Jamie Carragher blames former Liverpool coach for Man City’s defensive collapse vs Spurs

Carragher pointed to Marc Guehi as the first defender caught between decisions, arguing that his hesitation triggered a chain reaction.

“Marc Guehi was in a position where he could just go with the run. He doesn’t need to play offside,” Carragher continued. “But as soon as he lets the attacking player for Tottenham go, there’s a knock-on effect.

“So, you see Guehi, [Abdukodir] Khusanov, [Nico] O’Reilly, and the guy at the back post, [Rayan] Ait-Nouri, all go after one another.

“All they’ve gained is probably six inches in terms of going forward and trying to play someone offside. There’s absolutely no danger.”

Carragher was also keen to defend Ait-Nouri, who was criticised by some for playing Solanke onside.

“People will say he played them on. What is he supposed to do?” Carragher added. “How does he know at that split second those players are going to do that?”

How Pep Lijnders is influencing Manchester City’s defensive approach

Carragher’s analysis went beyond the individual error, linking the issue to City’s overall defensive setup.

He drew parallels with patterns he had seen before at Liverpool, as Pep Lijnders was Jurgen Klopp’s long-time assistant and is now part of City’s coaching staff.

Carragher recalled how Liverpool were often caught out when playing an aggressive high line.

“If I’m being honest, because I’ve seen it this season and I remember how Liverpool used to play under Jurgen Klopp, I think a lot of this is down to Pep Lijnders,” Carragher explained.

Carragher believes City are being encouraged to chase marginal offside calls rather than prioritising defensive security.