equaliser. Title contenders, however, simply have to respond far better to situations like this, with City’s second-half collapse no doubt extremely worrying for Pellegrini and the club’s supporters.
The issues at the back continued after the interval, with Caballero at fault for Toby Alderweireld’s headed goal that edged the hosts in front. The defending left a lot to be desired for Harry Kane and Eric Lamela’s strikes, too, with the England striker left free to tuck home a rebound and Lamela afforded the time to round Caballero before eventually picking his spot to put Tottenham 4-1 ahead.
There has been little doubting City’s talent over the last three or four years. Even in 2012/13 and 2014/15, two limp attempts at defending the Premier League crown they had won the year previous – they played some excellent football at times, crushing lesser teams.
A recurring question, though, is the character of the side and their ability to respond to setbacks. With stalwarts Hart and Kompany missing, City fell apart, failing to show the sort of resolve all champions require.
The sparkling football of August seems a world away now. Saturday’s defeat, to an admittedly much-improved Tottenham outfit, will have done little to quell the doubts about whether, no matter how gifted, this City team have the stomach for the fight.
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