There are two ways to play against Manchester City. You can press high up the pitch, as Liverpool and Lyon have with some success over the past two seasons, and try to force their defenders actually to defend, or you can sit deep, look to absorb pressure and hit them on the break. Jürgen Klopp may have dismissed the bunker mentality as being akin to looking to win the lottery, attempting to restrict the number and quality of the chances City have but essentially accepting they will have some and hoping they will miss – but it worked for Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Wolves. Pressing probably is the best way of disrupting City’s flow, but it is an approach fraught with risk: when it went wrong for Liverpool last season, they lost 5-0. Huddersfield pressed hard at the Etihad last May and were rewarded with a 0-0 draw; when they tried the same again in August they lost 6-1.
Continue reading...Spurs’ errors may damage hopes of breaking down Manchester City | Jonathan Wilson
Inherent sloppiness at crucial moments threatens to damage whatever tactics Mauricio Pochettino uses in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg