Going a goal down to the reigning champions would set off alarm bells for almost any team, but it is not something that should concern Tottenham Hotspur if it happens to them on Saturday.
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That is because Spurs travel to Manchester City knowing that they are the comeback kings of the Premier League.
In Matchweek 1 they found themselves 1-0 down to Aston Villa but, for the 37th time in the competition, they came back to win a match in which they were trailing at half-time thanks to a debut goal by Tanguy Ndombele and two strikes from Harry Kane.
Matches won after trailing at half-time
| Club | Total |
|---|---|
| Spurs | 37 |
| Man Utd | 32 |
| Arsenal | 30 |
| Chelsea | 27 |
| Liverpool | 22 |
In fact, Spurs may even prefer to fall a goal behind and do things the hard way at the Etihad Stadium.
History suggests that they often perform better as underdogs.
While they have the best record for turning around a half-time deficit, they have also lost the most Premier League matches when winning at the break.
Matches lost after leading at half-time
| Club | Total |
|---|---|
| Spurs | 25 |
| Southampton | 24 |
| West Ham | 23 |
| Everton | 23 |
| Newcastle | 21 |
But Mauricio Pochettino's side should be wary of relying on another late fightback against a team they have struggled to overcome in recent seasons.
Not only have City won their last four Premier League matches versus Spurs, they are also experts at preserving leads.
Man City only dropped points on one occasion last season after going into the interval ahead.
And that sole occasion was away from home when Newcastle United came from behind to beat City 2-1 at St James' Park in January.
So, can Spurs race ahead and hold their nerve, or will they be forced into another late show and prove why they are the League's best fightback specialists?
