Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City
RIYAD MAHREZ FIRED Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League as the champions won 1-0 in their pitch battle with Tottenham on Monday.
Playing on a Wembley pitch in visible need of repair just 24 hours after hosting an NFL fixture, City’s peerless quality and a predatory finish from Mahrez helped them ignore the pitch problems. A sixth win from their last seven league games lifted Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten side back above Liverpool on goal difference, leaving Spurs five points adrift in fifth.
City were rock-solid at the back as they equalled the club record of six consecutive league clean-sheets, and they raced into the lead after just six minutes. Tottenham defender Kieran Trippier misjudged a long kick from City goalkeeper Ederson, his errant header allowing Raheem Sterling to steal possession and cut past him into the penalty area.
Sterling showed tremendous composure as he picked out Mahrez’s run and the Algerian finished the raid with a clinical close-range finish. It was an emotional moment for the former Leicester star just 48 hours after the death of Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash outside the club’s King Power Stadium on Saturday.
City seemed less troubled by the surface and they scythed through the Tottenham defence with a flowing move that ended with Hugo Lloris pushing Mahrez’s drive onto a post.
Sent clean through on goal by Erik Lamela’s pass, Harry Kane had a golden chance to equalise but his poor first touch, which couldn’t be blamed on the turf, allowed Ederson to block with his legs.
City had lost just two of their last 101 Premier League games in which they led at half-time and Sterling should have doubled their lead soon after the restart.
Bernardo Silva’s pass gave David Silva a clear sight of goal, but he couldn’t get a shot away and instead found Sterling, whose close-range effort was blocked on the line.
Sergio Aguero fared no better, the City forward shot tamely at Lloris from just 10 yards out and then saw a more potent long-range strike repelled by the Tottenham keeper.
Dele Alli, back after a four-match absence with a hamstring injury, came on for the last 15 minutes and the Tottenham midfielder almost set up an immediate equaliser.
Alli’s run and pass picked out Lamela, but the Argentine somehow blazed over with only Ederson to beat, and City held on to win.
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