Manchester City have received seven Premier League penalties this season. Only Leicester City (10) had more
Manchester City extended their winning run to 15 games and their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points when they slightly defeated Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium.
Ilkay Gundogan scored twice after Rodri City took the lead from the penalty spot in the middle of the opening period.
Raheem Sterling may have had another late date when City tightened his grip on the summit, where they also have a game up against runner-up Leicester.
It was a chastening night for Tottenham and their manager, Jose Mourinho.
When they won the first meeting between these teams in November, Tottenham were at the top of the table.
Since then, City has scored 41 out of 45 possible points in order to gain a decisive advantage in the title race.
In contrast, Spurs have now accumulated 16 points in 14 games and lost four out of five games in all competitions, staying in eighth place.
With this evidence, few will give Mourinho a chance to beat Pep Guardiola at Wembley when these teams clash in the Carabao Cup final on April 25.
Ederson all smiles after penalty pain
After the Liverpool win last week when Gundogan became the third City player to be absent on site, Guardiola suggested that goalkeeper Ederson could be next.
It wasn’t entirely clear whether the city boss was joking.
Ederson certainly did not believe that the Brazilian had been confirmed by the video assistant referee after Pierre-Emile Hojberg fouled Gundogan.
It took Bernardo Silva a firm hand to stop him, and there was a degree of annoyance about how Ederson got back to his position when Rodri found the net.
It was easy to sympathize with the city guard.
Aside from Harry Kane’s free-kick, which hit the post in the first few minutes, Ederson had practically nothing to do until Erik Lamela shot him right before the hour.
His disappointment did not last, however.
Dropping a superb long ball from the edge of his own area over the visiting defense for Gundogan, the German ensured Ederson could claim the assist for a pretty brilliant goal as he defeated Davinson Sanchez before finishing brilliantly.
From 70 meters away, Ederson celebrated with a big smile and a thumbs up.
Gundogan’s record came in 11 goals in 12 games, having already benefited from Raheem Sterling’s superb control and doubling the hosts’ lead five minutes after the break.
There were concerns about how Gundogan’s night ended when he was replaced with what appeared to be a groin injury.
City will hope the problem doesn’t last too long for Premier League player of the month.
The bunion problem continues
It was another frustrating night for Gareth Bale.
After a rather odd week with Mourinho saying the Welshman asked to be excluded from the FA Cup loss to Everton in the middle of the week for not feeling right, he got back on the Spurs squad and declined then the hint of a from Social media post Since he was training well, Bale wasn’t introduced until the 71st minute.
By then, Tottenham had lost three times and Mourinho had already used two substitutes, further underscoring the manager-player gap.
Bale was responsible for the only moment of inspiration for open game visitors when he took possession of Rodri and then slapped three men before shooting from the edge of the box too close to Ederson for the goalkeeper to save the city.
Without a quick change in luck, there is a risk of turning a season that has promised so much to both sides into a wet detonator, with begging from those close to Bale that he just needs a series of games to complete to consider its shape unlikely.
Europe’s top scorer – the statistics
- Ilkay Gundogan has scored more goals than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues since the turn of the calendar year, scoring nine goals in nine Premier League games in 2021.
- Manchester City have not been a minute behind in any of their last 15 Premier League games since they lost 2-0 to Tottenham in November.
- Tottenham have lost four of their last five Premier League games, as many as in their last 28 league games.
- City are the first team to concede 14 goals from their first 23 Premier League games in one season since Manchester United (17) and Chelsea (14) in the 2008-09 season.
- Spurs have conceded a total of eight goals in their last two games (5 against Everton, 3 against Man City) – most of Jose Mourinho’s managerial career in all competitions over a two-game period.
- Ederson’s support for City’s third goal was the third assist he has registered for the club in all competitions, including against Huddersfield in August 2018 and against Schalke in February 2019.
What’s next?
Manchester City are on duty in a rearranged Premier League game at Everton on Wednesday (8:15 p.m. GMT). Tottenham continues its Europa League season on Thursday against the Austrian club Wolfsberger in the round of 16, which was moved to Budapest (17:55).
Player of the game
GündoganIlkay Gündogan
More will follow.
Constellations
Man City
formation 4-3-3
31Ederson
27Cancel5Stones14thLaporte11Zinchenko
20thBernardo Silva16Rodri8thGündogan
47Foden9Gabriel Jesus7thsterling
- 31Ederson
- 27Cancel
- 5Stones
- 14thLaporte
- 11Zinchenko
- 20thBernardo SilvaBooked at 29 minutes
- 16Rodri
- 8thGündoganReplaced byTorresat the 69 ‘protocol
- 47Foden
- 9Gabriel JesusReplaced byMahrezat the 79 ‘protocol
- 7thsterling
replacement
- 2Walking aid
- 3Rúben Dias
- 10omen
- 13Steffen
- 21stTorres
- 22ndMendy
- 26thMahrez
- 50Garcia
- 69Doyle
Tottenham
formation 4-2-3-1
1Lloris
25thTanganga6thD Sánchez15thanimal33Davies
28Ndombele5Højbjerg
11The Apple27Lucas Moura7thSon of Heung-Min
10Kane
- 1Lloris
- 25thTanganga
- 6thD Sánchez
- 15thanimalBooked at 77 minutes
- 33DaviesBooked at 90 minutes
- 28NdombeleReplaced byThereat the 64 ‘protocol
- 5Højbjerg
- 11The AppleBooked at 65 minutesReplaced byBaleat the 72 ‘protocol
- 27Lucas MouraReplaced bySissokoat the 45 ‘protocol
- 7thSon of Heung-Min
- 10Kane
replacement
- 2Doherty
- 4thAlderweireld
- 8thWinks
- 9Bale
- 12Hard
- 17thSissoko
- 20thThere
- 23Bergwijn
- 45Alves Morais
Live text
End of the game, Manchester City 3, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
The second half ends, Manchester City 3, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
Rodrigo (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).
John Stones (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur).
Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur).
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. The corner was caused by Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Attempt saved. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the center of the goal. Assisted by Joao Cancelo.
Attempt saved. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the center of the box is saved in the center of the box by the goalkeeper. Prepared by Phil Foden.
Corner of Manchester City. The corner was scored by Davinson Sánchez.
Foul by Rodrigo (Manchester City).
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. The corner was caused by Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Missed attempt. Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is high and far to the right.
Foul by Phil Foden (Manchester City).
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the center of the box is saved by the goalkeeper in the top right corner.
