Man City 2 – 3 Tottenham

February 19, 2022 admin

Harry Kane came back to haunt his long-term suitors Manchester City as his 95th-minute strike secured an improbable 3-2 win victory in a pulsating Saturday Night Football clash at the Etihad Stadium.

This was one of the great games of the season, and so often these two teams deliver when they come together, but this ignited Spurs’ Champions League hopes and Liverpool’s Premier League title aspirations.

Kane was City’s chief tormentor from start to finish, setting up Dejan Kulusevski’s opener with his brilliant dissection of City’s high defensive line (4). Ilkay Gundogan would deservedly level matters (33), but having withstood heavy pressure upon the restart, it was Kane who delivered again.

The England captain met Son’s cross to finish expertly across his body (59), and he might have had a second when he beat Ederson inside his near post but Kulusevski was ruled offside upon VAR review in the build-up (74).

City had valid claims for a penalty when Bernardo Silva’s low cross slammed into the arm of the diving Cristian Romero and after VAR Darren England instructed referee Anthony Taylor to consult his pitchside monitor, City were handed a dramatic reprieve.

Riyad Mahrez dispatched his penalty with aplomb high into the net (90+2) but Kane would have the final say to spark wild scenes in the away end as the striker outmuscled Kyle Walker to head Kulusevski’s cross into the net (90+5).

“Football, bloody hell!” said Jamie Carragher on commentary as Kane blew the Premier League title race wide open. The result means Tottenham moved up to seventh in the table, four points behind Manchester United in fourth with two games in hand.

City remain six points clear of Liverpool at the summit, but having played one more game.

Liverpool can close the gap to three points when they host Leeds on Wednesday.

‘One of our own’ Kane floors suitors City

“It’s a massive day for the top-four race but also the title race,” Carragher said afterwards. “Tottenham won’t care what this means for Manchester City or for Liverpool. They’ve got Manchester United, West Ham, Arsenal and others in their sights. But it’s a tantalising prospect, with Liverpool still to come to the Etihad.”

Spurs hadn’t lost four in a row in the competition since a run of six between October and November 2004, but they made the perfect start.

Kulusevski was handed his full debut and was celebrating his first Tottenham goal inside four minutes. Kane was the architect as he whipped Ben Davies’ pass into his feet around City’s high line to set Son free of Ruben Dias.

Son selflessly looked up with only Ederson to beat to slide the ball into the path of the onrushing Kulusevski for a simple tap-in.

It was the fastest goal Tottenham have scored in their 25 Premier League visits to City, who reacted angrily, no doubt aware of Liverpool’s 3-1 comeback win over Norwich. They might have scored on two clear occasions before they eventually did.

Joao Cancelo cut inside to curl a right-foot shot just wide of Lloris’ left-hand post before Gundogan grazed the post with an effort from the edge of the box.

The equaliser would come on 33 minutes. Sterling was afforded far too much time to cross from the right but it was too close to Lloris, only for the Frenchman to inexplicably spill the ball into Gundogan’s path for a simple finish.

It took City’s captain for the night up to five career goals against Spurs, his favourite opponents. The hosts looked to complete the turnaround before the interval as the lively Cancelo drifted inside and saw a shot deflected just wide off Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

To the second half, and Kane continued to showcase his passing range as his reverse ball found Son’s perfectly timed run again as he spun away from Walker before drawing the save from Ederson as he cut inside onto his left.

Kane’s movement was irresistible, following his own crossfield pass to Son, such a fruitful combination down the years, so often the one-two that scores Tottenham’s goals. Son exchanged passes with Sessegnon before his curled delivery was met by Kane, who opened up his body to sidefoot a half volley beyond Ederson.

City looked shell-shocked and ought to have fallen further behind five minutes later when Son collected Rodrigo Bentancur’s pass to feed Kane once more, but Ederson made a stupendous save with his feet to keep City in the contest.

Kane’s miss almost proved costly immediately as Bernardo Silva found Gundogan on the edge of the box and his curled effort was superbly tipped around the post by Lloris. Kane then thought he had given his team some much-needed breathing space when he collected Kulusevski’s pass to beat Ederson too easily down to his right but VAR came to City’s rescue.

City thought they had been let off the hook when Mahrez rifled his penalty high into the net but the excellent Kulusevski would ensure Tottenham would claim all three points as his cross from the right found Kane’s stooping header as Conte and his coaching staff erupted on the touchline.

Micah Richards told Sky Sports at full-time: “The title race is in Liverpool’s favour. If they can come to the Etihad and win, it’s game on. This is why we love the Premier League.”

But this was Tottenham’s day. Having completed a double over such decorated opponents for the first time since the 2015/16 season, this victory breathed life into their Champions League challenge.

Man of the match: Harry Kane

Sky Sports’ Graeme Souness:

“Harry Kane was fantastic. He’s put himself in the shop window again. It was a remarkable Spurs performance. I didn’t see that coming. That was a masterclass from Spurs, like a big away day in Europe. A masterclass of counter-attacking football.