If there was any surefire way to beat the end-of-Bank-Holiday blues, it’s Monday night football featuring two of the Premier League’s top five.

A win for third-placed Manchester City would see them return to the top of the table, while Tottenham, who have already lost twice this season, know they can scarcely afford a third loss in just 10 games.

The Wembley pitch might not be in the best nick but hopefully the quality of football doesn’t suffer as a result.

Kick-off is at 8pm.

TEAM NEWS:  One change for Spurs, as Dembele starts in midfield in place of Harry Winks. Dele Alli and Christian Erisken are both on the bench.

Tottenham: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Dembele, Dier, Sissoko, Moura, Lamela, Kane.

TEAM NEWS: Two changes for City; Walker and Sterling return in place of Kompany and Sane.

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho, D. Silva, B. Silva, Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero.

Before kick-off, there is a moment of silence to remember those who died in Saturday’s tragedy in Leicester.

KICK OFF: We’re underway. 

This should give you some sort of idea of the condition that the pitch is in this evening. Wembley, of course, played host to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday.

Nick Potts Nick Potts

GOAL FOR MANCHESTER CITY! Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City (Mahrez, 6′)

The first meaningful action of the evening ends in the first goal — and it’s Riyad Mahrez who puts City into an early lead.

Kieran Trippier won’t enjoy the video review session when he sits down to watch this one again. He lets the ball bounce, and Raheem Sterling nicks it away from him. Trippier gets back into position but then Sterling glides by him again like he’s not even there, pulling the ball back for Mahrez who arrives in to finish.

Steven Paston Steven Paston

Nearly 2-0! Sterling slips the ball through to Aguero but his shot ends up in the side-netting.

And now nearly 1-1! John Stones backs off Harry Kane and, spotting Ederson off his line, Kane takes the shot on early. It dips just on the wrong side of the bar.

The goal apart, it has been a fast-paced start to this one. Alderweireld forces Ederson to make a save from a corner, and then Sterling has a half-chance blocked.

Harry Kane tries to switch play from left to right but ends up hoofing it straight out of play. We’ll blame it on the pitch; he will too, no doubt.

City are in a good position until Sterling gives away possession on the edge of the box and Spurs counter. Lamela looks to make headway through the middle but he’s clipped by Fernandinho. Free to Spurs but the momentum of the break is lost.

Oh what a chance for Spurs to draw level! Sissoko drives into the box but appears to be caught in two minds, and as he tries to pick out Lamela in the middle, Fernandinho gets back to make a very timely intervention. Sissoko will be raging with himself.

Lamela takes a rather theatrical tumble in the box. John Stones, who didn’t seem to make even the slightest contact, does not look pleased.

SAVE! Great stop from Hugo Lloris who stretches out a big paw to deny Mahrez at the near post. Spurs can’t clear their lines, or put in a tackle on David Silva inside the box, and he works the ball to Mahrez on the outside but the Spurs keeper — with a bit of assistance from the post — is equal to his effort.

Poor from Harry Kane! A really heavy first touch and a glorious chance for Spurs’ equaliser goes a-begging. Again, it’s a City mistake that gives Spurs their opening as Laporte’s loose header goes straight to Lamela. He picks out Kane on the run and he should be one-on-one with Ederson and the City goal at his mercy,  but his first touch bobbles away from him and Ederson slides out, legs first, and clears the danger as Kane crashes through him.

Steven Paston Steven Paston

David Silva has a go but Lloris gets his body behind it and then gathers at the second attempt before launching a quick Spurs counter.

Sterling has options as he looks to cut the ball back and goes for the shortest past as Bernardo Silva arrives in support. Spurs’ defenders swallow him up before he can get his shot away.

Another mistake from Mendy as he tries to shepherd the ball out of play but allows himself to be muscled off it by Trippier who gets a cross in, only for Walker to head clear. Walker then thunders through the back of Lamela to give Spurs a free and another chance to test City’s defence. There have been quite a few silly mistakes from Guardiola’s side since taking the lead.

Dier stretches across Sterling but he’s not really in a position which allows him to win the ball, so he gives away a free instead. Silva puts the delivery into the box but it’s headed clear, and then Bernardo Silva’s second attempt skips through to Lloris before Aguero can get a toe on it.

Bad, bad dive from Lucas Moura who anticipated the presence of Fernandinho’s leg, and then went down without realising that the City man had pulled out of the challenge. It’s right in front of Kevin Friend and he has no hesitation in pulling out the yellow card.

Steven Paston Steven Paston

HALF TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City

Back in five.

Steven Paston Steven Paston

SECOND HALF: Back underway at Wembley. Spurs certainly had their chances in that first half – can they take them now, or are Man City heading back to the top of the league?

Hugo Lloris has Spurs in a spot of trouble. He shanks a goal kick straight at Aguero, and although Aguero doesn’t punish the mistake with a goal, he’s fouled by Dier right on the edge of the box. David Silva will have a great chance here…

Straight into the wall. As is Silva’s second effort with the rebound. Spurs breathe.

