Daniel Taylor at Maine Road
The Guardian
Of all the sides in English football, perhaps only Manchester City are capable of concocting a match as upside-down and eccentric as this. Experienced City-watchers have long grown accustomed to nights of bewilderment at Maine Road but, even by their own standards, there was something remarkably perplexing about their embarrassment last night.
City played with such menace in the first 30 minutes, taking the lead through Steve Howey's header, it was difficult to imagine a better period of play in Kevin Keegan's tenure at the club.
Yet, seemingly in control, City then capitulated once Chris Perry had equalised before half-time. Simon Davies and the substitute Gus Poyet both scored in a bemusing second period for a Tottenham side whose night was soured only by Christian Ziege's sending off late on and by Ali Benarbia's late goal.
It is hard to fault Keegan's abhorrence of mediocrity - he used his programme notes to regurgitate his dubious claim they will finish in the top six - but there have been times this season when City have been trying to scale new peaks without the appropriate equipment.
Unless Keegan wisely spends the £7m available for reinforcements they will continue to live in a world of optimism rather than realism. A couple of specialist full-backs and a dominant midfielder would do, for a start.