Champions League - Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City: 5 Hits and Flops

#3 Flop: Nicolas Otamendi

Otamendi had a mixed night, enduring nervy moments defensively and fortunate not to be booked

Stats can be deceiving. Otamendi completed three tackles, interceptions, won five aerial duels and made seven clearances on a night where Manchester City lost their first match since January 29 away at Newcastle. So why is he a flop here?

The experienced Argentine didn't exactly cover himself in glory and while he was heavily involved defensively, many of his actions were either recovery challenges or reacting to a mistake out of possession.

He struggled to cope with the combination play of Harry Kane and Dele Alli, which at its worst saw the latter leave him for dead after a brilliant pirouette - while he was also lucky not to have been booked for a succession of fouls (3, joint game-high). The fouls themselves were cynical and often needless having lost out in duels, while Otamendi's disciplinary record hasn't improved much since arriving from Valencia in 2016.

It would have seen him miss the return leg in Manchester and with John Stones among the substitutes' bench on this occasion, the Englishman will be quietly hoping Otamendi's nervy display grants him an opportunity to regain his starting berth after injury problems.