'Angry' Spurs passing test of mettle hints at prosperous future

Home fans almost expected Tottenham to blow a 2-0 lead over Manchester City. The victory could prove cathartic

- David Hytner

It was not so much the old line about it being a bad time to concede, even though it plainly was. It was more the sense of inevitability. Everyone could feel that Manchester City were going to score, to reduce Tottenham's 2-0 lead before the interval in Wednesday's Carabao Cup last-16 tie at Spurs' stadium.

City had shaken their heads clear and from the 35th minute they pushed hard, creating openings. Spurs dropped back. They were increasingly loose. They walked into trouble. The collective "aaah" from the home crowd when four additional minutes were signalled said it all. They wanted the half-time whistle. So did the manager, Ange Postecoglou. We were into the fourth of them when Matheus Nunes scored for 2-1.

Postecoglou shook his head. He had spoken on Tuesday about how his team were "struggling in difficult moments" because they "lack some maturity and leadership". The absence of authority as City got themselves back into the game was stark and alarming. Now it truly was a difficult moment.

Spurs had won seven of their previous nine matches in all competitions and yet the two that got away seemed to have had the greater impact. There was the 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Sunday, the worst performance of the season. And the 3-2 defeat at Brighton at the start of October, when a 2-0 half-time lead was frittered away. As Spurs headed for the dressing room, the prospect of a repeat was real.