It was a narrow defeat for Tottenham against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon (Saturday) as Phil Foden's early goal gave the hosts all three points.
But former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness admits that Tottenham proved him wrong in the defeat, which came just three days after Spurs knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League in midweek.
And the former Scotland international, who was speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports, said that in his opinion Tottenham were "very good" on the day.
“They [Manchester City] ground it out. I think you have to say that Tottenham turned up, I thought they were very good today and threatening on the break," Souness said.
"When you score a goal so early you think it’s exactly what they want, it will settle them down and get them going, but it didn’t. Beyond that, it was more like Tottenham were going to score on the break."
Tottenham fans slam Man City's Kyle Walker for latest transfer comments
Souness admitted that it was vital for Manchester City that they won the game as Pep Guardiola's men moved back above Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
And he said that while Guardiola's side were not at their best against Spurs, the points were all that mattered for the hosts.
“They’ll take that, they’ve entertained us enough with their slick, smooth passing," he said.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola makes top four prediction that Tottenham fans will love
"We’re into the last four or five games of the season and it’s just about getting points. They did that today but it was tough, it wasn’t an easy game. I thought Tottenham would be rolled over today and I got that wrong, they turned up today.”
Keep up to date with the latest Tottenham Hotspur news, features and exclusives from football.london via our free WhatsApp service .
Text NEWS to 07776197989 and then add the number to your phone contacts book as spurs dot london (case sensitive, with spaces) to receive daily updates and breaking news from Alasdair Gold and the team on Spurs.
Your phone number won't be shared with any other members of the group. Click here for more information on the service.
