Pep Guardiola vowed Manchester City will not give up the Premier League title without a fight after his team failed to get on the scoresheet in a damaging 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Sunday.
Guardiola’s team ran riot in north London courtesy of first half strikes from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo.
But City crumbled after the break.
Dominic Solanke bundled home to pull one back, meeting the ball off with what appeared to be a kick on the back of City defender Marc Guehi’s leg as it crossed the line, but VAR intervened and allowed the goal.
City could not hold out against the stream of Tottenham pressure and Solanke struck a brilliant scorpion kick equaliser from Conor Gallagher’s cross.
Solanke’s nerveless back-flick goal was a body blow for second placed City, who are now six points off leaders Arsenal.
Guardiola was reduced to finding fault with Tottenham’s first goal, when he added: “If a central defender makes it to the striker, it is a penalty.
“The game was fair played and then sometimes you miss long balls and second balls.
“We don’t want to have the transition but it’s an emotional issue for the first goal that we conceded to Spurs and then after that, the momentum is difficult to get control of.
Guardiola was shown a yellow card for his protests and was later seen looking dismayed when the incident was replayed on big screens inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
City have won only one of their past six league games, enabling Arsenal to rally from their own recent slip-up.
The Gunners‘ 4-0 win at Leeds on Saturday indicated they are reaping the rewards, but Guardiola insists City can still be clawed back by Mikel Arteta’s men.
“With 14 games to play? As much as the opportunity is there, the dream is always there,” he said.
“I know these games always in the past, you had to capitalise and win but yeah…now it’s difficult for many things but we have players coming back and I saw good spirit and many other things.
“We have the injuries, one month ago it was a lot with nine or 10 players out but at the same time we are there and all the calendar is what it is.
Spurs’ injury-ravaged team’s dramatic escape act was a much-needed tonic for under-pressure boss Thomas Frank.
The Dane has come under pressure in recent weeks, but seeing his side book a place in the last 16 of the Champions League has lifted them.
With 11 players missing and Solanke and Archie Gray limping at the end, Frank paid tribute to his depleted group’s spirit.
“I’m just so happy we finally earned a point from a monster second half,” he said.
I have said it the whole time, this teams’ response to adversity and having resilience, I believe that we are building on it.”
“And somehow we are building it with, I don’t know, players falling left, right and centre to injury.
“I think that speaks volumes about the team and what they’re developing. Very proud of the players.”