Tottenham Hotspur stunned Manchester City to win 1-0 in North London. The two sides were separated by Harry Kane’s record-breaking goal, which saw him become the all-time top scorer at the club, surpassing the late Jimmy Greaves.
Man City have lost their past 5 matches in N17, without scoring a single goal. The champions were below par across the pitch in a crucial match for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Spurs produced a classic ‘Antonio Conte performance’, despite the Italian recovering from surgery in Italy at the moment. They defended superbly, and claimed a special win under the lights.
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Record-breaking Kane
Much of the talk before the match surrounded Kane’s goal tally for Spurs. The England captain needed one goal to smash Greaves’ legendary Lilywhite record, and the attacker delivered early on.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s relentless press saw him disposses Rico Lewis, before he laid it off to Kane, for the forward to fire it home. It was a composed finish under intense pressure as Kane powered it into the bottom left corner.
It took his Spurs tally to 267 goals in his career, one ahead of the sensational Greaves.
Kane’s goal sent the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into chaos. The home fans serenaded their legendary forward relentlessly throughout the match, with Kane visibly emotional from their support post-match. The striker will go down as Tottenham's greatest ever player.
Other than his goal, the 29-year-old produced a superb all-round performance. He combined neatly with Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-Min Son, and played a key part in Spurs’ tactical press. It was a classic Harry Kane performance.
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Emerson’s renaissance
Emerson Royal had a tough start to his Spurs career. Since joining last summer, the Brazilian has often been criticised for his lack of quality in the final third and clumsiness in defence.
However, the former Barcelona defender produced his best performance yet in a Lilywhite shirt against the Premier League champions.
The right-back kept Jack Grealish quite all match. Emerson’s defensive awareness and position kept the winger under locks throughout, whilst the Brazilian also created numerous chances down the right flank.
In one occasion, Emerson whipped in a stunning low cross into the box, but Kane was unable to connect to the delivery (something that is very rarely said).
On the counter-attack, the powerful defender combined well with Kulusevski, which saw the two overpower youngster Lewis on numerous occasions.
With Pedro Porro now at the club, pressure is on the 24-year old to remain in the starting eleven. But if the Brazilian keeps performing like he has in recent weeks, then it is unlikely Porro will be able to displace him at right wing-back.
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Citizens’ N17 record
Manchester City have become accustomed to winning most matches under Guardiola. However, the champions have struggled for consistency this season, which has seen Arsenal take a surprise lead at the top of the table.
Even in their best years, City have always struggled in N17, with the club knowing they had not scored a goal in four matches in Tottenham before Sunday’s clash.
That record continued on Sunday evening, with Guardiola’s men being outfought across the pitch. It takes their record at Spurs’ new stadium to five defeats with 0 goals.
In their previous encounters, the visitors were often unlucky to lose, but that wasn’t the case this season. They came close once through Riyad Mahrez’s spectacular volley, but that was it. In fact, the hosts had several chances to double their lead, but they were unable to take advantage in the final third.
The worrying trend is bound to concern Guardiola. The defeat suggests the Spaniard is unable to overcome Spurs’ tactical philosophy. With matches approaching quickly, the Citizens must improve their performances, otherwise it could be a potential trophyless season for the first time since 2017.
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Haaland loses battle with Kane
Manchester City vs Spurs. Erling Braut Haaland vs Harry Kane. Pre-match, the clash was being advertised as two superstars going head to head. The Norwegian won their previous battle at the Etihad in January, but it was a different story on Sunday night.
The former Dortmund striker struggled to get involved in the match. Eric Dier and Ben Davies kept him quiet throughout. Cristian Romero’s late slide tackle on Haaland early on suggested it wouldn’t be an easy night for the Norwegian.
There lacked fluidity between Haaland and his attacking teammates, with the Premier League top scorer often providing little support without the ball.
In fact, the 22-year old didn’t have a single shot in the match, much to the disappointment of manager Guardiola.
Earlier this week, Guardiola suggested Haaland could ‘learn something’ from Kane. The match epitomised the Spaniard’s opinion, with Kane controlling Spurs’ attack, whilst Haaland stayed quite throughout.
Manchester City have lost fluidity ever since Haaland’s arrival. It was highlighted once again against Spurs, and questions will be asked if the Citizens are better off without the Norwegian.