Solanke Stuns Manchester City With Scorpion Kick Comeback

Tottenham Hotspur produced a remarkable comeback to draw 2-2 with Manchester City in a Premier League showdown that could have major implications for the title race. On a chilly Sunday evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the hosts clawed back from a two-goal deficit, inspired by Dominic Solanke’s unexpected heroics, to deny City the chance to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal.

Heading into the match, Manchester City trailed Arsenal by seven points after the Gunners' emphatic 4-0 win over Leeds the previous day. Pep Guardiola’s men, sitting in second place with 47 points, desperately needed a win to keep their title hopes alive. Tottenham, meanwhile, were languishing in 14th on 29 points, their season plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Yet, if history had taught City anything, it’s that Spurs often prove a tricky opponent—Tottenham had already beaten City 2-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

The pre-match mood around North London was subdued. Injuries ravaged the Tottenham squad, forcing head coach Thomas Frank to field a patched-up lineup. Micky van de Ven’s fitness was a late concern, while James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall, and Dejan Kulusevski remained sidelined. Richarlison and Pedro Porro were still not ready to return, and five of Spurs’ substitutes had yet to play a minute of Premier League football. Radu Dragusin, back from a long-term ACL injury, made his first start of the season. For City, Jeremy Doku was ruled out after picking up a knock against Galatasaray, and Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Savio were all unavailable.

The confirmed lineups reflected both teams' struggles with injuries. Tottenham started with Vicario in goal; Gray, Romero, Dragusin, and Udogie at the back; Bissouma, Palhinha, and Gallagher in midfield; and Simons, Solanke, and Kolo Muani up front. City countered with Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Silva, Cherki, Semenyo; and Haaland.

The opening half was all City. The visitors pressed high and capitalized on Tottenham’s nerves. Early on, Yves Bissouma was dispossessed in midfield, allowing Erling Haaland to slip in Rayan Cherki, who rifled a shot into the bottom corner. The stadium fell silent. Just before halftime, City pounced again—this time, a poor clearance from Spurs led to Bernardo Silva teeing up Antoine Semenyo, who doubled the visitors’ lead. The home crowd, already on edge, greeted the halftime whistle with a chorus of boos.

"We were well below par in the first half," admitted Thomas Frank after the match. The atmosphere inside the stadium was more apathetic than angry, with fans fearing the worst as City threatened to run riot. Yet, the second half would bring a turnaround nobody saw coming.

Frank made a key tactical change at halftime, bringing on Pape Matar Sarr for captain Cristian Romero—who was suffering from illness—to bolster the midfield and switch to a back four. This allowed Spurs to better match City’s attacking threats and close down spaces in midfield. The change paid off almost immediately.

In the 53rd minute, Tottenham found a lifeline. Xavi Simons, who had been a rare bright spark in the first half, kept probing, and Conor Gallagher broke down the right to deliver a low cross. The ball deflected off Marc Guéhi and was initially credited as an own goal, but after a VAR review, it was rightly awarded to Solanke. The goal reignited the crowd, with Archie Gray grabbing the ball and launching it skyward in celebration. Suddenly, the stadium was alive with chants of "When the Spurs go marching in."

The momentum had shifted. Spurs pressed forward, and City, perhaps feeling the pressure of the title race, began to wobble. Then came the moment of magic. Gallagher once again found space on the right and whipped in a cross. Solanke, slightly ahead of his marker and with the ball behind him, improvised an audacious scorpion kick—flicking the ball with his right heel over a helpless Gianluigi Donnarumma. The crowd erupted, and even neutrals watching at home must have leapt from their seats. "Dom was excellent," Frank said. "We knew before the game it would be a big push for Solanke to play 90 minutes. Fitness-wise, he’s not where he should be because he’s been out for so long. And we’ve been, in a way, forced to play him. He’s important for us. Four goals in four games, with him only being at 70-80 per cent fitness and sharpness."

Solanke’s brace—his first Premier League goals of the season and the second one reminiscent of Olivier Giroud’s Puskas Award-winning effort—brought Spurs level and sent the fans into delirium. The planned 75th-minute walkout protest was forgotten as supporters rallied behind their team. Solanke, unfortunately, was forced off with a knock in the dying moments, but Frank was hopeful his injury was not serious.

City tried to rally for a winner, but Tottenham’s newfound energy and tactical discipline kept them at bay. Guardiola’s side, despite dominating the first half, failed to fashion another clear-cut chance. "We played a really good game in general," Guardiola told BBC Sport. "At 70 minutes, they put more balls in behind and put more players in the middle to attack more directly. They found a goal and after that, they had the momentum. The Premier League is like that. We had our momentum again at the end. It is a setback but we are still there, we move on and move. There are 14 games to go and a lot of points. We will see."

The draw leaves Manchester City six points behind Arsenal with 14 matches left—a significant gap, but not an insurmountable one. For Tottenham, the point could prove vital in their battle to avoid being dragged into the relegation scrap. Frank’s men showed grit, character, and a touch of brilliance when it mattered most, even if their season has been marked by inconsistency and injuries.

Looking ahead, Tottenham travel to Manchester United next Saturday, while City face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday. As the Premier League enters its final third, both teams have everything to play for—be it silverware or survival. One thing’s for sure: after a night like this, neither side will forget the drama at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium any time soon.