Ten-man Tottenham Concede Five To Manchester City
By Logan Holmes
Etienne Capoue [Photo: Alan Hill]Tottenham were reduced to ten men when Danny Rose was sent off and the resultant penalty brought to an end of their chances against Manchester City who had taken a first half lead. City added four in the second half while Etienne Capoue pulled one back for Spurs.
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 5
Scorers: Capoue Aguero, Yaya Toure (pen), Dzeko, Jovetic, Kompany
Team: Lloris, Walker, Chiriches, Dawson, Rose, Lennon, Bentaleb, Dembele (Capoue), Sigurdsson (Naughton), Eriksen (Holtby), Adebayor Subs: (Unused) Friedel, Chadli, Defoe, Soldado
What had the possibility of being an exciting second half was ruined four minutes after half-time when Spurs were reduced to ten men with the sending off of Danny Rose and the award of a City penalty by the assistant referee. City had dominated the early possession and gone ahead through Aguero but Spurs had clawed their way back and had seen a Michael Dawson goal disallowed incorrectly for off-side before the same official determined the match outcome with the penalty award. City added a third two minutes later and although Capoue pulled a goal back, City’s advantage of the extra man eventually told as they added two more in the 77th and 89th minute.
Michael Dawson [Photo: Alan Hill]Tim Sherwood made just one change from the team which won at Swansea ten days ago. With none of the injured players ready to return he decided to retain the formation which worked effectively in the last game but Gylfi Sigurdsson replaced Nacer Chadli on the left of midfield.
Manchester City who are now unbeaten in 20 games, with 18 wins started on the front foot and with every attack caused Tottenham problems. Aguero was a constant danger and after four minutes he powered a shot onto the inside of the post after working his way into the area. As wave after wave of City attack came towards the Spurs defence, they struggled with the visitors’ pace and movement.
Save by Hugo Lloris [Photo: Alan Hill]On 15 minutes, the City pressure eventually paid off when Aguero beat Hugo Lloris from a tight angle with a delicately placed pass into the corner of the net.
A Christian Eriksen corner in the 19th minute dropped into the centre of the area and hit Kompany but fell to the ground where Hart gratefully picked it up. Lloris then made an outstanding save from an Aguero header after a cross from the left.
Two minutes later Danny Rose cleared the ball off the line from a header at a City corner and then Aguero shot over. City were pressing Spurs who were giving the ball away too easily and too frequently as they tried to play out of defence. City had appeals for a penalty turned down when the ball hit Bentaleb’s arms from close range.
At this point City looked like scoring with every forward raid but gradually Spurs worked their way back into the game and were unfortunate when from another Eriksen free-kick, after a foul on Rose on the edge of the area, Dawson’s effort was incorrectly disallowed for off-side after 35 minutes.
Dawson’s disallowed goal [Photo: Alan Hill]Spurs continued to be more competitive as half-time approached and Mousa Dembele shot weakly wide after another Eriksen free-kick was cleared to him on the edge of the box.
Capoue’s goal [Photo: Alan Hill]Etienne Capoue replaced the injured Dembele for the second half but in a scrappy start to the half it was City who were given the advantage with the dismissal of Rose who tackled back and won the ball in the area. The referee was directed by his official to both the penalty and the sending off. Yaya Toure sent Lloris the wrong way with the penalty on 51 minutes. Two minutes later a shot by Silva was tipped onto the post by Lloris but Dzeko put away the rebound.
Spurs scored through Capoue at the corner after 59 minutes but any chance of a ten-man revival were snuffed out by City as they retained possession and took advantage of having the extra man. As Spurs tired City added the fourth through Jovetic on 77 minutes, his shot taking a big deflection off Vlad Chiriches.
In the 89th minute Kompany made it five when a shot deflected off Bentaleb and fell to him in the area. Lloris prevented it being six with a save in added tine after Kyle Walker tackled back and the goalkeeper got his foot to a follow up shot.
A disappointing result for Spurs who had been hoping for a morale boosting win to make a statement on their challenge for a top-4 finish. They remain in 5th place, three points behind Liverpool but will feel aggrieved that the match was taken out of their hands by two decisions from the assistant referee.