Sky Sports Premier League Podcast
VAR drama as Bergwijn’s belter helps Spurs beat 10-man City
02 Feb 2020
Chapter 1: What led to Manchester City's first yellow card in the match?
0-0 when Harry Winks went past Sinchenko, who picked up a second yellow card for that. He was gone. And just two minutes later, Spurs had their first effort on target of the match. And that was from Steven Bergwijn for 1-0. Son making it two, and that was game, set and match to Spurs against City's ten men. Jose Munoz giving his reaction to Jeff Shreves.
Well done. Was that classic Jose, that victory?
No, no, no, no. We had good work. We worked very hard during the week. I'm so pleased for the boys.
Chapter 2: How did Steven Bergwijn score his debut goal for Spurs?
We can look at the perspective of we were a bit lucky in a couple of situations. They hit the post or they missed a good chance. But we can see in the other perspective and say that we were very, very unlucky that the VAR didn't decide for a sterling red card. which is a clear red card.
And from that moment, obviously it's a completely different game if you have to play 75 minutes or something like that against 10 men. So 11 against 11, really difficult, hard, but my boys very well organized, great effort, great discipline. We know how we can score goals. We know how we cannot score goals.
So we were waiting for our chances and then with one player more, I know that they are top quality, I know that one player less is not a big deal for them, the way they move the ball, the way they give dynamic to their game. But in that moment we had our chances to score and we did and very important three points for us.
Why are you so definite that it was a red card for Sterling? Because I see other situations.
I see when the decision is a red card. I see the red card of Son against Chelsea. For me, it's a direct red card.
In the first half, how concerned were you, though, when you were at times really under siege?
But that's Man City.
He's the champion. He's a fantastic team with players technically really, really, really, really good. We don't have the capacity to play with a front man that holds the ball and allows us to come out of the pressure and to keep ball possession. When we recover the ball, we have only one way to get out. And that's not keeping possession of the ball. So against City... They love the ball.
They know better than anyone to know what to do with the ball. So when they have the ball for the majority of the time, it's hard. But I think fantastic performances, great concentration. I think the way Celso and Winks, they control Kevin De Bruyne, the movements that he does in these areas and Lo Celso, the way
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Chapter 3: What impact did the sending off of a City player have on the game?
It's going to be difficult. We are in three competitions. We have a game in two days. If I don't have Dele Alli, I don't have for sure Steven because he cannot play the replay of the FA Cup. We are in trouble. And when we start Champions League and...
and playing every two matches Aston Villa, two days later we get Leipzig, two days later we go to Chelsea, two days later hopefully we have FA Cup, we are going to be in trouble. We have players for positions, it's not a problem when Ben Davies is back, Ben Davies, Tanganga, it's not a problem, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, we have positions where it's not a big deal. But up front is difficult.
So it's going to be difficult. But it was a good weekend because we got two points to Arsenal, to Chelsea, to Leicester, to Wolves. We didn't lose points for Sheffield. It was good for us. Obviously against the champions, still the champions. But fantastic team, even if they're going to lose the title. Thanks, Jose. Thank you.
Well, there you go. Quite the game, wasn't it? And this is how it breaks down statistically. 18 attempts from City to Spurs 3. Remember, their first was with the goal. In fact, their first two shots on target were the two goals they scored. They had three in total.
The expected goals, measuring the quality of the chances, 0.31 to Spurs, 2.83 to City, who also had five times as many touches in the opposition box, and even with ten men for the last half an hour, had 67% of possession. Luckily, we have two men who have been around the block a bit. can try and explain that game of football.
It's your day, it's your day. It certainly wasn't City's day. The thing for me hinges on the standing off. I would say that City were guilty of not taking their opportunities, obviously missing a penalty. But if it's not your day, it's not your day and it certainly wasn't City's day today. The luck was all with Spurs today.
And Jose was right, what he said about Manchester City and their possession and what normally happens. And what normally happens is when they have that amount of possession, the chances that they have, they normally put some of them away. But on days that they don't, you're in the game and there are going to be moments they're going to change that game.
And I agree with Graham, I think the moment that changed the game, I think, was the send-off. But I think you've also got to give the Spurs credit that in a team that we questioned on how they were going to defend, I thought defended well.
First time City have ever felt a scoring back-to-back games under Pep Guardiola. What were you going to add?
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Chapter 4: How did Spurs manage to secure their victory against City?
The red card, then. The first one, first yellow, Pazinchenko came in that melee after the saved penalty. This is the second one. What do you make of the corner, Chris?
Well, it's something that they've tried, and credit to Winks, he's read it. I think what he's done here to attempt, I think... I think he thinks he's going to get away with it. Because it's gone shoulder to shoulder, I think he's going to get away with it. I mean, he thinks he's going to get away with it.
But, of course, the fact that he's already on a yellow... But is it the right decision for a yellow card? It's the right decision for me, absolutely, but I think he thinks he's going to get away with it.
He's saying shoulders. Shoulders is when you're running with someone and you out-muscle them. He's just bashed into them. Naive, stupid. But he has to have a look at himself from the first yellow card, where he runs 50, 60 yards to get involved in something that is not his business. You know, I think it's a penalty, was it? The penalty shot for Sterling. You don't need to get involved in that.
