Phil Foden’s first Premier League goal helped Manchester City exact revenge on Tottenham for their Champions League exit and keep their title defence on track.
The England starlet, a surprise inclusion, scored the only goal of the game as City earned a 1-0 victory to move a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola handed Foden only his second Premier League start, and made two other changes to the side that had been knocked out of Europe, with John Stones and Oleksander Zinchenko coming into the backline.
Mauricio Pochettino also made changes in defence, switching to a back five, with Juan Foyth and Ben Davies coming in as wing back, while Eric Dier returned from injury in midfield.
Much like Wednesday night, the game began in frantic fashion, with Son Heung-Min getting the better of Stones to test Ederson at his near post, but like Wednesday night it was City who found the early goal.
The outstanding Bernardo Silva, named on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award shortly before kick-off, was the architect, clipping a wonderful cross to the back post for fellow nominee Sergio Aguero.
You’d have backed the Argentine to bury the header himself, but he unselfishly nodded across goal for Foden to dive in and justify his selection with a goal inside five minutes.
There was an outpouring of anger in the home side’s collective celebrations, and for half an hour they were all over Spurs, led by Bernardo, who won the ball back high up the pitch countless times, and tormented Davies for fun.
Despite City’s dominance though, it was the visitors who had the best chances, as Christian Eriksen fired straight at Ederson when well placed before Aymeric Laporte’s superb last ditch tackle thwarted Son.
The balance of the game tipped, however, shortly before the interval when Kevin De Bruyne, back to his sparkling best in recent weeks, was forced off with an injury that could yet prove significant in deciding the destination of the title beyond this afternoon’s result.
Fernandinho was the man sent on, but De Bruyne’s departure had robbed City of a little momentum, and Son should have levelled on the stroke of half-time, when benefiting from a ricochet off Raheem Sterling, only to dally over his finish and allow Ederson to dive at his feet.
Foden missed a glorious chance to grab his second soon after the restart, though City felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a handball by Toby Alderweireld in the build-up.
On the hour mark though, it was Spurs who had more reason to feel aggrieved as Michael Oliver failed to spot Kyle Walker’s use of the arm to turn Dele Alli’s chested control behind for a corner.
With final minute heartbreak fresh in their minds, City pushed for the second goal that would seal the deal. Sterling thought he’d found it when firing left-footed through the legs of Alderweireld after Sane’s cut back, only to see Paulo Gazzaniga stick out a crucial leg.
As the clocked ticked, there was a feeling of nervousness around the Etihad that has been more regularly associated with Anfield during this epic title race, and that transferred onto the pitch as a defensive mix-up almost allowed Lucas Moura to level.
Pochettino sent on Wednesday’s unlikely hero, Fernando Llorente, which only added to the anxiety amongst the home support. But there would be no second lightning strike, and City will go to Old Trafford for the Manchester derby with treble hopes alive.
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Man City vs Tottenham line-ups
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden, Bernardo Silva, Aguero, Sterling.
Subs: Sane, Silva, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Otamendi, Gabriel Jesus, Muric.
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Foyth, Alli, Dier, Davies, Eriksen, Son, Lucas Moura.
Subs: Janssen, Rose, Wanyama, Vorm, Walker-Peters, Llorente, Skipp.
