Timo Werner sparks Tottenham’s Carabao Cup win over Manchester City | Carabao Cup

Tottenham had threatened to win at a gallop. Two goals ahead after 25 minutes, the home crowd was almost in disbelief and not just because Timo Werner had scored the first.

Everyone knew that wasn’t how the story would go and then we had the Manchester City game, Matheus Nunes pulling one back before the break and then a concerted attempt by Spurs to seal the deal. They created chances, a good number of them, some crystal clear, and yet they couldn’t take them.

When substitute Richarlison failed to finish from close range on 83 minutes, it felt obvious that City would have the opportunity to save their skins, to salvage a performance that fell short of the levels Pep Guardiola demands.

They got it, the ball falling to 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly after Guglielmo Vicario had flicked on a corner and his shot was on target only to be cleared off the line by substitute Yves Bissouma.

Spurs would get the job done, this was a result to energize their season and one they deserved no matter how much they put their fans through the wringer. City will look elsewhere for silverware.

It was a night where the team sheets were always going to be scrutinized – disproportionately, perhaps – especially after Guardiola’s comments following City’s win over Watford in the previous round. He said he would “play the other team” in this tie; City certainly didn’t want to waste energy. And yet they were strong; six changes, although three of them were John Stones, Nathan Aké and Ilkay Gündogan. Which said plenty.

Postecoglou was never going to start with his best XI, however much a constituency of the Spurs fanbase wanted him to; the people who considered this game more important than Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa. Postecoglou does not see it that way. He left out Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie at the start, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison too. Nevertheless, it could hardly be described as a weakened lineup.

Udogie was on for 13 minutes for Micky Van de Ven, who started at left back. Van de Ven hurt his hamstring as he stretched out to win a sliding tackle on Savinho and left in visible distress. Still, Spurs were a goal to the good at that point and it was a lead their committed and quick start deserved.

Brennan Johnson provided the spark with a lovely backhand pass that sent Dejan Kulusevski down the right, City exposed, and the low cross to Werner at the far post was always on target. Could he perform it? Absolutely. Werner got there before Rico Lewis and opened his body for the side foot finish.

Guardiola had opened up with Phil Foden in the No.9 role, James McAtee working from him, and it was strange to see City so disjointed in the early stages, struggling to collect their passes. Gündogan missed one for Stones on the edge of the City box and he was lucky that Werner shot straight at Stefan Ortega.

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It was nosebleed territory for Spurs midway through the first half as Sarr made it 2-0. Kulusevski worked a short corner with Werner and Sarr launched his long-range curler well outside the near post. To Ortega’s surprise, the midfielder was able to bring the ball back into it at the last minute.

At which point the Spurs stopped doing what they had previously done, sink back and make mistakes. City began to dig their footing. They created chances, Nunes almost found his feet after outlasting Archie Gray; Foden then volleyed straight high after another Nunes ball.

There were groans from the home crowd when four minutes of stoppage time was signalled. Foden had just lifted a free kick from goal after an Udogie error. It was as if they knew what was coming. It did so as Savinho beat Udogie across and Nunes was all alone at the far post to finish. Play on.

Postecoglou could be seen shaking his head as Nunes celebrated. He knew what was coming. He was also aware of the need for his team to bring more energy at the start of the second period, which they did. Spurs got in behind City’s high last line on a fistful of occasions before the hour mark and yet they could not finish.

The southern stand had shouted in the first half that “Timo Werner scores when he wants.” They know it’s not true. Werner wasted a one-on-one with Ortega and waved another chance high. Johnson had extended Ortega and the keeper would also throw out a hand to thwart Kulusevksi as he ran clear up the inside right.

Spurs suffered another injury blow as Cristian Romero was forced off, while City lost Savinho, taken off on a stretcher after an awkward fall. On came the 19-year-old Jacob Wright.

Spurs would lose Werner to a groin strain and had to deal with the knowledge that they should have been out of sight; one glimpse from City could ruin it all. Wright almost delivered. He took a confident touch on the edge of the area and bent his shot inches past the post.