Solanke scorpion kick delivers sting in the tail for Man City

 Manchester City were stung by a scorpion kick but how fatal will it be for them in the Premier League title race? Rarely does a goal receive such a reaction as the four separate raucous cheers inside the stadium after Dominic Solanke’s superbly improvised strike.

It capped a stunning comeback to earn Tottenham Hotspur a point, deny City and hand Arsenal a huge boost in their hopes of being crowned champions for the first time since 2004.

Arsenal’s advantage, with Aston Villa losing, is six points with 14 games to go. Importantly, despite strengthening again this transfer window, City do not possess that ruthless edge of old.

In fact there is a strange trend that is affecting them and undermining their prospects whih po'ints to a weakness that will infuriate Pep Guardiola: for the 20 minutes after half-time they often switch off, lack intensity and surrender the initiative.

It has happened too many times of late and this was the third league game in a row that they did not have a shot on target in the second half. How weird is that?

It was also the first time in eight years that City failed to win a game by which they led by two or more goals at half-time – a run of 115 matches. They appear to be suffering from a soft underbelly.

There had been a curious debate over whether Tottenham fans would want their team to lose – to damage Arsenal – but that was so much hot air. Do not doubt how much this meant to Spurs.

If they had lost after a horrendous first half, they would have been staring at a grim relegation battle with a mutinous fanbase and toxicity in the air.

And who did Solanke grow up supporting? Well, the first football shirt he was ever given came from his father – a huge Arsenal fan.

In front of watching England manager Thomas Tuchel, Solanke staked his claim for an international recall with a brilliant and courageous second-half centre-forward performance that fully warranted the standing ovation he received with his late substitution.

He was a classic number nine with an acrobatic twist.

Solanke forced the first goal, with his strength and determination, although there was confusion over whether the final touch came from him or Marc Guéhi.

There was also controversy with Guardiola arguing – with some justification – that his defender was fouled as Solanke inadvertently but clearly kicked his opponent’s foot. Guardiola was booked for his protests, claiming if it had been the other way round there would have been a penalty.

But there was no debate about Solanke’s second. Conor Gallagher, another hoping to impress Tuchel and enjoying his best game since joining Spurs, created it. The midfielder simply wanted the ball more, beating Nico González who had just come on and bursting down the right. There was much for Solanke to do and the cross was just behind him. But he improvised wonderfully, adjusting his body, holding off Rodri and flicking the ball high into the goal. Gianluigi Donnarumma got fingertips to it but that was not enough.

Hang it in the Louvre, as they say, and it might just be a defining image of this campaign.

It might also be the goal of the season – reminiscent of Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s scorpion kick for Manchester United against Sunderland 10 years ago and Olivier Giroud’s for Arsenal versus Crystal Palace in 2017.

And those four cheers I alluded to? The first came as the ball hit the net. The second when the goal was confirmed by the VAR – then there were two more, mixed with gasps of disbelief, as replays were shown on the big screens. There could have been a fifth, maybe the loudest of all, across north London.

It had been the ultimate game of two halves. Spurs had gifted City their goals with poor, lax defending and a lack of pressing as first Rayan Cherki and then Antoine Semenyo scored.

Thomas Frank did not disguise his disgust. With so many players out, he had to recall Radu Dragusin, who has not started in more than a year, and Yves Bissouma who he has previously wanted out. His reward? Bissouma lost possession for the first goal, with Dragusin standing off Cherki. Then Dragusin passed straight to Rodri, left a big hole in the centre of defence and Semenyo finished.

The winger was a Spurs target before he joined City and who did he score his last Bournemouth goal against in a last-gasp win in early January? Spurs, of course.

They probably felt cursed and, at that stage, it seemed to be a case of how many City would score.

It felt embarrassing for Spurs. They looked lost as well as beaten and were booed off at half-time. They were depleted and demoralised and it appeared like it was going to get ugly.

But what a change after the break, especially given captain Cristian Romero came off, and credit to under-pressure Frank as he switched to a back four, demanding more aggression. Who would have thought they would score twice and not concede with a central defensive partnership of Dragusin and João Palhinha?

Further forward, Xavi Simons built on the sense that he is finally finding his feet with a brave performance and suddenly Spurs and – who knows, Frank – are in business. This was their best 45 minutes since, well, beating City away at the start of the season.

They could even have completed a league double only for Donnarumma to deny them with two fine saves.

At the end there were no boos. The cheers belonged to the Spurs supporters and the air of resignation hung over City. Unless there is another sting in the tail.

Guardiola rages at the referee...again

Pep Guardiola was left fuming with another refereeing decision as his Manchester City team fell further behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

City manager Guardiola accused referee Robert Jones of “conceding” Tottenham’s first goal – rather than his own team conceding it – and claimed the decision handed momentum to the hosts and contributed to City squandering a two-goal lead.

Guardiola was booked for his angry reaction on the touchline after Dominic Solanke’s first goal was shown on the big screen. The Spurs striker kicked the back of Marc Guéhi’s leg which helped the ball into the net. There was a VAR check, but the goal was cleared on the basis that Solanke played the ball.

The draw means City are now six points behind Arsenal with 14 matches remaining.

“If it’s a central defender to a striker it’s a penalty, right? I’m not a referee,” said Guardiola. “Fascinating in the Premier League. There was an emotional issue for the first goal that the referee conceded to Spurs and, after that, the momentum is difficult to control.”

Guardiola has been left unhappy with referees on a number of occasions this season and criticised debutant official Farai Hallam after City’s victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Asked if he is concerned by the decisions that are being made by referees in City’s games, Guardiola replied: “Nothing changed the opinion I had in the past.”

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank conceded that the decision for Solanke’s first goal may have gone in his favour, but argued his team deserved some good fortune.

“Clear contact from him [Solanke] on it [the ball],” Frank said. “We want a higher threshold. I understand it’s a grey area. The Liverpool goal [in the 2-1 defeat of Spurs in December], [Hugo] Ekitike, was two clear hands in the back of [Cristian] Romero. So I’m very happy it finally dropped for us, which was more than fair.”

Despite blaming the referee for the change of momentum in Tottenham’s favour, Guardiola admitted his City team had an “emotional issue” they failed to overcome after Solanke’s first goal.

Guardiola said: “I would prefer not to have the transitions, but it’s an emotional issue for the first goal that the referees concedes to Spurs and after that the momentum is difficult to control whatever happens here in England.

“We know we cannot control it all the time, of course if it was 0-3 or 0-4, but we have a lot of new players. We have to try to finish the actions a bit better but the game was well played and sometimes with long balls, second balls, sometimes you miss it.”

Guardiola brushed off any suggestion that he may be forced to prioritise other competitions now that City are six points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

He said: “As much as the chance is there, the hope will always be there. It happens. I know that in these types of games, always in the past, there is a way to win and today it didn’t happen.

“We have difficulties for many things, but the players are coming back and I saw an incredibly good spirit with many things. Erling [Haaland] is already in good shape and Nico [González], Bernardo [Silva] and Rodri in the middle give us an incredible physicality and presence that we needed.

“In the last games we were not consistent with the ball and especially without. When you concede a goal, it happens, especially when you cannot control it. That will be our lesson and once again will make us stronger and better, especially for many players in the future.”

Frank hailed the spirit of his Spurs team, who battled back from two goals behind at half-time with Solanke scoring a spectacular second goal with a scorpion kick.

“I’m happy we finally got a point out of a big second half,” said Frank. “It felt like a big point against the best team in the Premier League in the last eight years, a team competing for the title.”

On Solanke’s second goal, he joked: “It was, of course, something we worked on in training, so it went well!”