Tottenham Hotspurs scored once in each half to overcome Manchester City 2-0 at their London stadium on Saturday to return to the top of the English Premier League (EPL) table.
The Jose Mourinho inspired side put on a defensive masterclass mixed with a smash-and-grab attack that delivered the goals, thanks to Heung-Min Son and Giovanni Lo Celso.
Mourinho recorded consecutive wins over Pep Guardiola, Man City manager, for the first time in 24 meetings as Spurs blocked 10 0f City’s 16 shot and scored with both their attempts on target.
Tottenham will be taking the top spot in the league for the first time since August 2014 while Man City’s 12 points are their lowest after nine EPL matches since 2008.
Son put Tottenham in the lead after five minutes when he took Tungay Ndombele’s pass from deep into his stride before slotting the ball through the legs of Ederson Moraes, Man City goalkeeper.
Man City did have the ball in the net afterwards through Aymeric Laporte’s shot but it was chalked off by the video assistant referee (VAR) which adjudged that Gabriel Jesus had handled the ball before setting up Laporte.
Guardiola’s side dominated the game and finished with 66% possession but Tottenham proved a stubborn side and constantly looked menacing on the counter-attack.
Their resilience paid further dividends on 65 minutes when Lo Celso, a substitute, scored less than 30 seconds after coming off the bench. The Argentine collected Harry Kane’s pass and slotted beyond Ederson with a low finish to double the lead to secure the match for the North Londoners.
In the first match of the day, Chelsea continued their recent resurgence with a 2-0 win at Newcastle United, thanks to an own goal and a 65th-minute strike from Tammy Abraham.
RESULTS
Newcastle United 0-2 Chelsea
Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton and Hove Albion
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City
Manchester United 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