Sissoko breaks down the right but Walker backpedals quickly enough and flicks the cross out danger with his head.

Moura checks to make sure the linesman is still awake as he tries to spring City’s offside line. He is off – but only just.

Sissoko has been involved in a lot of Spurs’ good play this evening and again, he has City on the back foot. He traps the ball in the centre circles and turns to run at City. Laporte comes across and clips his legs away from underneath him, and ends up in the book for his troubles.

HOW DID THAT STAY OUT?! City should have a second but they fluff their lines in front of goal. Spurs switch off and Bernardo Silva makes a run in behind the dozing defence. He pulls it back to David Silva who scores if he shoots, but is slightly off balance and so tips it on to Sterling, which crucially allows Spurs to get a few bodies between him and goal and the shot is blocked.

John Walton John Walton

City cut Spurs open again — and again, they dawdle and let a really good chance go to waste. Admittedly, your right full is not the man that you want to be bearing down on the Spurs box, but Walker has time to either go it alone or pick a pass, and then when he eventually chooses the latter option, makes a mess of it. He overhits the ball to Aguero, forces him too far wide, and the chance is gone. 

Smashing tackle by Dembele to nick the ball away from Mahrez on the edge of the box. Spurs try to get moving quickly but Fernandinho puts an end to that by clattering through Moura. I’ve lost count of how many fouls that is tonight, and finally, he’s booked.

Another City chance! Sergio Aguero — on 149 Premier League goals and counting for Man City — is picked out by a lovely through ball from David Silva. It’s the kind of chance that you expect to end up in the back of the net, as he turns back inside Davinson Sanchez, but it’s straight at Lloris who saves.

Another City chance, another Aguero chance — but still no goal. This time, he makes Lloris work, drawing a good parry from the Spurs keeper.

Spurs sub: Harry Winks is on for Dier as Pochettino tries to assemble the parts that will find Spurs equaliser.

Kevin de Bruyne is about to make his entrance. Will we see Christian Eriksen or Dele Alli from the Spurs side?

Man City sub: It is KDB for Aguero, who can’t say he didn’t have his chances tonight.

One of de Bruyne’s first contributions is to have his pocket picked by Trippier on the edge of his own box. Lamela tries to curl his shot into the far post, but it doesn’t quite curl enough.

Spurs sub: He’s back! Alli comes on to replace Dembele for the last 15 minutes.

GLORIOUS CHANCE – LAMELA MISSES! That should be Spurs’ equaliser, no doubt about it, but Lamela miscues horribly… and you can’t help but feel that Spurs best chance of a draw might be gone with it. Alli does all the work down the left, plays it to Lamela, who opens up his body to shoot with his right – and misses the target completely. Oh no.

Spurs sub: Christian Eriksen comes on to replace Lucas Moura. Can Spurs find a way through – or have they had their chance?

Here’s that Lamela chance. Was there a bit of a bobble as he went to hit it?

LAMELA FLUFFS HIS LINES

Erik Lamela is played through by Dele Alli but can't keep his shot down.

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Spurs try to thread the ball through but City’s defence holds firm. There’s going to be a nervy last five minutes, plus the additionals, for Pep’s side. They had plenty of chances to put this one to bed.

Alli dinks the ball around a corner for Eriksen but he’s stretching and all he can do is help it back across the face of goal and into Ederson’s grateful hands.

Raheem Sterling isn’t exactly rushing to move 10 yards back from a Spurs free, so Lamela smashes the ball into him instead. Another delay.

City sub: One to shore up the defence and wind down the clock in equal measure – Kompany on to replace Silva.

Four additional minutes to be played here. Spurs on the front foot, City hanging on…

Eriksen has a great chance to get a cross in, but doesn’t really shoot or cross, and blasts it high and wide.

City sub: Another ponderous City sub as Jesus comes in for Mahrez, the clock quickly ticking towards 94.

Kane tries to hook the ball over the top but Walker is quickest and nods it back to Ederson. Ninety seconds or so left…

Heart-in-mouth stuff for City as Ederson and Walker don’t really communicate in dealing with a relatively straightforward cross. The keeper comes, and at the same time, the defender heads it back towards goal and behind for a corner. One last chance…

FULL TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City

City clear — and that’s it. Riyad Mahrez’s early goal is the winner and Manchester City return to the top of the Premier League.

City had plenty of chance to kill the game, which will have frustrated Guardiola no end, but when your defence has only conceded a remarkable three goals in 10 Premier League matches, sometimes one goal is enough. It’s a sixth consecutive clean sheet for City. Wow.

The gap between City in first and Spurs in fifth now stands at five points — by no means insurmountable, but Spurs are already running out of points they can afford to drop if they want to mount a credible title challenge.

That’s all from us for this evening as City make it eight wins and two draws from an unbeaten 10 to return to the top of the pile. Thanks for reading and for commenting.