Due to their new stadium not being ready yet, Tottenham welcomed Manchester City to Wembley on Monday for a tie which, somewhat ironically, was played on a pitch that was also no where near being ready for Premier League action.
Thanks to an NFL game played at the national stadium the previous day, the Wembley pitch was gnarled, threadbare and covered in surplus markings.
City themselves did their level best to make the playing surface look presentable before kick-off, but a closer look revealed an entirely different story.
Good evening from Wembley! π#TOTMCI #mancity pic.twitter.com/7c91cB7LJz
β Manchester City (@ManCity) 29 October 2018
Firstly, the scars left behind by the match between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars were still clearly visible -- including a huge NFL logo emblazoned inside the centre-circle.
The Wembley pitch looks like it's straight out of an MLS game from 1997. pic.twitter.com/b5bgni8GYn
β Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) 29 October 2018
Indeed, many onlookers were quick to mock the abject state of the pitch as Spurs and City went about their business.
"David Silva is at the 50, the 40, 30, the 20 , HE could go all the waaaaay." Sorry couldn't resist. #Wembley pic.twitter.com/KFtxwi9mtL
β Maximiliano Bretos (@mbretosESPN) 29 October 2018
Expecting plenty of Red Zone action tonight at Wembley.
β Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) 29 October 2018
Touchdown #Spurs π oh wait π³π±π #pitch #wembley #shocker
β Gavin Ramjaun (@GavinROfficial) 29 October 2018
Some managed to find the positives, however tenuous they might have been.
On the plus side, the pitch markings at Wembley should lead to some incredibly accurate reporting of long-range shots... "a dipping volley from the 27.5 yard line..."
β Matthew Dunn (@MattDunnExpress) 29 October 2018
And some were quick to point out that the Premier League has witnessed far worse when it comes to atrocious pitch standards down through the years.
Before people start moaning about the Wembley pitch tonight, please remember that Charlton were forced to play on *this* at Stamford Bridge in 2003 #beach pic.twitter.com/4YgPldE1hz
β Evan Bartlett (@ev_bartlett) 29 October 2018
City struck early through Riyad Mahrez and successfully held on to their narrow lead for the remainder of the match -- thanks in part to an Erik Lamela miss that City boss Pep Guardiola put down to the bobbly surface.
The win saw City reclaim top spot from Liverpool on goal difference while Spurs were down in fifth, just one point behind Arsenal directly above them.