Spurs beat the Citizens 2-0 on 02-02-2020
Written By: Robert Halter
Tottenham Hotspur last recorded a Premier League victory over Manchester City by 2-0 back in 2016 at the old White Hart Lane stadium. In a three way move by the Citizens, Rodrigo played in Riyad Mahrez, before the ball was riffled by Kevin De Bruyne, into the outside netting of the right post, in the eighth minute. On eleven minutes, from a wayward back pass by Nicolas Otamendi, as Lucas Moura, advanced forward, he clattered into Ederson. The first yellow card went to Raheem Sterling for treading on the ankle of Dele Alli, who required treatment. In the seventeenth minute, through a raking pass by Harry Winks, an alert Emerson ran out of his goal to clear the ball away from Heung-Min Son. Then in the twentieth minute, ILkay Gundogan’s over the top ball was punched away by Hugo Lloris, while being pressurised by Sergio Aguero. Five minutes later, following an incisive pass by Mahrez, a low snap shot by De Bruyne, outside the area, rolled into the safe keeping of Lloris. On twenty seven minutes, Davinson Sanchez gave the ball away to Mahrez, whose ball through was struck by Aguero onto the foot of Lloris and against the bottom of the right post. Against his former Lilywhites, Kyle Walker was booked for pulling over Moura. But in the thirty ninth minute, after a delayed VAR check for a clip on the ankle of Aguero by Serge Arurier in the area, the Citizens were awarded a penalty and as Gundogan’s spot kick was saved by Lloris as he dived to his left, Lloris then clashed with Sterling from the rebound, who fell down, but a VAR check reported no foul, then after a clash of players surrounding Lloris, both Toby Alderweireld and Oleksandr Zinchenko went in the book of referee, Mike Dean. In the fourth minute of first half stoppage time, from Mahrez’s delivery, Sterling pulled the ball back to Aguero, who found the outside netting of the right post, while Aurier was on the floor. Four minutes into the second half, Japhet Tanganga clattered into his own goalkeeper Lloris, and then De Bruyne fell down while playing the ball to Aguero, whose low strike was cleared away from the line by Alderweireld, before Sterling found Gundogan, who blazed the ball over. In the fifty fourth minute, from De Bruyne’s corner, a piercing header by Rodrigo, flew out to the right. But on the hour mark, as Zinchenko broke down the run of Winks, after a shoulder barge, Zinchenko was sent off for a second yellow card. Spurs remarkably took the lead three minutes later, when from a Son corner to Steven Bergwijn, the ball in by Winks was poorly cleared by Walker, and from Moura’s delivery, Bergwijn brought the ball down on his chest, and turned a right footed strike into the bottom right corner for a debut goal. Aguero was then replaced with Joao Cancelo. The next caution went to Giovani Lo Celso for dragging over Walker. In a double change by the Lilywhites, Alli was taken off for Tanugy Ndombele and Bergwijn made way for Erik Lamela. In the seventy first minute, Spurs sealed the deal, when Ndombele’s threaded pass, was struck by Son against the foot of Fernandinho, and like an arrow the ball flew into the bottom left corner. Mahrez was then changed for Gabriel Jesus. Later substitutions were made as Moura was switched for Eric Dier while the Citizens brought on Bernardo Silva for Sterling. On eighty eight minutes, a swerving cross on the left by De Bruyne, was pushed over by the outstretched hand of Lloris, with an acrobatic tip over. In the second minute of stoppage time, Lo Celso’s ball out to the left, was met on the turn by Son, as the ball was comfortably parried by Emerson. City responded as Silva found Gundogan on the right, whose low cross was pushed away by Lloris, at full stretch to his right. The final booking went to Rodrigo for a late challenge on Lamela. At the end Sanchez was close to putting his ball into his own net as he sent Silva’s cross crashing against the crossbar, as Spurs beat Man City 2-0 on 02-02-2020.