Tottenham endured another frustrating night on a Wembley pitch not fir for purpose (photo credit: Tim Ireland/ AP).
City beat Spurs at a subdued Wembley
Tottenham 0 : 1 Manchester City
by Steve Clare, Wembley Stadium
On fading NFL lines from Tottenham’s title hopes also started to grey, too. A loss to a sub-par Manchester City side who now lead them by four places, five points and an even larger gap in quality.
Riyad Mahrez scored the Citizens’ only goal in the sixth minute after a Kieran Trippier error and the visitors never looked back, in anger or otherwise. It capped off an emotional week for the former Leicester player following the tragic events at the King Power Stadium.
City return to pole position, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference.
Tottenham had entered the day on 21 points but with a deep sense of unease around the club. One point from nine in Europe hadn’t helped and seven wins out of nine in the league did not alleviate that quease. City had overcome their European shock and were looking to leapfrog Liverpool back to the summit.
Mahrez tapped in from a Sterling cross in six minutes, a rather unusual route one goal for City. Trippier let an Ederson clearance bounce, and then was overwhelmingly beaten by Raheem Sterling who cut the ball back for the Algerian.
There were good spells for Spurs throughout the first half. The much maligned Moussa Sissoko featuring well. Hugo Lloris saved down low at his near post from Mahrez on 28′ to prevent the lead from doubling.
Spurs best first half chance came eleven minutes before the interval when a rare error from the visitors allowed Harry Kane a free run on goal. However great keeping by Ederson to come off his line saved them after a sub-par final touch by Kane allowed him the opening.
Lucas Moura was booked for a dive by referee Kevin Friend just before the interval.
City missed a chance through overelaboration, and Kyle Walker miskicked, before Sergio Aguero fired straight at Lloris with options either side of the French keeper. Lloris was made to work harder seconds later though, after the Argentine let fly from long range.
Harry Winks and Dele Alli replaced Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele but neither change altered the trajectory of the game. For City, Kevin De Bruyne replaced Aguero gifting the ball away dangerously in his early minutes to create more panic than City had previously endured.
Erik Lamela missed Spurs best chance of the game when he scooped the ball over after Alli had robbed Mahrez in the 80th minute. a mere seventy minutes after Spurs only shot on target of the match.
City will look at this as a ground-out away win rather than a masterful display and their time wasting tactics at Kompany’s substitution won’t make anybody’s highlight reel. Another away game negotiated with all three points and some key players rested will however give Pep Guardiola great satisfaction.
Spurs: Lloris (C), Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Sissoko, Lamela, Lucas, Kane
Subs: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Walker-Peters, Winks, Wanyama, Dembélé, Alli,
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Mendy, Aguero, Laporte, Sterling, David Silva, Fernandinho, Mahrez, B Silva
Subs: Muric, Foden, Kompany, Otamendi, Gabriel, De Bruyne,Sane
