Premier League
TottenhamTottenham Hotspur2Man CityManchester City0

Tottenham 2-0 Man City: Son Heung-min and Giovani lo Celso send Spurs top

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur went top of the Premier League after producing a display of clinical efficiency and tactical discipline to beat Manchester City.

In the usual battle of wits between Jose Mourinho and his old adversary Pep Guardiola, the Spurs manager came out on top as his team's season gathered further momentum.

Son Heung-min put Spurs in front after five minutes, finishing coolly from Tanguy Ndombele's pass before Manchester City had a first-half goal ruled out by VAR for a handball by Gabriel Jesus after Aymeric Laporte's finish.

City continued to enjoy greater possession but Spurs, as you would expect from a Mourinho side, were fiercely drilled and resilient, taking their chance when it came to double their advantage and finish the game.

It came in the 65th minute after a dream substitution from Mourinho, Giovani lo Celso beating Ederson with a low finish from another Kane pass 35 seconds after coming on for Tanguy Ndombele - the only cloud for Spurs coming with a late injury to Toby Alderweireld after an outstanding performance.

Mourinho revels in statement win

Tottenham 2-0 Man City: Jose Mourinho says Spurs not fighting for the title

Mourinho was a bundle of energy in his technical area as Spurs took all Manchester City could throw at them to come out with the win that puts them at the Premier League summit and also made a powerful statement about their ambitions and aspirations.

Mourinho's voice echoed around this vast, empty arena as he urged on his players, shouting instructions with regular demands of "press the ball". Guardiola, in contrast, was understandably subdued and downcast.

It is still early days for a club that has struggled to win silverware over so many recent years, but there is a growing sense of strength and optimism around Spurs, fuelled by a serial winner as a manager who looks revitalised after the acrimonious end to his spell at Manchester United.

Spurs have the golden threat of the likes of Son - who has now scored 11 goals in all competitions this season - and Kane, with Gareth Bale on the bench here, but they now have some many of the usual Mourinho traits that have always made his teams so difficult to beat.

It has been a year since he succeeded the hugely popular Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs are starting to resemble Mourinho's image and likeness, epitomised by the unfussy but highly effective midfield sentry Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, a signing from Southampton that was a managerial priority in the summer.

Spurs are currently a potent mix of solidity and threat, as proved by the way they dug deep to keep Manchester City out before striking to deadly effect. Spurs had two shots on target and scored twice.

In Kane, Spurs also possess the complete forward at the very top of his game, a class act as a provider for the ninth time in as many league games this season - but also the master marksman when his chances come along, as they will with regularity this season.

Spurs and their fans will not get carried away but there can be no denying Mourinho's tried and trusted methods are having their effect, with the long-time foe Guardiola the victim on this occasion.

Toothless Man City fall short again

Man City manager Pep Guardiola says his job is not secure if they fail to get results

Manchester City clearly had a grievance against the decision to rule out Laporte's goal for handball against Jesus that left them nursing a sense of injustice. However, it would still disappoint Guardiola that his team had so much of the ball but actually did so little with it when it came to seriously testing Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.

It has become something of pattern with Manchester City and this was another occasion, although Guardiola did not feel able to risk the likes of Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero other than on the substitutes' bench, reducing their level of threat.

City were easily unpicked by Ndombele's pass for Son's early strike and there was almost a sense of inevitability that their toothlessness would end with Spurs sweeping up the other end to add a second through Lo Celso.

It is hardly panic stations for City as they stand eight points off the top with a game in hand. This is shaping up as a season with many twists and turns to come - but this was another unsatisfactory result and performance.

Aguero's now regular fitness issues rob Guardiola and City of their most lethal finisher in and around the box, the 32-year-old Argentine still the most reliable goalscorer at the club but now seemingly troubled too much by injury.

Guardiola will now move into the next phase of his reign at City after signing a two-year contract extension and preparing for the day they have to do without one of their all-time great players will soon be an issue.

This is still a Manchester City side packed with world-class players but this was another of those days that have been happening since the start of last season when they simply lack a ruthless edge and end up being punished.

It is a problem Guardiola needs to resolve - and quickly.

'We are not fighting for the title' - what the managers said

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho told BBC Sport: "It feels good [to be top], but maybe tomorrow we are second again and honestly that would not be a problem for me, I am just happy with the evolution.

"People cannot expect us to come here and after one season we are fighting for the title. We are not fighting for the title, we are just fighting to win every match. But we are going to lose matches, we are going to draw matches.

"Dinner tonight will be nice and relaxed and I will watch Atletico Madrid v Barcelona and sleep like an angel. But no problem if Leicester wins [on Sunday] and we are second again."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: "It could be better, we played similar to how we have all season. We did not defend good for the first goal. They then defended so deep, they defended with six and it was not easy. We had our chances, but we couldn't score and they made two or three chances on the counter-attack and we lost the game.

"We knew before the game that you cannot give them the first goal. We had more chances than them but we lost. Mourinho's teams are like this, you make a mistake and they punish you on the counter-attack."

Spurs end day top for first time in six years - the stats

  • It is the first time since August 2014 that Tottenham will finish a day top of the Premier League and the first time they have done so after at least nine top-flight games since January 1985.
  • Meanwhile, 12 points from eight games is Manchester City's lowest points total at this stage of a Premier League season since 2008-09, while their 10 goals scored is their lowest after eight games since 2006-07.
  • Tottenham have won back-to-back league games against Manchester City for the first time since October 2016.
  • City have had 41 shots in their past two league games against Spurs but have lost both without scoring.
  • Tottenham have scored more goals in the first half of Premier League games than any other side this season, with their 11 in the opening 45 minutes more than City have scored in the competition this season (10).
  • Son has scored five goals in five games in all competitions against Manchester City and his strike after four minutes 19 seconds was the earliest City have conceded in the league since December 2016, against Arsenal.
  • Kane has provided nine assists in his nine Premier League games this season, after providing just eight assists in his previous three campaigns, or 94 games, combined.

What's next?

Both sides are in European action in midweek, as Manchester City travel to Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday (17:55 GMT) and Tottenham host Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday (20:00).

City then host Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday (15:00), before Spurs are away to Chelsea on Sunday (16:30).

Player of the match

KaneHarry Kane

with an average of 8.48

Tottenham Hotspur

  1. Squad number10Player nameKane
    Average rating

    8.48

  2. Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-min
    Average rating

    8.35

  3. Squad number18Player nameLo Celso
    Average rating

    8.05

  4. Squad number5Player nameHøjbjerg
    Average rating

    8.00

  5. Squad number4Player nameAlderweireld
    Average rating

    7.90

  6. Squad number15Player nameDier
    Average rating

    7.84

  7. Squad number28Player nameNdombele
    Average rating

    7.74

  8. Squad number3Player nameReguilón
    Average rating

    7.70

  9. Squad number17Player nameSissoko
    Average rating

    7.57

  10. Squad number1Player nameLloris
    Average rating

    7.53

  11. Squad number24Player nameAurier
    Average rating

    7.39

  12. Squad number27Player nameLucas Moura
    Average rating

    7.31

  13. Squad number23Player nameBergwijn
    Average rating

    7.29

  14. Squad number14Player nameRodon
    Average rating

    7.03

Manchester City

  1. Squad number17Player nameDe Bruyne
    Average rating

    4.72

  2. Squad number9Player nameGabriel Jesus
    Average rating

    4.22

  3. Squad number2Player nameWalker
    Average rating

    4.12

  4. Squad number16Player nameRodri
    Average rating

    4.09

  5. Squad number14Player nameLaporte
    Average rating

    4.07

  6. Squad number3Player nameRúben Dias
    Average rating

    4.00

  7. Squad number21Player nameF Torres
    Average rating

    3.98

  8. Squad number20Player nameBernardo Silva
    Average rating

    3.97

  9. Squad number27Player nameJoão Cancelo
    Average rating

    3.95

  10. Squad number47Player nameFoden
    Average rating

    3.78

  11. Squad number26Player nameMahrez
    Average rating

    3.76

  12. Squad number31Player nameEderson
    Average rating

    3.68

  13. Squad number7Player nameSterling
    Average rating

    3.43

Line-ups

Tottenham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Lloris
  • 24Aurier
  • 4AlderweireldSubstituted forRodonat 81'minutes
  • 15Dier
  • 3Reguilón
  • 17SissokoBooked at 42mins
  • 5Højbjerg
  • 7Son Heung-min
  • 28NdombeleSubstituted forLo Celsoat 65'minutes
  • 23BergwijnSubstituted forLucas Mouraat 73'minutes
  • 10KaneBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

  • 9Bale
  • 12Hart
  • 14Rodon
  • 18Lo Celso
  • 27Lucas Moura
  • 33Davies
  • 45Carlos Vinícius

Man City

Formation 4-3-3

  • 31Ederson
  • 2Walker
  • 3Rúben DiasBooked at 87mins
  • 14Laporte
  • 27Cancelo
  • 17De Bruyne
  • 16Rodri
  • 20Bernardo SilvaSubstituted forFodenat 72'minutes
  • 26MahrezSubstituted forSterlingat 72'minutes
  • 9Gabriel Jesus
  • 21F TorresBooked at 88mins

Substitutes

  • 5Stones
  • 7Sterling
  • 8Gündogan
  • 10Agüero
  • 13Steffen
  • 47Foden
  • 50García
Referee:
Mike Dean

Match Stats

Home TeamTottenhamAway TeamMan City
Possession
Home34%
Away66%
Shots
Home4
Away22
Shots on Target
Home2
Away5
Corners
Home0
Away10
Fouls
Home13
Away19

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Manchester City 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Manchester City 0.

  3. Post update

    Phil Foden (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur).

  5. Post update

    Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).

  7. Post update

    Attempt missed. João Cancelo (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Raheem Sterling following a corner.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.

  9. Post update

    Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Eric Dier.

  10. Post update

    Attempt saved. Rúben Dias (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.

  11. Booking

    Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  12. Post update

    Rúben Dias (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).

  14. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ferran Torres (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by João Cancelo.

  15. Booking

    Ferran Torres (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Ferran Torres (Manchester City).

  17. Post update

    Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  18. Booking

    Rúben Dias (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Rúben Dias (Manchester City).

  20. Post update

    Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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1Tottenham96212191220
2Chelsea953122101218
3Leicester8602189918
4Liverpool85211816217
5Southampton85121612416
6Aston Villa85031911815
7Everton84131614213
8Crystal Palace84131212013
9Man Utd84131314-113
10Wolves841389-113
11Man City83321011-112
12Arsenal8404910-112
13West Ham83231410411
14Newcastle93241015-511
15Leeds83141417-310
16Brighton92341315-29
17Fulham8116715-84
18West Brom9036618-123
19Burnley7025312-92
20Sheff Utd8017414-101
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