Tottenham 2, Manchester City 0
Jose Mourinho secured a sixth win over Pep Guardiola as his Spurs side inflicted a sixth Premier League defeat this term on Manchester City at Spurs.
City wasted all their chances while battering Spurs for an hour before Oleksandr Zinchenko was sent off for a second yellow card and Spurs duly went on to win through goals by debutant Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min.
Guardiola made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 against Manchester United in the League Cup semi final at the Etihad in midweek.
Ederson, Fernandinho (playing his 300th game for City), and Oleksandr Zinchenko came into the side for Claudio Bravo, Joao Cancelo, and Bernardo Silva.
In the two clubs’ first Premier League encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium there was controversy as Raheem Sterling was not sent off earlier for a studs up challenge on Dele Alli.
VAR ruled that the challenge was not worthy of upgrading to a red card – a decision which left Mourinho incensed – and perhaps the only decision that went City’s way on the day.
Hugo Lloris had an outstanding afternoon in goal for the home side to deny the visitors who were wasteful and had too many players off the boil.
Sergio Aguero’s shot was diverted onto the woodwork by Lloris after a casual pass out of the Spurs defence was intercepted by Riyad Mahrez who put the Argentine hitman through on goal.
Aguero later earned a penalty through VAR after Mike Dean initially missed a foul on the Argentine in the area by Serge Aurier.
But City’s penalty woes continued as Ilkay Gundogan’s spot kick was saved by Lloris and VAR ruled that the Frenchman reached the rebound before Sterling got to it and was fouled by him.
Aguero shot wide and had another shot cleared off the line by Toby Alderweireld while Gundogan shanked the rebound over the bar with the goal gaping.
Then there was a mad 10 minute spell where City lost the plot, and the game, after losing the ball off their own slack corner in the 61st minute.
Mahrez left Zinchenko in the lurch and forced to bring down Harry Winks on the half way line as he shaped to break free on the counter attack after a poorly taken corner.
The Ukraine midfielder was shown the second yellow card for a blatant foul on Winks and had to go having already been booked for dissent following the earlier penalty drama.
Things went from bad to worse two minutes later as Kyle Walker failed to clear the ball and Lucas Moura’s chip back into the area was chested down and then volleyed past Ederson in one movement from 15 yards out by Bergwijn.
And Son doubled that lead after turning with the ball and firing past Ederson with help from a deflection off Fernandinho after Tanguy Ndombele fired a pass into him on the edge of the area.
Nothing had gone City’s way all afternoon, and they couldn’t claw their way back into the game.
Eric Dier headed away Bernardo Silva’s shot while Lloris tipped away Kevin De Bruyne’s dipping shot and Davinson Sanchez’ defensive header came back off his own crossbar as City’s luck completely deserted them in London.
The result left City a record 22 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool who now need just six wins from the 13 Premier League games left to lift the Premier League title for the first time.
And Spurs are now just 4 points behind Chelsea in 4th place as they chase a place in next season’s Champions League.
MATCH STATS – Tottenham 0, Manchester City 2
Tottenham: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Tanganga, Lo Celso, Winks, Son, Alli (Ndombele 70), Bergwijn (Lamela 70), Moura (Dier 84)
Tottenham Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Ryan Sessegnon, Fernandes
Booked: Alderweireld, Lo Celso
Goals: Bergwijn 63, Son 71
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez (Jesus 72), Aguero (Cancelo 64), Sterling (Bernardo Silva 84)
Man City subs not used: Bravo, David Silva, Foden, Garcia
Booked: Zinchenko, Rodri, Sterling
Sent off: Zinchenko 61 (second yellow card)
Referee: Mike Dean