Champions League jitters hit City again
Manchester City have been jittery defensively in the Champions League all season for reasons that are a bit bewildering. Pep Guardiola says they are punished more because the teams have more quality, but even if you accept that argument generally it doesn't work when they play an English team.
Aymeric Laporte has been City's best defender for some time and is probably second only to Virgil Van Dijk, yet he chose the worst time to make not one but two serious errors that led to goals. There are only so many times you can keep giving away advantages like that before it comes back to cost you a place in the competition - Fabian Delph's error made the difference in the first leg too - and so it did.
No time to sulk
City can't afford to wallow in their second defeat to Spurs in a row because they have them again at the Etihad on Saturday and failure to get three points could knock them out of another competition.
Guardiola did not back away from calling this a huge week in their season and they've got off to a poor start.
City fans do things their way
Pep Guardiola called on Manchester City fans to stop booing the UEFA anthem after his very first home match at the Etihad. Nearly three years on the understanding his still not quite there, with the manager saying before this game he was curious to see how the fans were and calling on them to prove to him that they wanted to make the semi-finals.
Again before the game, some fans questioned whether they should be still booing before the game but while there were some chants before the game the booing and the whistling could still be heard. Anyone predicting it would send a negative message though as the crowd launched into their cycle of songs to lift the team for the kick-off.
It may not have been exactly what Guardiola wanted or expected, but the supporters brought the noise in their own way.
The Guardiola way
One of the most disappointing aspects of City's exit to Monaco in Guardiola's first season was how tame they were in the second leg after a thrilling first game. There wasn't any danger of that last year as they fully went for it - they had to, mind - to try and get back in it against Liverpool.
Having been criticised for being too cautious at Spurs, this was as blood-and-thunder as it comes and nobody could accuse the Blues of not giving it enough of a go.
If Monaco showed little change from the semi-final defeat to Real Madrid in Manuel Pellegrini's final season, the last two campaigns have at least shown more fight and gusto.
Pep Guardiola sends message to Man City fans after Champions League exit to Tottenham
