Manchester City put on a masterclass as they comfortably defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in their Premier League showdown at the Etihad Stadium on a thrilling Saturday night.
First Half
City kicked off with great energy, and Ilkay Gündogan capitalised on some shaky defending from Spurs to head in a goal from Leroy Sané’s pinpoint corner. The German midfielder found himself unmarked as Harry Winks momentarily lost concentration, making it a simple finish from close range.
Dominating possession, City had two fantastic opportunities to extend their lead by the 24th minute. Ederson’s beautifully executed long kick found Sergio Agüero, who charged into the Spurs area before forcing a solid save from keeper Hugo Lloris. Raheem Sterling then snatched the rebound but unfortunately sent his shot flying over the bar, missing a golden chance.
Gündogan remained a constant threat, testing Lloris with a shot on the edge of the box, which was parried to safety. City’s relentless pressure continued, highlighted when Danny Rose heroically blocked a curling left-foot attempt by Agüero after a sharp cut inside from the right flank.
Spurs offered little in attack until the 35th minute when Harry Kane created a moment out of thin air. After deftly controlling the ball, he unleashed a curling shot from left of City’s box, but it narrowly missed the far post.
The second half opened with Spurs pushing harder for an equaliser. Christian Eriksen and Kane combined well, with Kane setting up Son inside the box, but the South Korean hesitated, allowing Sané to recover and clear the danger.
Second Half
In the 55th minute, Kane’s thunderous 25-yard strike was superbly tipped over by Ederson, signalling Spurs’ increased urgency. However, it was City who kept mounting attacks. Sané outran Trippier towards the centre inside the box, firing a sharp shot that Lloris managed to parry. Sterling’s follow-up was offside, negating the chance.
Eventually, the breakthrough came in the 70th minute as Gündogan launched a speedy counter-attack, delivering the ball to Kevin De Bruyne on the left. De Bruyne controlled it cleanly before smashing a powerful shot beyond Lloris’s reach into the far corner.
Just four minutes later, City were awarded a penalty when Vertonghen fouled the goalscorer in the box. Substitute Gabriel Jesus stepped up but heartbreakingly struck the post; Sterling’s follow-up attempt was cleared off the line. Spurs nearly responded in the 77th minute, but Harry Winks faltered in the box after a slick pass from Érik Lamela, missing a vital chance to score.
The game was sealed in the 80th minute. Gündogan threaded a precise low cross from the left to Sterling, who calmly slotted home to complete his brace. Sterling then grabbed a second goal after exploiting a defensive error from Eric Dier, calmly rounding Lloris to roll the ball into an empty net.
To cap off the match, Eriksen netted a classy consolation strike with a quick left-footed snap shot, catching Ederson off guard as City wrapped up a 4-1 victory.
Final Score: Manchester City 4 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur
