The depleted north-London outfit should fear no one after battling to a hard-earned point at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday
Ange Postecoglou has defied all expectations in his first six months as Tottenham head coach. He backed himself to succeed where Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho failed, inheriting a confidence-stricken squad that had fallen to eighth in the Premier League, while also dealing with the loss Harry Kane – the club's all-time record goalscorer.
After just 10 games in charge, the Australian had earned the full faith of the Spurs faithful, with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace confirming the club's best start to a season since 1960. Tottenham were five points clear of Manchester City at the time, albeit having played a game more, and were deservedly being touted as dark horses for the title.
"Let them dream. It's what being a football fan is all about," Postecoglou told reporters after the final whistle at Selhurst Park. "It's fair to say that this lot have suffered a fair bit so I'm certainly not going to dampen that. Dreams last as long as they do until someone wakes you up. We'll see."
Unfortunately, that dream was quickly dampened by a 4-1 home defeat against London rivals Chelsea. Spurs played almost the entire second half with nine men after Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie picked up red cards, and in the end, couldn't hold off the Blues.
To compound their misery, summer signings James Maddison and Mickey van de Ven both sustained serious injuries. Five days later, the honeymoon period well and truly ended for Postecoglou as Spurs were beaten 2-1 at Wolves despite entering second-half stoppage-time with a 1-0 lead.
The international break gave Tottenham the chance to regroup, but they fell to a third successive loss at home to Aston Villa on their return to action, in a game that saw Rodrigo Bentancur suffer ankle ligament damage. The wheels had seemingly come off in true 'Spursy' fashion.
But reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated. Tottenham may have let nine points slip away, but that was more down to bad fortune than poor performances, with Postecoglou sticking to his high intensity, attack-minded style of play.
The biggest test came at the weekend, in the backyard of the reigning Premier League champions, and Spurs passed with flying colours. Postecoglou's men were fully deserving of the 3-3 draw after going to-to-toe with City, and might even have snatched the victory had their finishing been slightly better.
As a result, Tottenham went into this current midweek round of fixtures still only five points behind leaders Arsenal, after coming through a period of true adversity. Things won't get any easier during a hectic festive period, but they should still be considered genuine title-contenders.
GettyThrowing caution to the wind
City had only won three of their previous nine meetings with Spurs across all competitions, as the north-London side have been able to boast about being something of a bogey team for Pep Guardiola. Tottenham won five of those games, typically by sitting back in numbers and waiting for chances to counter.
Mourinho and Conte would never have risked playing expansive football against City. They set up to stifle the best attacking team in the country in the hope of at least escaping with a point – but Postecoglou just isn't built that way.
That's not to say that his Spurs side can't adapt depending on the opposition. They certainly did in the first-half at the Etihad Stadium, which saw City pin the visitors in their own-half and almost attempt to walk the ball into the net. Tottenham were so deep that Jeremy Doku almost accomplished exactly that, smashing a shot against the upright after being allowed too much time to advance into penalty area. But there was always a sense that Postecoglou's team had the capacity to shift the momentum of the match at any moment.
Indeed, Spurs managed to open the scoring with their first meaningful attack, which was finished in trademark fashion by Son Heung-min. City levelled when the South Korean put through his net a few minutes later, and Phil Foden finished off a flowing move in the 31st minute that ensured Tottenham went in at the break 2-1 down.
But there was never a single moment that Spurs looked out of the game. Postecoglou knew they could exploit City's alarming lack of pace at the back, with Ruben Dias looking a shadow of his usual self in recent weeks and Josko Gvardiol still finding his feet after his summer move from RB Leipzig, and they did so time and time again.
Even after substitute Jack Grealish put City back in front with less than 10 minutes to go, Tottenham did not allow their heads to drop as they would have in previous years. They kept throwing caution to the wind and got their reward when Dejan Kulusevski leapt to nod Brennan Johnson's cross into the net.
AdvertisementGetty Images'I love Postecoglou's mentality'
Spurs came out for the second half with a more positive approach, and Postecoglou revealed the strong message he delivered to his players at the break in his post-match press conference, stating: "I said to them, whatever fallout there is, I'll take the responsibility. I'm the one that's putting them out there. Let's at least show a little bit more conviction about the kind of team we want to be."
