It isn’t typically that Manchester City look toothless in assault however after they go to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a curse appears to carry them again.
Pep Guardiola’s aspect are nonetheless but to attain at Spurs’ new floor and in reality, they by no means appeared like doing so on Sunday throughout a dismal day for his or her title aspirations.
It was a beautiful day for the hosts who with Antonio Conte watching on from dwelling, appeared an incredible deal extra comfy with assistant supervisor Cristian Stellini guiding proceedings from the bench.
Whoever devised the sport plan obtained issues spot on with the Londoners maintaining a consecutive clear sheet towards a aspect who’re normally so harmful within the remaining third.
Nevertheless, regardless of that, it was one man in assault who deserved many of the reward. Certainly, Harry Kane broke the late Jimmy Greave’s report for objectives in a Tottenham shirt in what simply so occurred to be a match-winning objective from the England captain.
It took him to 267 strikes in Spurs colors and this might nicely be one among his most necessary with the Lilywhites in the end successful 1-0, a outcome that enhances their top-four hopes no finish.
In fact, Kane didn’t have too large of a job to play elsewhere however in typical trend, he popped up when it issues to bounce the ball previous Ederson within the first half.
That stated, he wasn’t the one man in white to shine on a cracking day for Spurs. The person to produce him with that record-breaking objective was additionally in prime kind; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
The Dane received Sky Sports activities’ Participant of the Match award at full-time with the midfield “monster” – as he has notably been dubbed by Morten Bisgaard – shining from begin to end.
Hojbjerg appeared to relish a job that allowed him to get additional ahead, as he stepped in to steal the ball away from the younger Rico Lewis earlier than rolling the ball into Kane for a significant help.
However he stepped up in different areas too, with a battling and commanding show from the centre of the pitch.
Talking throughout Sky’s protection, Gary Neville declared that he had been “excellent” all through his 46 touches of the soccer whereas notable PR man Simon Clare put issues aptly, remarking that it was a “match-winning” show.
The 27-year-old was a continuing nuisance to Manchester Metropolis together with his 83% pass success fee an indicator of his immense composure.
Profitable six duels laid down his defensive acumen whereas his three tackles have been very important in halting any progress Guardiola’s aspect tried to make.
The one factor that permit the Dane down occurred to be his lack of athleticism. On just a few events, significantly within the second half on the counter-attack, he lacked the tempo to in the end break free and add a second.
One such probability got here late on as he broke freed from the defence and tried to put in Emerson Royal, just for his move to go begging in a promising space.
Past that, he was excellent and displayed phenomenal confidence. Certainly, that was proven with a fragile lob from distance within the second interval that discovered the online, just for it to be dominated out for offside.
A objective of that customary would have been all the things he deserved for a efficiency that was of excessive class.