Analysis: Tottenham

Tottenham set up in a loose 4-3-3, with Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko as the midfielders, but each tasked with very different roles within the unit. Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela and Harry Kane comprised the front line.

Dier would regularly drop into a false centre-back or false full-back position to push Kieran Trippier and/or Ben Davies further up the pitch to provide attacking width. Dembele would act as more of an anchor in midfield – in a position to link play between defence and midfield, and to add immediate security in front of the defence should possession be lost. Sissoko was more of an attacking option who would regularly position himself high up in the right half-space. The Frenchman offered dynamism on the counter-attack and a good threat to win first and second balls when playing direct.

The long ball was a common feature for a Spurs team that struggled to evade City’s high press. The introduction of Harry Winks and Dele Alli midway through the second half made playing through midfield a more plausible strategy; before that, however, the hosts tended to play long.

When they did manage to play out, the movement ahead of the ball was limited both individually and collectively – and this only contributed to their lack of creation. Spurs could have improved their recording of just one shot on target over the 90 minutes, had their end product and decision-making in the final third been of a higher standard. Overall, the hosts were inconsistent in possession and struggled to create chances through quality build-up play, instead feeding off individual Manchester City mistakes and counter-attacks.

Out of possession, Tottenham switched between a 4-4-2/4-1-4-1 high press and a 4-4-2 mid-block. When pressing in a 4-4-2, Lamela would play on the highest line with Kane; when pressing in a 4-4-1-1, the Argentine would drop slightly deeper to affect Fernandinho. Lucas Moura would tuck into the left side of the midfield line of four, with Sissoko on the right and Dembele and Dier in the centre.

Spurs would look to press City aggressively and force them into longer passes, although this left the space behind the back line vulnerable. In the second half, they were much more compact and more difficult to break down – but the damage was done early and they were unable to prevent the visitors condemning them to a third Premier League defeat of the season.