Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur deliver a superb effort to defeat Manchester City 3-2 in a result that throws the Premier League title race wide open.
Tottenham blew the Premier League title race wide open with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester City. Harry Kane scored twice, including an injury-time winner.
Dejan Kulusevski – a January transfer from Juventus – scored after only four minutes when Heung-Min Son broke the offside trap and sent the ball to the Sweden international unselfishly.
Ilkay Gundogan equalized in the 33rd minute following a storm of City pressure — Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris mishandled a Raheem Sterling cross into the path of the German international, who finished decisively.
Spurs posed a far stronger offensive threat following the half, with Kane restoring his advantage with a brilliant first-time finish after Son provided the assist once more.
The England captain then put the ball in the net with a fantastic turn and finish, but VAR ruled it out for offside against Kulusevski in the build-up.
As the game entered injury time, City’s pressure paid off, with Spurs defender Cristian Romero handling in the area and Riyad Mahrez smashing home the ensuing penalty.
Yet, in the most amazing of finishes, Kane added a third goal late in the game with a header to seal a stunning victory for Spurs.
City now lead Liverpool by six points at the top of the Premier League, although the Reds have a game in hand.Masterclass with Harry Kane and Son
Harry Kane and Heung-min Son’s link-up play was outstanding in this encounter, as two world-class strikers put on a clinic.
Dejan kulusevski’s opening epitomized this aggressive understanding, as kane dropped deep to thread a perfectly weighted ball through for son, who timed his move superbly to evade the offside trap and square to the january signing for the tap-in.
The visitor’s second goal was a reversal of the first, as son floated in a superb delivery for kane to slip into the area and finish past ederson.
Minutes later, the England captain should have had a third after being discovered by his son, but lloris denied him one-on-one.
Kane put the ball in the net for the third time with a beautiful twist and finish past ederson, but var disallowed the goal due to kulusevski’s retrospective offside.
Kane would not be denied in stoppage time, scoring a spectacular winner for his team with a header.
Pep Guardiola’s team occasionally overloaded the left flank, sensing that the portugal international’s threat in the final third might be amplified against emerson royal, whose defensive positioning can be exploited.
It was unsurprising that city’s equaliser came from the left wing – even if the delivery came from raheem sterling rather than cancelo – with the rampaging full-back wreaking havoc.
With Spurs’ defensive line so thin, city targeted the flanks, and there is arguably no full-back who combines attacking and defensive ability on the same level or with the consistency of the Portuguese international.
After a less than convincing performance in Spurs’ recent home defeat to wolves, lloris demonstrated his importance to the club in this match.
