Gary Neville has praised the courage of Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham following their 3-3 draw in the Premier League against Manchester City. Dejan Kulusevski’s last-gasp equaliser saw Spurs take home a deserved point for the second half efforts at Etihad Stadium despite being blown away by the reigning champions in the first period.
Son Heung-min had given Spurs the lead after just six minutes only to then inadvertently direct a Man City free-kick into his own net moments later. With Man City then in control, Erling Haaland missed two glorious chances before a flowing move was finished off by Phil Foden.
Giovani Lo Celso scored his second goal in as many games to level the match with Jack Grealish then believing he had swept home the winner only for Kulusevski’s shoulder to deny him and Man City all three points. Following the chaotic game, Neville was asked for his verdict and he unleashed a lengthy answer on the admiration he has for Spurs and the excitement he feels watching their games.
“The same place probably,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast when asked where he stands between admiring Spurs and thinking their genius turns into madness. “For so much of the game against Aston Villa they could’ve been three or four up in the first 20 minutes. Today I thought they could’ve been 5-1 down at half-time.
“Haaland has missed two absolute sitters in the first half. There is an element of madness, but also an element of brilliance about how Spurs play. Ange Postecoglou has only had a very limited amount of time with these players and actually he’s got five or six of his best players missing that would be playing, so to have them playing like that just a few months shows courage.
“One thing I can never question about this Spurs team is their courage to play and sometimes it goes into madness where you’re angry, like with Bissouma when he turns into three players 15 yards outside his own area and I suppose that is the risk.
“I criticise them but then I’ve been bored by Spurs over the last few years, playing rigid and boring football that’s been far from exciting and I have to say what I’m watching at the moment I really like. Pep Guardiola said this game would be a lot of fun and they are funny Spurs because of how they play and what they bring to a game, so well done to the manager and the players and well done to keep going in a situation where many of us would have criticised them heavily if they’d have got done 4-1, 5-1 today and called them naive.
“They’ll drive you nuts in some games but in others you’ll think they’re the best team to watch in the league and you want a Spurs game every single week because it is exciting. That is just how I feel at the moment. I’m doing the game next week against Newcastle and I’m already looking forward to it because it will be brilliant but what I would say is I think they will settle.”