Dejan Kulusebski praises manager Enze Postecoglou.
Tottenham Hotspur drew 3-3 with Manchester City in the 14th round of the 2023-24 Premier League (PL) at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, at 1:30 a.m. ET on Thursday. With the win, Tottenham (27 points, 8 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses) remained in fifth place.
The matchup between unbeaten City and winless Spurs was one of the most anticipated since the start of the season, but the odds were heavily weighted in favor of City given their recent form. Chris Sutton of the BBC predicted a 4-2 victory for City over Spurs. The Sun’s supercomputer predicted a City win at 66.6%, a draw at 18.8%, and a Tottenham win at 15.1%.
But Tottenham didn’t back down. Captain Son Heung-min scored the first goal of the game in the early hours. City didn’t stand still. After Son’s own goal, Phil Foden equalized the game. The second half was a back-and-forth affair. Tottenham equalized through Giovani Lo Celso, and City hit back with a Jack Grealish goal. Just before the end, a miracle happened. Kulusebski, who had been sharp all game, scored a dramatic equalizer to level the score.
In the end, Tottenham drew with City to end their losing streak. It was a valuable point against the defending champions. Postecoglou was also praised for playing attacking football despite the loss of key players such as James Maddison, Micky van der Penne, and Christian Romero.
Kulusebski praised Postecoglou. “I’m really proud of my team in the second half. We controlled the ball and didn’t let them have it. The game plan is very good. I like Coach Postecoglou a lot. The tactics he uses and the mentality he has, he’s someone you want to be around. I’m really, really, really (really, really) happy to be with him every day, every training, every game,” he said, showing his admiration.
Tottenham are a much different team than they were last season. Postecoglou has transplanted a winning mentality to a club that was hunkered down. Next round, Spurs host West Ham United.