Manchester City 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs player ratings from a breathless high-scoring encounter | Premier League 2023-24
Tottenham Hotspur came from behind twice to secure a 3-3 draw against Manchester City in their Premier League encounter on Sunday (December 3). Son Heung-min scored at both ends, with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish also netting for City. Giovani Lo Celso and Dejan Kulusevski were on the scoresheet for the visitors, the latter bagging a 90th minute-equaliser.
Despite Spurs taking an early lead, City dominated the first half, with Ange Postecoglou’s side restricted to sporadic counter-attacks. Son cancelled his sixth minute-opener by scoring an own goal three minutes later, with Foden adding City’s second in the 31st minute. Pep Guardiola’s men could (and should) have scored more but were let down by their finishing and led by just one goal at the break.
The hosts looked likely to extend their lead in the second half, but it was Spurs who equalised through Lo Celso in the 69th minute. Grealish put City back in front in the 81st minute, only for Kulusevski to bring Spurs back on level terms yet again in the 90th.
Although there was intense action at both ends right until the final whistle, the two teams ended up sharing the points. On that note, here are the Spurs' player ratings from an eye-catching game at the Etihad Stadium:
Guglielmo Vicario: 5/10
Vicario made one notable save in each half and played his part in earning Tottenham Hotspur a point. The Italian goalkeeper endured a few nervy moments with his makeshift back four during the game.
Pedro Porro: 5/10
Porro stood up fairly well to the challenge of first Doku and then Grealish, defending capably one-on-one. However, due to Spurs’ high press, he was often caught out of position upfield, having left lots of space in behind for Manchester City’s wingers to exploit.
Emerson Royal: 4/10
Emerson was extremely shaky as a makeshift centre-back, regularly giving the ball away in dangerous positions, especially in the first half. The Brazilian defender improved his performance in the second half and ended up making eight clearances and five recoveries. He was also booked deep into injury time.
Ben Davies: 5/10
Despite the scoreline, Davies dealt with the threat of Haaland fairly well, making five clearances and three recoveries in addition to winning all his duels.
Destiny Udogie: 5/10
Udogie put in a solid shift at left-back, making six clearances and four recoveries in the face of near-constant City pressure. He was booked for a foul on Foden in the first half.
Yves Bissouma: 4/10
Despite making five clearances and three recoveries, Bissouma was guilty of giving the ball away carelessly in the lead-up to City’s third goal.
Giovanni Lo Celso: 7/10
Tottenham Hotspur’s injury crisis has provided Lo Celso an opportunity to establish himself in the first team and the Argentinian has taken full advantage. Playing in midfield, he put Spurs back on level terms briefly with a well-taken goal, his second in as many games.
Lo Celso also maintained a 100% passing accuracy before he was taken off in the 79th minute. Despite the result, he definitely furthered his case for more game time going forward.
Brennan Johnson: 6/10
Despite being on the fringes of the game, Johnson delivered when it mattered, setting up Kulusevski’s late equalizer. The Welshman contributed defensively as well, tracking back when needed.
Dejan Kulusevski: 8/10
Kulusevski was one of Spurs’ greatest attacking threats in the game. The Swede set Son up for the opener before scoring the equaliser in the 90th minute himself. Like most of his fellow attackers, he barely stopped running and was eventually rewarded for his efforts.
He picked up a booking deep into injury time for a tackle on Grealish.
Bryan Gil: 5/10
Gil spent most of the first half pinned back in his half, helping out his defense. The Spaniard got forward on occasion but could not create any chances and was taken off at half-time.
Son Heung-min: 7/10
Son had an eventful outing, bagging a goal, an assist, and an own goal all in the same game. The Spurs skipper was tireless in his running and played a huge part in earning his side a point.
Substitutes:
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 5/10
Hojbjerg added some much-needed steel to Spurs’s midfield in the second half, making his presence known both offensively and defensively.
Oliver Skipp: 5/10
Skipp played the role of defensive shield for the final 20-odd minutes of the game, mopping up in front of his defense.
Richarlison: N.A.
Richarlison barely touched the ball during the few minutes he spent on the pitch.
Jamie Donley: N.A.
Donley was brought on deep in injury time and was not on the pitch long enough to make an impact.