Spurs will undoubtedly have been the happier team after their draw with Manchester City on Saturday. The 2-2 result may have brought an end to Spurs’ winning streak and been a marked improvement on some of City’s recent performances, but the pattern of the match meant that Mauricio Pochettino’s side will have been chuffed at the end of the game.

Pep Guardiola’s side impressed for periods of the game. Having been in such a strong position to notch a vital victory, Manchester City failed to take advantage of the situation. Spurs deserve credit for fighting back, of course, yet it was the shortcomings of Pep Guardiola's side that loomed largest over the post-match analysis. A season that seemed destined for a genuine title push has diminished into something altogether less impressive, with top four football now looking the very best they can hope for.

If City had forced victory, the situation may be different, naturally. Unfortunately for them, though, they continue to be unable to prove their doubters wrong. Each time criticism comes their way, they find a way to prove it right, or so it seems. While the improvement in their team display suggests the odd shoot of recovery may be surfacing, it is too late to really turn their season around, at least domestically.

Spurs were far from their best at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but a draw away at their top six rivals will seldom be a bad result. Dramatic victory for Arsenal saw the Lilywhites drop to third in the table, yet they still look the side most likely to challenge Chelsea deep into the second half of the campaign. They, unlike City, seem to have found the sort of resilience that teams need if they are to push for a Premier League title.

Although only separated by three points after the draw, the whole atmosphere around the two teams is markedly different. Spurs’ winter run of form, led by the goal scoring brilliance of Dele Alli, has seen them topple Chelsea and thrash West Brom. Manchester City, meanwhile, cannot begin to show the sort of consistency that would allow them to drive towards the top of the table. Claudio Bravo’s struggles have attracted the most headlines, but the indifferent displays of too many City stars have blighted their season.

Spurs, as it currently stands, look set to exceed the expectations many would have had of them at the start of the season. They remain Chelsea’s greatest threat. Guardiola’s team, on the other hand, were the favourites to lift the title at the start of the season. Partly down to years of poor transfer dealings, partly down to the time taken for Guardiola’s tactics to embed, though, they are at severe risk of missing out on the top four. For their brilliance against Manchester United and Barcelona earlier this season, the 2014 Premier League champions have looked the weakest of the top four sides over the last couple of months.

Saturday’s match may have seen Spurs fortunate to nick a point, but it should not paper over the differences between the two at this point of the season.

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