Key events
48 min Already, Spurs are penned back in their own half – City have taken control of this game, but the home side are nasty on the counter. And, as I type, here they come, Werner nashing down the left before Johnson’s low shot is palmed away by Ortega and the flag goes up.
46 min My sense is that Gvardiol has been introduced as much for his attacking skills as his defensive proficiency. For that reason, I imagine, h’s gone to left-back with Ake moving into the middle.
46 min We go again…
Half-time changes: Spurs bring on Bissouma for Sarr, whole City do Gvardiol and Kovacic for Gundogan and Dias.
Around the grounds:
Brighton 1-3 Liverpool
Man United 5-2 Leicester
Aston Villa 1-2 Crystal Palace
Preston 0-3 Arsenal
Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea
Half-time entertainment is right here:
HALF-TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Manchester City
A half of two halves; the second will be a belter. Don’t you go changing.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Manchester City (Nunes 45+4)
Savinho isolates Udogie, shapes to come inside on his favoured left foot, then nips outside on his also nifty right, and his cross is stuck into the net at the back post by Nunes, who’s been instrumental in their revival. It was coming, but Spurs will be poorly to have conceded seconds before the break.
45+2 min “Fairly sure in the famous 9-0 Ryan Bertrand was sent off after the first goal was scored?” says Nat. “(Could’ve been a VAR thing so not sure it counts though!)”
That was the first VAR red card, I think.
45 min We’ll have four additional minutes.
45 min Very deliberately, Foden addresses the ball, the curls over the top.
44 min City are coming, and when Udogie gives it away, Savinho finds Foden and Romero can’t help himself, ceding a free-kick just outside the D, just right of centre.
42 min City also appear to have sorted their spacing – they’re much closer together now – and it’s that which is underpinning their dominance. And as I type, Nunes lofts a curling pass into the box from out on the left, the ball dropping over Foden’s shoulder but he watches it well … then slices a volley over the bar.
39 min It’s all City for the now, Savinho curling a shot just wide. They’re picking better passes, while Spurs have slowed a little, presumably playing for half-time.
38 min We said at the start that City would fancy getting after Gray, who clearly doesn’t have the speed or strength to stop Nunes; Spurs need to depute one of the midfielders to help him out.
37 min Better from City, Nunes seeing the outside of Gray and deciding he wants it, marching past and crossing low; Foden narrowly avoids connecting with it on the slide.
35 min Tangentially, I’d have loved to be in the City dressing room when they played Spurs in the 2004 FA Cup, finished the first half 3-0 down, and Joey Barton came in telling Kevin Keegan that actually, things were worse – he’d been sent off for mouth walking off the pitch. Though obviously Spurs found a way to lose anyway.
34 min “Looking at Werner’s goal again,” returns Andy Flintoff, “Rico Lewis was very lucky that he scored as that was an incredibly late tackle, with both feet up and studs showing. Anywhere else on the field and that’s yellow if not more.”
I need to see that again, but has that ever happened? A side concedes and also has a player sent off for an offence committed in the process. One for the knowledge.
33 min We’ve not seen much of Matheus Nunes tonight, but he’s been a bit more involved the last few minutes – as he has to be if he’s to convince Guardiola he’s good enough to play for him on a regular.
32 min …which Gundogan curls over the bar.
31 min Savinho runs at Gray so Johnson shoves him in the back, ceding an unnecessary free-kick out on the left, not far form the box…
30 min Better from City, stringing together a few passes, the O’Reilly sends his into touch. Ouch.
28 min Looking at the goal again, the ball dips in so late it almost looks like the only way Ortega can save it is by hurling himself into the post. In co-comms, Alan Smith originally blamed him, but seeing the finish from behind the keeper, revised his opinion to credit a beautiful strike.
LOVELY GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City (Sarr 25)
The corner goes short, Kulusevski to Werner, the return is punched back to Sarr on the edge, right of centre … and he unfurls a luscious low curler which arcs inside the near post at the last second, giving Ortega no chance to reacting. Spurs deserve that … and so do City.
25 min Johnson slips a ball down the side for Werner, whose cross is blocked behind by Dias. City are struggling and Postecoglou will know his side need another while they’re on top, because they can’t rely on their opponents playing this badly for 90.
24 min Savinho bursts forward inside his own half, Sarr trips him, and is booked.
23 min Pre-match, we wondered how City might fare in midfield and now we’ve seen the answer: badly. They just aren’t as quick, strong, or clever as Spurs, and I don’t see how that changes without changes.
22 min It goes short along the by-line, whereupon it’s funnelled back to Kulusevski on the edge, whereupon he leathers aeons over the bar.
21 min Cody Gakpo has put Liverpool in front at Brighton and Leicester now trail Man United 4-2; it’s half-time there. Meanwhile, back in our game, O’Reilly is back on and Spurs have a corner.
20 min Akanji, it turns out, has a calf problem, and now O’Reilly’s down. City only have Bernardo and Kovacic on the bench.
19 min City have created near-enough nowt. Which sounds like the name of a midranking Britpop band.
18 min He’s got the look! (He’s got the look).
16 min Normal service is resumed. Again, Spurs find Werner on the left side of the box, but this time he tamely dribbles an effort straight at the keeper. It’s good to be back.
15 min The names and numbers on the City short look like they were scrawled on by one of the players’ kids. And also, why are they playing in burgundy? Their black and red number was a beauty.
13 min Nup, that’s Van de Ven’s night done and he’s in tears, Udogie racing to leap on him to provide consolation as he limps dahn tunnel.
11 min Eeesh, Van de Ven is caressing a hamstring having slid in on Savinho, and seconds later he’s signalling to the bench before going down. That’ll be his evening, I’d expect, but he takes treatment rather than leave immediately, so you never know.
