“If you do that…” – Postecoglou pinpoints what Tottenham did that cost them v Man City | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a frustrating 1-0 defeat against Manchester City in North Stadium, with Erling Haaland’s early strike proving the difference.

Despite a spirited second-half fightback, Spurs could not breach Man City, leaving manager Ange Postecoglou lamenting the key mistakes that cost his side.

City started the game dominantly, putting Tottenham under immense pressure. The visitors capitalised in the 12th minute when Haaland converted from close range, punishing Spurs for their sluggish start.

Wingers Jeremy Doku and Savinho ran riot in the first half, causing Spurs problems. Tottenham struggled to create meaningful chances until just before half-time when defender Kevin Danso’s header forced Ederson into action.

The second half saw a drastic shift in momentum, with Spurs emerging with renewed intensity. Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel came close to equalising, with Tel squandering a golden opportunity when one-on-one with Ederson.

Desperate to turn the tide, Postecoglou introduced Tottenham stalwart Heung-min Son, wing wizard Dejan Kulusevski, and full-back Djed Spence from the bench.

The trio injected energy into Tottenham’s attack, and Son nearly salvaged a point late on, but City held firm to secure the win.

After the match, Postecoglou reflected on his team’s performance, pinpointing where exactly Tottenham lost the game.

The Spurs boss said (via the BBC): “First half, we had to hang in there, created a couple of chances, but we were wasteful with the ball. Second half, we dominated in all areas but missed a goal to get something out of the game.

“We always knew we would finish strong, we always do, but in the first half, we turned the ball over too many times. If you do that against City, you allow them to get into a rhythm,” he explained.

“Some cleaner final third entries, and we could have had more chances. When you turn the ball over like we did in the first half, you allow them to hit those spaces.”

Spurs will now look to regroup ahead of their trip to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League before welcoming Bournemouth to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for their Premier League clash. The boys need to bounce back from this setback.

The Europa League is the last chance to salvage something from this season and Postecoglou will be determined to seal a win over the Dutch side.