The Australian tactician gave his troops licence to express themselves more freely by taking the pressure off, and it wasn't the first time. Conte and Mourinho are both great managers in their own right, and have far more honours on their respective CVs than Postecoglou, but they hit a brick wall when trying to keep the Spurs squad motivated.
Dressing room divides became inevitable because the players did not buy into their philosophies, but that is not the case with Postecoglou. Everyone believes in what he is trying to do at Spurs, and what's more, they are enjoying every second of the ride.
"I love exactly his [Postecoglu’s] mentality because that’s how I want to live my life,” Kulusevski told reporters after the City draw. “Doesn’t matter who you’re playing against or what you’re doing in life, just go. And if it messes up, it messes up. You did it with your heart. You’re not afraid. You’re trying to win the game, not trying to lose the game. I love the gameplan.
“It’s hard, honestly, because they [City] are one of the best teams in the world and everything was not perfect, but we proved we can play against anybody. The football is there. The coach is there. We have everything at Tottenham. We just have to grow a little bit mentally and we’re going to be at the top.”
Getty ImagesStretching resources to the limit
On the surface, Tottenham's dip in form is typical of the kind of club they've become over the past decade, with one step forward usually followed by two steps back. But the truth of the matter is Postecoglou has been dealt a cruel hand with injuries, and any team in the world would have struggled to keep the ship on course.
Maddison, Van de Ven and Bentancur will all likely be absent until the new year, as will Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon. Spurs have also been forced to make do without Pape Mate Sarr in their last three games, and it not yet known when the Senegalese midfielder will be back on the pitch.
Postecoglou named two goalkeepers on his bench at the Etihad, along with five players who have yet to make their senior debut. Richarlison completed the substitutes, having only just returned to full fitness after undergoing surgery on a groin issue.
Talismanic centre-half Cristian Romero was also absent due to suspension, and so the Spurs manager started with four full-backs in defence for the second consecutive game. It's fair to say that the odds were stacked in City's favour.
And that's what makes the final result even more remarkable. To a man, Tottenham gave everything to get something from the game, and not just by maintaining discipline, but also by staying true to the tactical blueprint that has seen Postecoglou win so many admirers over the past few months.
When the two clubs meet again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 24, there scales might just tip in the opposite direction. A full-strength Spurs side would have a genuine chance of overpowering this version of City, who seem to be suffering something of a hangover from their treble exploits in 2022-23, and a victory at that stage of the season could be vital if they are still in the title picture.
Getty ImagesPep's approval
In the build-up to Sunday's game, Postecoglou received some classy words of praise from Guardiola. "I think he makes football a better place, people like Ange," said the City boss. "I’ve said many times that I am a manager, but at the same time a spectator, and I enjoy a lot the way they (Spurs) play, the approach they have."
Guardiola added on when he first became aware of Postecoglou's qualities as a coach: "Three or four pre-seasons ago we played Yokohama and he was manager, we watched some clips before the games. I said 'wow, there are things I like'."
The Spaniard's respect for Postecoglou will have only increased after their first competitive clash. They were seen embracing at the final whistle and engaging in a light-hearted chat, which spoke volumes. There have been plenty of occasions down the years when Guardiola has been more spiky and brief with his managerial counterparts on the touchline after bad results. But game recognises game, and he won't lose any sleep about being held to a draw by one of Postecoglou's teams.
The Spurs head coach has been accused of copying Guardiola's tactical blueprint by some, mainly because of his use of inverted full-backs, but it's an unfair criticism because most successful managers in the modern game do the same. The truth is, Postecoglou has carved out his own unique lane, and that's why Guardiola singled him out. He recognises that the Premier League has picked up another world-class manager – an innovator who has complete confidence in his own abilities.
Guardiola changed the face of football when he began his coaching career at Barcelona in 2008, before honing his craft at Bayern Munich and turning City into the best team in Europe. Getting his approval is no mean feat, and there is no reason why Postecoglou can't go on and become a truly elite manager in his own right.