Manchester City 3-3 Spurs

The report in full...

Despite missing a whole host of first-team players and having lost our last three matches, we matched the reigning champions stride-for-stride and left the Etihad Stadium with a draw as our Swedish forward headed home in the 90^th minute to make it 3-3 – Kulusevski scoring for the third successive game at City’s home ground.

Earlier, Heung-Min Son fired us ahead only to put through his own net, all inside the opening 10 minutes, while the home side took the lead for the first time through Phil Foden and they were in front at the break. But Giovani Lo Celso scored for the second straight game to make it 2-2, only for Jack Grealish to come off the bench and put City back ahead again. We weren’t to be denied though, Kulusevski’s dramatic intervention giving us the point our brave performance deserved.

There were just six minutes on the clock when we went ahead. Guglielmo Vicario saved from Jeremy Doku at his near-post for a corner – and incredibly we scored from their set-piece! The cross was cleared to the edge of the area, Bryan Gil did superbly well to find Kulusevski who hit a cross-field pass for Son. He got the better of Doku and drove into the area before firing past Ederson.

But with their next attack City were level. A free-kick from right was floated in, Son stuck out a leg and the ball deflected off him and into the far corner. Then we gave the ball away in a dangerous area, but Erling Haaland somehow side-footed wide when unmarked eight yards out.

When we had the ball in attacking areas, we looked pretty dangerous but City were dominating possession and chances and went ahead on 31 minutes. Doku had just cracked a shot against the crossbar when they came again, Doku and Julian Alvarez combining inside the area to set up Foden, who tucked home from close range.

The home side kept coming and Alvarez struck the foot of the post, Haaland blazed over from just inside the area and Doku was a constant threat down their left flank but a couple of better final passes in the final third could have yielded better reward for us as we went in just the one goal down at the interval.

Just seconds into the second half, Vicario produced a stunning diving save to tip away Bernardo Silva’s outswinging curler, while we had a sight of goal of our own, Brennan Johnson firing straight at Ederson after a sweeping move from back to front.

As the game went on, we started to see much more of the ball as City appeared to take their foot off the gas, so we made sure we took full advantage. Ben Davies did really well to pinch the ball from Haaland, Son laid it off to Lo Celso who moved the ball onto his left foot and curled a delightful shot past Ederson to make it 2-2 in the 69^th minute.

The game could have gone either way at this stage with both sides creating chances but it was the hosts who grabbed the lead again with nine minutes left. Yves Bissouma was robbed of the ball mid-way inside our own half and City broke, Haaland cutting it back for Grealish to slide into the bottom corner.

But this team has real grit and determination and we responded again in the 90^th minute, Brennan Johnson sending over a wonderful cross and Kulusevski, steaming in at the far post, got up above Nathan Ake to send a header creeping just under the crossbar to send the away fans crazy.

The closing stages were anxious as City pushed everything forward, claiming for all sorts of decisions with VAR even checking for a late penalty after Manuel Akanji went down with Oliver Skipp in attendance, while City were also aggrieved at a late refereeing decision, but ultimately we held out for a wonderful point.

Team news saw us make one change to the team that started against Aston Villa last weekend as Bissouma returned from suspension in place of injured Rodrigo Bentancur, while there was a senior debut for Academy youngster Jamie Donley, who came on in stoppage time as we saw the game out.