Manchester City’s English defender John Stones reacts on
the final whistle as Tottenham player celebrate behind
after the English Premier League football match between
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart
Lane in London, on October 2, 2016.
Tottenham won the game 2-0, Manchester City’s first defeat of the season.
Ian KINGTON / IKIMAGES / AFP
Tottenham Hotspur advanced their Premier
League title credentials with a superb 2-0 victory
on Sunday as Pep Guardiola tasted defeat for the
first time as Manchester City manager.
An Aleksandar Kolarov own goal and a Dele Alli
strike gave Spurs a third successive league win
over City and manager Mauricio Pochettino could
even afford for Erik Lamela to squander a
second-half penalty.
The result lifted Spurs to second, a point below
City, and means the north London club, third last
term, have made their best start to a season since
their fabled 1960-61 title-winning campaign.
Pochettino was left to celebrate only a second
league win over Guardiola in 10 matches, and the
first since Espanyol beat Barcelona in their first
such encounter in February 2009.
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It was Guardiola’s first defeat in 12 games as City
manager and following their mid-week 3-3 draw
at Celtic in the Champions League, his side have
now gone successive games without victory.
City had won their first six league matches, but
the last unbeaten record in the division now
belongs to Tottenham.
Spurs were caught cold by Liverpool, the last
high-pressing team to visit White Hart Lane, in
August’s 1-1 draw between the sides, but
Pochettino’s men did not make the same mistake
against City.
They were at it from the off, Son Heung-Min
lashing a shot over the bar with barely 30 seconds
on the clock, and in the ninth minute they scored.
Danny Rose hoisted a cross into the box from the
left and Kolarov made a complete hash of his
attempted clearance, the ball ballooning up off
his left thigh and floating into the top-right
corner.
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The white-shirted onslaught continued, City
goalkeeper Claudio Bravo blocking at his near
post from Son and fielding a mishit Rose volley
that threatened to dip beneath his crossbar.
Nicolas Otamendi was booked for lunging in on
the jinking Alli and from the ensuing free-kick,
Christian Eriksen curled inches wide.
– Aguero hits post –
Not until the middle of the first half did City
begin to pick their way through the Spurs press.
Sergio Aguero might have had a penalty after
being caught by Jan Vertonghen as they vied for
Kolarov’s cross and the Argentine also worked
Hugo Lloris with a curling free-kick.
But with Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko
policing the midfield, City could not settle and
eight minutes before half-time they found
themselves two goals down.
After stopping a City counter-attack in its tracks,
Spurs broke themselves, Son slipping a pass
through to Alli, who swept a first-time shot low
past Bravo’s outstretched right hand.
Spurs came out of the traps fastest in the second
half as well, with Son and Wanyama going close
from range.
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Aguero almost embarrassed Lloris at the other
end with a low shot that the Frenchman
inadvertently deflected against his near post.
But it was an isolated opportunity for the visitors,
prompting Guardiola to inject some guile into his
midfield by sending on Ilkay Gundogan for
Fernando.
Spurs should have put the game to bed in the
65th minute when referee Andre Marriner
pointed to the spot after Fernandinho had caught
Alli from behind.
But Bravo plunged to his left to push Lamela’s
penalty away.
Guardiola also introduced Kelechi Iheanacho in
place of Jesus Navas, but there was just one clear
opportunity for his side in the closing stages,
Lloris saving sharply from Aguero’s deflected
effort.
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