Dominic Solanke’s scorpion kick dealt a blow to Manchester City’s Premier League title chase as Tottenham Hotspur fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s side looked in complete control in north London after first-half goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo put City firmly on course for victory.
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However, Solanke sparked the comeback after the break by pulling one back before producing a moment of magic to level the scores, with an audacious acrobatic finish that will rank among the goals of the season.
The strike evoked memories of Olivier Giroud’s famous scorpion kick for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in 2017.
Ironically, it was Spurs’ fierce north London rivals Arsenal who benefited most from Solanke’s brilliance. Arsenal’s emphatic 4-0 win over Leeds on Saturday had already piled pressure on City, and this slip left Guardiola’s side six points adrift of the leaders with little room for error.
Tottenham’s resilience also offered encouragement for head coach Thomas Frank, whose position had come under scrutiny despite guiding Spurs into the Champions League last 16 with a midweek win at Eintracht Frankfurt. This gritty response was another timely boost for the under-fire Dane.
For Man City, consecutive 2-0 wins over Wolves and Galatasaray had done little to disguise underlying issues, and another uneven performance highlighted how far they have slipped from the dominant side that won six titles in seven seasons before last term.
The draw leaves Man City six points behind Arsenal as the Premier League title chase intensifies.
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