With one eye on next Thursday’s Europa League match away to AZ Alkmaar, Postecoglou chose to rest several of his senior players.

With three teenagers in the starting line up plus Odobert who recently turned 20 years of age, Spurs had a very youthful looking starting eleven.

The first half looked like men against boys with City taking an early lead and missing a number of other opportunities.

Spurs looked lack lustre and City much the stronger side.

Doku versus Porro looked a mismatch and proved to be decisive with Haaland converting the only goal of the game from a Doku cross.

After the interval, Spurs upped the tempo and took the game to City. It was a much more spirited performance and deserving of an equaliser.

Chances were created down both flanks.

A couple of player slips notably by Son, wrong options taken including when Kulusevski took the ball off Maddison’s boot along with Lady Luck being against them with the ball just not breaking to a Spurs player contrived to thwart the Lillywhites from drawing level.

The starting front three of Johnson, Tel and Odobert looked weak and so they proved to be.

Johnson for all his goals offers little else to the team. It is early days but at this time, Tel is struggling to come to terms with the demands of the Premier League and would perhaps benefit from a spell of being introduced from the bench on the wing rather than as a number 9.

Given the youngsters in the squad, it was disappointing to see Mikey Moore miss out from even a place on the bench.

Odobert looked bright after being out injured for so long. He has the ability to beat a man and is always looking to make things happen with the capacity to bring the crowd to its feet.

In added time Haaland looked to have doubled the lead but the goal was ruled out by VAR. Spurs went up the other end and should really have levelled the game.

So a seventh home defeat in fourteen home games with just five victories is a very poor return.

It feels the Europa League or bust for this campaign. Spurs must go deep into that tournament to avoid the season fizzling out with eleven Premier League games left to play.

#Coys