“Out the Door With Frank: Spurs Must Offload Struggling Star After City Draw”
Spurs Fight Back to Hold Man City in Dramatic Premier League Clash
In the final Premier League fixture of the weekend, Tottenham Hotspur welcomed Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Sunday evening and appeared destined for defeat after goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. However, a spirited second-half comeback ensured Spurs rescued a point, with the contest ending 2–2.
City struck early, opening the scoring just after ten minutes. Erling Haaland linked up with Bernardo Silva and, instead of shooting himself, slipped the ball to Cherki, who created space with a sharp movement before firing into the bottom-left corner. Semenyo doubled City’s advantage right before half-time.
Spurs initially found hope through Dominic Solanke following a dazzling run inside the City box, although the goal was officially recorded as an own goal by Marc Guehi. Seventeen minutes later, Solanke truly made his mark, producing a spectacular looping scorpion kick over Gianluigi Donnarumma to level the score. Neither side managed to find a late winner.
Spurs 2–2 City: One Bright Spot Amid Injury Woes
For much of the first half, few Tottenham players impressed. The midfield pairing of Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma looked sluggish in possession, Solanke struggled to influence the game early on, and Guglielmo Vicario failed to command his area convincingly.
Radu Dragusin, however, stood out for the wrong reasons. Signed from Genoa in January 2024, the Romanian defender has struggled to establish himself, spending most of his two years at the club on the sidelines. With Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero firmly established as Spurs’ preferred centre-back pairing, Dragusin has managed just 39 appearances, totalling 2,610 minutes.
Returning from a serious knee injury in December, the 23-year-old had barely featured in the league before being thrust into the starting lineup against City due to Van de Ven’s absence. The relentless attacking pressure from Cherki, Haaland and Semenyo exposed weaknesses in Spurs’ defence and created significant difficulties for Dragusin and his teammates.
Yet, the context is important: Tottenham were missing 12 players through injury and had only 12 senior outfield players available. Dragusin himself had not started a match in over a year, making his task even more challenging.
Dragusin’s Performance vs Man City
Minutes played: 90
Touches: 46
Pass accuracy: 31/36 (86%)
Tackles: 1
Clearances: 4
Ground duels won: 1/2 (50%)
Errors leading to goals: 1
Overall rating: 4.8
Roma Interest and Growing Pressure from Fans
AS Roma have been linked with a move for Dragusin, initially on loan until the end of the 2025/26 season. His agent, Florin Manea, previously expressed optimism about finalising a deal with the Italian club, though an agreement has yet to be reached.
Speculation over Dragusin’s future has intensified, and many Tottenham supporters believe a departure would benefit both player and club. Following his display against City, fans were vocal in their criticism, with several calling for him to be sold or loaned out.
Spurs’ Focus Shifts Back to the League
Despite Dragusin’s struggles, Tottenham’s priority must now be climbing the Premier League table. Sitting in 14th place, Spurs will aim to improve their domestic form before returning to Champions League action in March, as they seek to move clear of a looming relegation battle.