Dan Burn has admitted that he was impressed with the way Tottenham pressed Manchester City, remarking that the Premier League champions are not used to teams doing that to them at home.
Ange Postecoglou made it clear before the trip to the Etihad Stadium that even though his side were coming off three straight losses and missing a lot of key players, he was not going to change their approach.
The Australian stayed true to his word but for much of the first half, it seemed like the game plan was working against Spurs, who kept giving the ball away in their own third.
However, the away side stuck with their game plan and showed a lot more conviction in the second half, getting plenty of joy going forward.
In the end, one can argue that Tottenham deserved a point, given the bravery they showed in the second period, with the City players looking quite rattled at times.
Even Dan Burn was impressed by Spurs this week
Burn opined that Pep Guardiola’s men looked uncomfortable with the way the likes of Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski were pressing them.
The Newcastle centre-back told BBC’s The Monday Night Club: “I feel as well like when they [Man City] are dominating teams that just builds confidence for them as well.
“They are so used to being in a position where they have the biggest share of possession and are constantly pinning teams back. But you don’t often make them uncomfortable. So yesterday against Tottenham, sometimes they looked uncomfortable.
“Son was triple pressing people, Kulusevski was going after people. It’s not something that they are really accustomed to doing, especially at home. City is a big pitch and to go there and go and all out press successfully is tough.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Burn’s point is a very interesting one as it does seem like many teams over the last few years are beaten by City even before the match starts.
Teams go into games against Pep Guardiola’s men knowing that they would have to defend for their lives and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way.
A few teams, including Spurs, have shown this season that the Premier League champions are susceptible if you go at them and try to force mistakes.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
