Tottenham 0 Man City 2
It was the game that all Tottenham fans had been dreading. Their very own ‘Sophie’s Choice’. To win would keep their feint Champions League hopes alive, but in doing so, they would hand the Premier League title gift-wrapped to their rivals Arsenal.
Postecoglou’s side started well, their tactics seemed to work. High tempo, giving Man City no time on the ball, the defending champions were just not able to get into their groove. However, Spurs seem to have a self-destruct button in-built into them.
Hojbjerg gave the ball away in midfield as it was played into the box, as Romero looked to clear he sliced it straight up in the air. It dropped to Foden on the volley, he struck it well but Vicario made a brilliant save to deny Man City an opening goal.
Nobody in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could work out how the Italian had denied the visitors, most of all Foden, who thought he had scored. Pep Guardiola must have wondered at this stage whether this was just going to be one of those nights.
Credit: @premierleague
Neither side could create much more of note in the first half as they headed in at the interval level. This was not the free-flowing attacking game everyone had been expecting to see. Instead, the two sides seemed to cancel each other out.
Guardiola was going to have a team talk akin to the Spartans at the Pass of Thermopylae. After all, there was a Premier League trophy at stake. Anything but a win would put the outcome of the title race firmly in the hands of Mikel Arteta’s side.
Man City started the second half in positive fashion. Spurs continued to try and play out from the back, constantly getting themselves into trouble. One such moment saw the ball break to De Bruyne in the penalty area. He swivelled and shot in one movement but again Vicario was to deny them.
Foden then broke into acres of space down the left wing. He whipped in a cross but it beat everyone and ended up with Bernardo Silva on the opposite flank. The Portuguese playmaker held the ball up until he spotted the run of De Bruyne.
The Belgian got to the byline and picked the perfect pass across the six yard box for Haaland to poke home and give Man City the lead. Immediately the away end erupted as the visitors got the goal they had been craving all evening.
Kulusevski came on for Spurs and was immediately involved. He whipped a cross into the back post and as Ederson collected the ball, Romero clattered into him. The Brazilian seemed concussed from the incident and Guardiola took no chances as he replaced him for Ortega.
Credit: @premierleague
The German keeper was immediately called into action as Kulusevski bundled his way past Akanji and got a shot off from a tight angle. Ortega made a brilliant block to deny the Tottenham winger an equaliser. This game was still on a knife edge.
Akanji was then dispossessed of the ball on the halfway line and Son ran clean through on goal with only Ortega to beat. As the Tottenham skipper looked to slot the ball past him, the City keeper outstretched a leg to make a save that may have won his side the title.
In added time Doku was played in with only Porro in his way. He cut inside onto his right and the centre back chopped him down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Haaland stepped up and drilled his penalty into the top corner of the goal.
It was the Norwegian’s 27th goal of the season and the two he scored in North London may be the most important of his Man City career. Pep Guardiola’s side went two points clear at the top of the table and left the destiny of the league in their hands.
While some Spurs’ fans will be pleased not to see the trophy go to their rivals, defeat ended all hopes they may have had of stealing fourth spot from Aston Villa. They are now guaranteed Champions League football next season and can enjoy their final game on the weekend.
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