Harry Kane became Tottenham’s highest goalscorer to help them produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Premier League. Kane scored his 267th goal while wearing the colors of Spurs (15) to make up for Rodri’s carelessness in possession on the brink of his own box, but City was unable to capitalize on league-leading Arsenal’s Saturday loss at Everton. Spurs hung on despite Cristian Romero’s 87th-minute dismissal for a second bookable offense, ensuring that City has now dropped all five of its games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is now five points behind Arsenal in the chase for a third straight championship. Spurs, on the other hand, move to within one point of the top four despite having played one more game than their rivals. This is the second time this season that they have won three straight games, and it was one of their best outings.
Man City dominated the early possession battle but appeared susceptible to the counterattack. The first setback occurred when Rodri turned the ball over on the edge of his own box, allowing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to set up Kane to surpass Michael Owen as the all-time greatest scorer for the Spurs. After 15 minutes, Kane made his first touch of the game with his feet when he took the ball at an angle and tucked it home with a low finish. With 267 goals, the 29-year-old became Spurs’ all-time leading scorer and the player to reach 200 Premier League goals the fastest. It was a significant accomplishment for him.
After taking the lead, the home crowd urged Spurs on as they continued to cause City issues, with Kane nearly increased their advantage from a set-piece. Riyad Mahrez’s shot from inside the box in the final seconds of the first half gave City the chance to draw even. In the second half, Man City struggled to get going, and as the game dragged on, Kevin De Bruyne was introduced. Spurs, though, posed a greater threat because City’s forward line was fragmented for the whole of the game and Erling Haaland was unable to participate in the game.
After the hour mark, Kane missed a low cross from Ivan Perisic at the back post, and a strong save from Ederson prevented him from scoring twice in short succession. Jack Grealish pushed City forward, but they were unable to produce a clear-cut opportunity. Julian Alvarez’s long-range shot was their closest opportunity. Romero’s dismissal with three minutes left gave the visitors some hope, but an outstanding Tottenham backline, who hadn’t made a mistake all afternoon, kept them at bay.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Kane was serenaded by the team’s supporters before speaking to the crowd for the first time as the club’s all-time leading scorer. He timed his attempt to break Jimmy Greaves’ record perfectly. At a time when the club needed a boost, this crucial match against the Premier League champions was crucial. Despite the absence of Spurs’ head coach Antonio Conte, Kane set the bar high on the field and provided a stage for everyone else to shine. The Spurs foot soldiers were motivated by their captain as they outfought City and defeated Pep Guardiola’s team in north London, earning another three points. Emerson Royale and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg were among them.
“Harry Kane has football in his genetic makeup. He is constantly aware of football. Any position is open to him. In this league and in this sport, he is the GOAT. He is a great illustration,” Tottenham assistant coach Cristian Stiellini said. “It was a difficult week, so we must compliment all the players and the staff. Because Antonio [Conte] passed away this week, it was a difficult week. Hopefully, he will return next week. He’ll be pleased to return now. When I just spoke with him on the phone, he congratulated the team, particularly Harry, and said well done.”
“As is customary when playing Tottenham at home or on the road, we got off to a great start, but when we made a mistake, they punished us. We still had chances, and it is never easy when Kulusevski and Son lose the ball in transition. Three points were lost by us,” Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola said. “It will change [City’s record at Spurs] sooner or later, but it is odd that we haven’t scored a goal while previously missing penalties. Finding a solution is difficult. We discovered the places and threw accurate balls to the channels, but we missed the last advance action.”
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