Manchester City have drawn 3-3 against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League – and Paul Robinson believes the Jeremy Doku substitution really stung the hosts.
Pep Guardiola’s side have dropped points for the third game in a row, with poor defending once again costing the team.
It was a pulsating game at the Etihad Stadium, with Spurs managing to get back on terms late on through Dejan Kulusevski.
City felt very aggrieved right at the end though, when referee Simon Hooper brought play back when Jack Grealish was through on goal.
He might have gone on to score, and Hooper had initially let play go on, but for some strange reason he ultimately decided to blow up for a foul.
It is the third game in the row City have drawn, and Robinson has pointed to Jeremy Doku going off today as a reason for the struggles…
Paul Robinson says enforced Jeremy Doku substitution really hurt Manchester City
Former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson was speaking on City’s Matchday Live show today, and pointed to Doku going off as a key moment in the game.
His replacement Grealish did get himself a goal. But there is no denying how dangerous the Belgian was when he was on.
Robinson said: “For me the game slowed when Doku went off. The pace that he had, the outlet that he had. Grealish came on and they played in a different way. There was no real pace in the wide areas.
“The substitution of Doku, obviously through injury – it really changed the pace of the game. Instead of having someone on the left who took the ball and his immediate thought was to attack and go forward, Jack often comes inside, turns and brings the ball inside. Against a Spurs team who play that way and close down quickly, it didn’t work. Doku was a lot more effective with his pace.”
Doku injury hurt City
Doku had arguably been City’s best player in the first-half.
Pedro Porro did not look comfortable at all defending against him, and he would have been a relieved man when the Belgian went off.
He was a constant outlet, and City players were always trying to find him.
Grealish came on and life was a little easier for Porro, as the England international was not looking to beat him for sheer pace like Doku was.
Hopefully, the injury Doku has picked up will not turn out to be serious, because he has been electric in recent weeks.