And if you're a defender, the way City play, where they're right up the pitch all the time on the halfway line, teams will break on them. So for defenders to be given away stupid yellow cards for arguing, for pushing someone at a melee, is unacceptable. That's where the problem was. That wasn't the worst foul to give away if you hadn't had a... yellow card previously.
No, you would see it as a good professional foul if it's in the right circumstances.
And how much did that give Spurs then, in that moment, do you think? When they've been defending for so much, really the first day out of the game.
Now, I think it gives them a massive lift, because irrespective... And Jose's right on this one. Manchester City, with 10 men, can be as good as they are with 11 men, particularly as regards possession, because they change their game a little bit. But it does change the dynamics of the game, and it does give you, as the opposition, that have had less possession, it does give you that lift.
And it's what you do with that lift. And they capitalise, and the fact that they scored... So early after that one gave them that additional lift.
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Chapter 5: What were the key moments that turned the game in Spurs' favor?
That's a tackle... What Song did was... The German defender for Chelsea, you're referring to? Rudiger. Rudiger. He might have scratched his ribs with that. That's a possible leg-breaker. I don't think Sterling has been and will ever be that sort of player. I think he's gone for the ball, he's upright. If he had gone to ground and made that challenge, I think it's a straight red card.
But in normal speed, we've seen it slowed down, in normal speed it looks nothing. But that looks bad. That could break your ankle, could break your leg.
I do also think that was the ideal opportunity for Mike Dean to be allowed to look at the monitor. You know, we keep speaking about how many opportunities, how many times we've used it. They used it, of course, at Crystal Palace a few weeks ago. And I do think this was the ideal opportunity for him to do that. And you think you would have seen it differently? Possibly, I don't know.
My feeling is still exactly the same. I think with Sterling's positional, very upright, what we spoke about, the speed of the game, I still think it's a border one, but I still think it's a yellow card. But it's giving the referee the opportunity to make that decision, which is something that everybody's been clamouring for.
Yeah, I think that's the discussion, isn't it?
It's an ideal opportunity for them.
It's not a clear and obvious error, therefore they've got to the right decision in the manner that they have. What about the penalty?
Our first impression was, no, it wasn't a penalty, because we saw the movement of the ball. Having seen it again, it looks like it's... I mean, it's a bad decision to go for the ball, I think, in the first place. But I think it looks like Aguero's the one that gets the touch. So, at this moment,
Guero, I think, gets to touch.
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Chapter 6: What did the analysts say about City's performance despite the loss?
Is that the one where he was managing things?
He's just gone, yeah. It's my day.
But I still think that there's no doubt that rode their luck a little bit and City had good chances. But you can't keep a clean sheet against City without having to defend well as well.
You know I'm a Spurs old boy. I'm trying to be neutral. When did they score the goal? The 70th minute? The first goal, 63. 63 minutes. That's their first shot on target. It happened after a sending off. Listen, you'll take it all day long because you know you love days like that where everything goes against you. You know, you dominate, you have all the chances, and you end up losing.
So, you know, Jose is long enough in the tooth to know that it's happened to him in the past and will happen to him in the future. But I think today, I think even him, I know he's got to see the right things to be positive for public consumption, but I think he will know deep down They've had a very, very good day today.
But would you not think that there are also so many positives that you can take? Particularly the things we spoke about before the game. A very offensive team on paper. The doubts were whether they were going to better keep a clean sheet, defend well. I still think there were some really good positives. Defensively.
Because that's the area of concern that we've talked about for City this season.
Particularly with a two in midfield, we're looking at Selsa and Winks and thinking, how are they going to work together? I haven't seen an awful lot.
I thought they were holding on. I didn't think it did work. I thought they were holding on and it was only a matter of time before City would score a goal. They didn't. And as long as it's nil-nil... You're Spurs, you're believing we might just get something, we might get something. We've all been in that situation.
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Chapter 7: How did Pep Guardiola react to the match outcome?
No, no. In some ways, only... Listen to me. Only because he's got the result. And ultimately, it's the result that matters. Without question, the Spurs rode their luck. And without question... Manchester City had the better opportunities and on an average day for Manchester City they put them chances away. But ultimately it's about a result and how you get a result.
What you've got at the moment is you'll have one extremely happy changing room and one desperately disappointed changing room.
We've seen masterclasses in the past. That wasn't a masterclass. I was in Burnaby when Inter beat Bayern Munich. That was a masterclass. We've all witnessed these masterclasses. That wasn't one today. Chris?
Well, I've certainly been in... Where I've managed, I've certainly been in enough changing rooms where, being the manager, where you've been outplayed, should never have got near getting a result, and in some way, you have got a result. And it's an incredibly good feeling. No, it's not a masterclass. But it's a result that they've got that they'll take all day in front of a magnificent crowd.
And have we seen how good this stadium can be when it comes to life like it did in that last half an hour?
I think we've seen that more so in the Champions League games. But this is a stadium that deserves to have success. And in a strange way, I think almost in the manner of how Spurs have won today, that's lifted this crowd. And I think will mean more to this club and more to this crowd than maybe a different type of result.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of this match for the Premier League standings?
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