City's best not good enough for Pep as Spurs show mettle

City's failures in both boxes were apparent again as they could not put a Spurs side away despite dominating most of the game.

Pep Guardiola might well prefer games like this – against proper footballing teams – when the application of his intended tactics and not the physicality of the battle tip the odds in his Manchester City team’s favour.

On occasions this season City have got results their performance might not have deserved and that kind of game does not please the manager. This was the opposite, not that Pep will find solace in any praise right now.

City were 2-0 up and cruising; clear daylight was between them and Tottenham but they could not get the job done. It is mystifying that they did not win. There were clear-cut chances, there was an offside goal for debutant Gabriel Jesus, there were penalty shouts and plenty more besides.

Guardiola has lamented City’s failures “in both boxes” all season long and for long spells here it looked like that issue was behind them.  Their ability to keep the ball from Tottenham’s danger men – and creation and converting of two chances – gave them the lead their play deserved. Then the curse struck quick as lightning. Twice. Boom. Dele  Alli. Boom. Son Heung-min. Back to square one.

The result won’t help City move on from last week’s shellacking at Everton but they should nonetheless be encouraged by how they played.