Full Time: Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City recorded their 16th successive win in the Premier League, by thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 at the Etihad on Saturday evening. City eventually broke the deadlock after 14 minutes, as Ilkay Gundogan got on the end of Leroy Sane’s corner and powered home a header.
Spurs, meanwhile, were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure, with the hope of catching City on the counter. They nearly found the equaliser in the 36th minute through Harry Kane, who sent a curling effort just wide of the upright.
After the break, City goalkeeper Ederson was called into action as he produced a stunning save to deny Kane from close range. City, however, were finally rewarded for their continuous attacks. Kevin De Bruyne, who was later adjudged as the Man of the Match, doubled the lead with a vicious strike in the 70th minute.
Five minutes later, City were awarded a penalty when De Bruyne was brought down. Jesus stepped up but hit the upright. The hosts eventually got their third goal through Raheem Sterling and he himself scored the 4th in the 90th minute, as Eric Dier’s error allowed the winger to slip and tap the ball into an empty net.
Spurs fans had a reason to smile after Christian Eriksen scored the consolation in the third minute of stoppage time, with a fine low effort from 20-yards out.
Here’s how the Citizens fared against Spurs.
Man City Player Ratings
Ederson – 8/10
Fantastic save to deny Harry Kane in the second-half. Overall, he was untested but should be unhappy to have conceded a goal, deep into the added time.
Kyle Walker – 7/10
Strong and robust against his former side. Dealt with Danny Rose quite brilliantly and surged forward with purpose to support Raheem Sterling.
Nicolas Otamendi – 8/10
Barring the miskick early in the second-half, Otamendi had a top game. The fact that Kane never unsettled him speaks volumes about his positioning and overall defending.
Eliaquim Mangala – 8/10
He looked like the player who would be sold in the summer but he has now stayed and Pep is getting to know his value. With skipper Vincent Kompany and John Stones unavailable, Mangala has slotted in well. Quick, strong and agile are the words to describe the Frenchman’s outing.
Fabian Delph – 8/10
Top show again! It makes me wonder he isn’t a natural left-back and yet playing better than all the current full-backs in the Premier League. Delph fought tooth and nail to keep the Spurs attackers at bay.
Kevin De Bruyne – 10/10
No prizes for guessing his rating. A perfect 10 for the Belgian! Oozed class with some sensational passing and capped off the night with an important and killer goal with his left-foot. Currently the best player in the Premier League?
Fernandinho – 9/10
The Brazilian brings so much stability and calmness in the midfield. Had the task to restrict Spurs attackers which he did quite superbly. His other job was to make things work from the base of the midfield and he even excelled in that.
Ilkay Gundogan – 8/10
He was given a chance in David Silva’s absence and repaid the manager’s trust with an unerring header. Did the dirty defensive job well but the highlight of his game was crisp passing and the through ball to release Leroy Sane on the left for the third goal. The German is back to his best!
Raheem Sterling – 8/10
Had a mixed bag. Sterling missed two absolute sitters but his pace and agility kept the Spurs full-backs on the back-foot. The winger was rewarded later with two of most easy tap-ins of his life.
Leroy Sane – 9/10
He was simply menacing down the left flank with his raw pace and direct running. Kieran Trippier hardly took away the ball from him and endured a forgettable night. The German whipped in a delicious corner-kick for Gundogan’s opener and unselfishly teed up Sterling for the third goal.
Sergio Aguero – 7/10
Gave Spurs a few problems in the first-half but didn’t do much with the half-chances he got. Looked a bit off-pace after the break and was taken off in the 60th minute. A relatively quiet show from the diminutive Argentine.
Substitutes
Gabriel Jesus – 7/10
Replaced Aguero and added more energy and pace to the attack. He missed a penalty but his impact on the game was telling.
Phil Foden – N/A
Dubbed as the ‘Stockport Andreas Iniesta’, Foden had very little time to make an impact on the game.
Bernardo Silva – N/A
Came on for Sane in the 85th minute and provided an assist for Sterling.