Tottenham only unbeaten team after convincing win over Manchester City
Agence France-Presse
2d ago
Reuters
Manchester City’s Premier League record is unblemished no more.
Tottenham solidified its status as the Premier League’s last unbeaten team of the season on Sunday, brushing away the Citizens under the power of a mesmerizing first-half performance at White Hart Lane.
Spurs, with an own goal from Aleksandar Kolarov and a tidy finish from Dele Alli, moved to within one point of Pep Guardiola’s side at the top of the table by virtue of the 2-0 triumph.
The north London club, third last season, has made its best start to a season since the fabled 1960-61 title-winning campaign.
Mauricio 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.
It was Guardiola’s first defeat in 12 games as City manager and following the midweek 3-3 draw at Celtic in the Champions League, his side has now gone successive games without victory.
City had won its first six league matches, but the last unbeaten record in the division now belongs to Tottenham.
Spurs was 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, Heung-Min Son lashing a shot over the bar with barely 30 seconds on the clock, and in the ninth minute Tottenham 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 thigh and floating into the top-right corner.
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.
Not until the middle of the first half did City begin to pick its way through the Spurs press.
Aguero hits post
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 found itself two goals down.
After stopping a City counter-attack in its tracks, Spurs broke, 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.
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 visitor, prompting Guardiola to inject some guile into his midfield by sending on Ilkay Gundogan.
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 Erik 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.
