In a surprising turn of events, Tottenham recorded a 4-0 win against reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The star of the match was none other than Spain international Pedro Porro, who netted Tottenham’s third goal. This victory was particularly significant for Porro as he had previously been sold by Manchester City to Sporting CP for £7.9m back in 2022. However, what caught the attention of fans and sparked controversy was not just his performance but his reaction after scoring.
Despite being a key player in this resounding victory, Pedro Porro faced criticism from fans – including some Spurs supporters – for deciding not to celebrate his goal against his former employers. Instead of the usual exuberant celebrations we often see players indulge in when they score against their former teams, Porro simply ran towards the away section with an apologetic hand gesture.
This reaction seemed odd coming from someone who never actually made an appearance for Manchester City before being offloaded by them.
Pedro Porro hits back at critics
Responding to those questioning his non-celebration at Etihad Stadium, Pedro took to X (formerly known as Twitter) where he posted a photo showing himself passionately celebrating after Brennan Johnson scored Tottenham’s fourth goal in the 93rd minute. This post can be seen as a clear message that despite any perceived lack of celebration earlier on, he still shared in the team's joy over their victory.
Perhaps even more intriguing is whether or not he questioned why he chose not to celebrate his own goal between scoring it and Johnson’s effort since there seemed to be much more emotion displayed following Johnson’s strike.
Financial implications of selling and re-signing Pedro Porro
When Manchester City decided to offload Pedro Porro, they negotiated a 30% sell-on clause. This meant that when Tottenham paid Sporting CP £39m to bring the Spaniard back to the Premier League, Manchester City secured themselves a cool £11.7m.
While this was a wise financial move from Manchester City, some fans might argue that given Kyle Walker's decline this season, Pep Guardiola might have preferred keeping Porro at Etihad Stadium instead of receiving the cash injection.
Pedro Porro's performance and subsequent reaction after scoring against his former team has certainly stirred up conversations among sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike. As he continues his career in the Premier League with Tottenham, it will be interesting to see how he navigates future matches against Manchester City and other former employers.
