Heading into the game with heads down, off the back of a perhaps unjust Manchester derby defeat and in the knowledge that Tottenham had beaten them three times in their last five meetings, the pressure was on Manchester City.
You could sense it, too. While Spurs have become notorious for their poor starts to games under Antonio Conte, there was something different about the opening exchanges at the Etihad Stadium. City, for all their possession, lacked conviction and were kept at arm's length.
That nervousness came to a boil at the end of the half, erupting into two quickfire goals borne out of City's own defensive mishaps. All the possession, all the chances, and suddenly Pep Guardiola's side headed town the tunnel having conceded goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal.
Was it happening again? Were Spurs going to find another huge performance against City? It's not often a Conte side lets a two-goal lead slip in the second half of a game. But as Giorgio Chiellini infamously once said: "It's the history of Tottenham."
It took City - who looked absolutely rampant after the break - just eight minutes to claw back the game to 2-2. Riyad Mahrez in particular smelled blood and dragged City back onto the front foot against a Tottenham outfit that completely capitulated.
The Algerian then cemented his Man of the Match worthy performance by firing in a brace to give City a huge three points that just about keep them in reach of Premier League leaders Arsenal. On a rather absurd night at the Etihad Stadium, here are the winners and losers...