Citizens narrowly beat Spurs
Written By: Robert Halter
The pitch still had the NFL markings and looked worse for wear at Wembley stadium as both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City had to deal with the surface for a Monday night football encounter, end of October. It took just six minutes for the Citizens to press home their advantage, from a long goal kick by Ederson Moraes, as Kieran Trippier lost his marker, and Raheem Sterling broke down the left, before putting the ball across to Riyad Mahrez, who struck a left footed shot from the centre of the box, to the bottom left corner. In the next minute, Sterling laid the ball off to Sergio Aguero, who drove the ball wide of the left post. Spurs responded on nine minutes, from a through ball by Erik Lamela, and a rasping strike by Harry Kane, struck the back of the outside netting on top of the upright. Within a minute, from a Trippier corner, a backward header from Toby Alderweireld, was clasped upon by City shot stopper, Ederson. In the sixteenth, after Aguero caused problems in the box, the ball is released to Bernardo Silva on a tight angle, but Ben Davies makes the block to deflect the ball behind for a corner which is subsequently cleared. Midway through the first half, after Benjamin Mendy lets the ball slip under his foot, Moussa Sissoko breaks away into the area, but his pass across the box is cut out by Fernandinho. In the twenty eighth minute, David Silva lays the ball off to Mahrez in the area, and he fires his strike past Davies, as Hugo Lloris pushes the ball against the outside of the right post with a one handed save. In the thirty third minute from a miss placed header by Aymeric Laporte, it allowed Lamela to clear the path for Kane, but a brave block was made from Emerson, to avert the danger as he then required treatment. On thirty six minutes, Bernardo Silva assisted his fellow name sake David Silva, but the ball was caught by Lloris. In the forty second minute, a threatening ball in from Bernardo Silva, is headed back by Davinson Sanchez, into the safe keeping of Lloris. From a poor kick out by Lloris, the ball falls to Aguero, who is hacked down just outside the area by Eric Dier, but Spurs have a reprieve, as David Silva strikes his free kick against the wall, in the forty ninth minute. Then in the fifty fifth minute, Kyle Walker slides a pass inside for Bernardo Silva, who reaches the by line, before finding David Silva in the box, who creates space for Sterling, whose right footed effort is blocked and put out of play by Trippier, in front of the line. In the fifty seventh minute, Walker breaks free from inside his own half, but sends a miss placed pass to Aguero, on the right side of the box. On sixty five minutes, Bernardo Silva and then David Silva, open up space for Aguero, who strikes a low drive straight at Lloris. A minute later, David Silva sets up Aguero again, whose first time snap shot at long range, is fended away at full stretch by Lloris. Spurs then replace Dier with Harry Winks before the Citizens take off Aguero for Kevin De Bruyne. On seventy three minutes, after combining with Trippier, a ball over from Lamela, goes too far past Lucas Moura. The Lilywhites then switch Mousa Dembele with Dele Alli. After Mahrez loses the ball out on the left to Alli, the ball is played across to Lamela, who with the goal gapping, blasts a wasteful left footed strike high over the top, in the eightieth minute. Having picked up an earlier knock from Walker, it was time up for Moura as Christian Eriksen took over. On eighty six minutes, Trippier and Alli combined, but Eriksen’s soft shot was latched up by Emerson. Citizens club captain, David Silva then made way for Vincent Kompany. After Alli’s strike rebounded back off Laporte, the ball was blazed over by Eriksen, in the ninetieth minute. Gabriel Jesus then made a cameo appearance for Man City, for the goal scorer Mahrez. There was an escape for the Citizens at the end, when Trippier’s ball in, was only narrowly header out of play by Walker, as the Premier League leaders and defending champions, Manchester City secured a slender 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.