Premier League

MANCHESTER CITY 3 (Son 9 og, Foden 31, Grealish 81)
TOTTENHAM 3 (Son 6, Lo Celso 69, Kulusevski 90)

THE 90 minutes were up when a Dejan Kulusevski’s header secured a point for Tottenham at champions Manchester City.

But there was another twist to come in a match which had swung from one goalmouth to the other. After Kulusevski had sunk Spurs’ third, Erling Haaland shrugged off a foul to play Jack Grealish in up the other end.

For reasons not clear, referee Simon Hooper waved play on and then swiftly changed his mind when the advantage saw Grealish in on goal. It meant a classic encounter ended in recriminations instead of the mutual respect such a hard fought six-goal thriller deserved.

Ange Postecoglou has been challenged to get a tune out of the bare bones of a squad with 11 senior players missing. Seats on the first-team coach were taken up by academy players, the bench filled today (Sunday) with two goalkeepers and three teenagers.

In contrast to two previous managers, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, there were no grumbles about poor luck and a poor squad. Postecoglou has got on with it and got the best out of what is in front of him.

Speaking after the 3-3 draw, the Tottenham boss said: “City put pressure on you and haven’t lost too many games here. In the second-half we had more belief in ourselves and the team we want to be.”

Noting those available, Postecoglou added: “I have asked players to play in unfamiliar positions but we have still played decent football.”

Spurs drew first blood on six minutes following a break from a City corner. Bryan Gil did well to get the ball out of the Tottenham box and on to Kulusevski. The winger, shifted into a central role, hit a first-time ball into Heung-Min Son’s path, and the forward had the pace and composure to finish.

But the skipper’s joy turned to despair three minutes later when a City free-kick flew into the mix: Son’s thigh steered the ball past Guglielmo Vicario for an own-goal.

City began to stretch their legs and their football purred. Tottenham’s patchwork team was blowing out their cheeks and not getting near their opponents. In the minutes before Phil Foden gave City the lead on 31, they had torn through Tottenham.

Jeremy Doku was having an enjoyable afternoon, crashing a shot against the bar and post before creating the move that Foden finished.

Spurs clung on until half-time, playing high risk stuff from the back. But cling on they did – and after City’s relentless attacks ran into the same cul-de-sacs as the second-half settled, Tottenham found their feet.

Postecoglou hooked Gil at half-time for the clattering style of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The tactical switch plugged up holes City had previously poured through.

Early on in the second period, Vicario kept the visitors in it with an athletic save to deny Bernardo Silva. It was one of those moments that instilled confidence across the back four. Ben Davies upped his game and would make a vital contribution to Tottenham’s third.

Giovani Lo Celso, in for James Maddison, scored a rocket last week against Aston Villa, and on 69 minutes he stepped up again. Spurs got forward after Davies intercepted, the ball squirted into Lo Celso’s path and he smashed home an unlikely equaliser.

At 2-2, Grealish was introduced and offered City a different gear. He looked like he had won it on 81. Yves Bissouma gave the ball away cheaply, Grealish timed his run and outfoxed Davies to finish.

The Etihad heaved a sigh of relief as the Grealish goal surely meant curtains for pesky opponents. But a couple of breaks via Brennan Johnson on the left gave the away end fresh heart, and that one more chance came via a Johnson cross that Kulusevski met. His powerful header sealed a point in a manner that will send the Spurs spirits soaring after a bumpy November.

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Gvardiol (Ake, 87), Alvarez (Kovacic, 87), Akanji, Silva, Rodri, Foden (Lewis, 72), Doku (Grealish, 52), Haaland
Substitutes not used: Phillips, Stones, Ortega, Gomez, Bobb

Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Royal, Davies Udogie, Bissouma (Richarlison, 87), Lo Celso (Skipp, 77), Johnson (Donley 90+5), Kulusevski, Gil (Hojbjerg, 45) Son
Substitutes not used: Forster, Veliz, Austin, Dorrington, Alonso