Ruben Dias charged after the ball, determined to get there ahead of anyone else. He succeeded by some distance, and managed to turn the next play from a Tottenham corner into a Tottenham throw.
Except he hadn't, because the linesman signalled for a goal kick that had looked pretty obvious from the second it had pinged off Mohammed Kudus. Dias had wasted a run, and City looked as out of control of the football match since they had conceded the first goal.
Pep Guardiola said this week that his team need to know when to run if they are to become a 'pain in the ass' for opponents again, but City were the only team wincing on Saturday.
The manager has also called the Club World Cup defeat to Al Hilal a useful lesson for his new players as they acclimatised to his team. They clearly have a wa