Drama

Pep Guardiola’s side had been two goals to the good at half-time.

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Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Manchester City

A RIP-ROARING second half from Tottenham saw them fight back from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City and boost fierce rivals Arsenal’s title bid.

City looked set to cruise to another victory after first-half goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo put Pep Guardiola’s men in control.

Spurs had been booed off at half-time, but a controversial 53rd-minute own-goal by Marc Guehi gave Thomas Frank’s misfiring team a lifeline before Dominic Solanke’s sensational back heel levelled the scores after 73 minutes.

There was still time for either team to find a winner, but the spoils were shared and Manchester City are now six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

It was a timely comeback for under-fire Frank, who has struggled to win over the Spurs fanbase and although this made it only two wins in 15 league fixtures, it prevented another defeat at home.

Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring the equaliser. Bradley Collyer / PA Bradley Collyer / PA / PA

Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Leeds on Saturday increased the pressure on City, but they faced a depleted Tottenham with 11 players absent, including central defender Micky van de Ven.

It meant Radu Dragusin was handed a first start in 12 months following his recovery from a serious knee injury and within 11 minutes the home side were behind.

Not long after Semenyo had tested Guglielmo Vicario, City won the ball back from Yves Bissouma and within seconds Erling Haaland had released Cherki, who worked a yard of space on Dragusin and rifled into the bottom corner.

It was too simple from a Spurs point of view, but the dream start for Guardiola’s men and they could have made it 2-0 seven minutes later only for Haaland to lob the ball over the crossbar.

Home fans were already restless when Cherki’s twinkle-toes got him into the area and past a hapless Dragusin tackle, but his firm 23rd-minute effort was brilliantly tipped wide by Vicario even though a goal-kick was awarded.

Frank’s team did finally show some attacking intent when Solanke teed up Xavi Simons but his shot was blocked, and yet a minute before half-time City made it 2-0.

Dragusin’s chipped pass was intercepted by Rodri, who picked out Bernardo Silva and he teed up Semenyo to curl home.

Rayan Cherki celebrates scoring City’s first goal. Bradley Collyer / PA Bradley Collyer / PA / PA

Boos followed at the break and Frank was now without captain Cristian Romero with Pape Sarr introduced, but in a 4-2-3-1 system, Tottenham improved.

Conor Gallagher fired over before Destiny Udogie was superbly thwarted by fellow Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma.

A Spurs goal was coming and it arrived in controversial circumstances in the 53rd minute when Simons produced a wonderful pass into Solanke, who turned Abdukodir Khusanov and kicked through the back of Guehi’s leg to make it 2-1.

VAR checked for offside and a foul, but Guehi’s own-goal stood and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was alive as Guardiola received a booking from referee Robert Jones.

Frank sensed the momentum with attackers Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel introduced in the 68th minute and three minutes later Solanke caused the stadium to erupt.

Gallagher burst forward down the right and crossed into the penalty area where Solanke produced a sensational back heel finish over the scrambling Donnarumma to make it 2-2.

It was all Spurs now as Simons played in Odobert, but Donnarumma made a vital save before Simons let fly and forced a sprawling save from the City goalkeeper.

Second-placed City did up the ante late on, with Tijjani Reijnders squandering two chances before Tottenham substitute Sarr thwarted efforts by Guehi and Haaland to ensure the points were shared.