Tottenham vs Man City summary: score, goals, highlights | Premier League 2020-21
Son Heung-min proved there is life at Tottenham Hotspur without Harry Kane as his goal earned the north London club a surprise 1-0 win over champions Manchester City in an absorbing Premier League opener on Sunday. All the talk beforehand was whether Tottenham's talisman Kane, strongly linked with a move to City, would be involved.
The England skipper was left out of the squad, having only just returned to training, but it was his usual strike partner Son who gave Tottenham's new manager Nuno Espirito Santo a perfect start to his reign. Tottenham were a constant threat on the counter-attack against a City side boasting new 100 million pounds ($139 million) signing Jack Grealish and it was from one such raid from deep in the 55th minute that Son beat City keeper Ederson with a clinical finish. City enjoyed the lion's share of possession but their best chance came early on when Riyad Mahrez sliced wide. (Reuters)
Game ends
Game over! Tottenham hang on to win 1-0 against City, who have lost their fourth consecutive away game to Spurs. It's the first time in Guardiola's lost four consecutive away games against the same club.
Frantic ending here. A huge roars from the Spurs fans as Sanchez dispossesses De Bruyne with a perfectly times sliding challenge.
Grealish goes in the book for a late sliding challenge on Moura, The 100-million-pound man has not offered much today for his new team.
Spurs change as Romero comes on for Hojbjerg for the final few minutes.
De Bruyne to Ferran Torres, who shoots from a tight angle on the right but it's nothing to trouble Lloris.
De Bruyne!!! The Belgian with a curling strike from distance and he forces a decent save from Lloris.
Son with a decent strike from just outside the box. It takes a deflection and he wins a corner, which he takes but the delivery is poor and Ederson collects with ease.
De Bruyne comes on for City! He replaces Mahrez, while Mendy makes way for Zinchenko.
Bergwijn, who wasted a golden opportunity to double Spurs lead on 60', is taken off and Lo Celso comes on to replace him.
Moura on the end of a cynical foul by Gundogan close to the center line. The Brazilian has put in a great performance today for Spurs.
City make their first change with Sterling making way for Gabriel Jesus.
Decent chance for City with a free kick move straight off the training ground. Mahrez first with the dummy run-up, then Gundogan feigns a shot and plays a quick pass wide to the unmarked Cancelo, who puts a low cross towards Ferran Torres, who can't control the ball with his first touch.
A little scuffle breaks out in the middle of the park as Moura refused to let the ball go after he fouled Grealish when City wanted to take a quick free kick. And the Brazilian gets the first booking of the game.
Bergwijn! What a miss! The ball finds its way to Bergwijn and he's one on one with Ederson. It should be 2-0 but instead he's driven his shot into the near side netting. Big let off for City.
GOALLLL SPURS!
An absolute beauty from Son! And, of course, it has come off a quick Spurs counter attack that started in their own box and ended at the feet of Son on the right close to the edge of the box. The Korean cuts inside and then launches a low shot towards the far corner, leaving Ederson with no chance.
Fernandinho controls the ball well from a nice low pass and has a pop from a promising distance. But the ball goes well over. Decent opportunity wasted.
Spurs on the move again and another threatening play ends with Moura, who shoots from distance but the ball flies wide of the left post.
Spurs start where hey left off with an early threat as Hojbjerg drives a low cross towards Son in the center, but the ball is cut out and City clear the danger.
Second half starts
Man City get the second half underway at the Tottenham Stadium.
The players emerge from the tunnel to begin the second half.
"On an increasingly serious note, you can see how the approach they're taking today might work further into the season, especially if Nuno can get Euro 2020 Hojbjerg. Win the ball high, quick front three do the rest. It could be effective." James Benge tweets on Spurs' approach in that first half. They've looked very fast and dangerous on the counter, but just lack the finish.
First half ends!
The ref calls time on an entertaining first half but still no goals at the Tottenham Stadium. City controlled the opening phases but for the last 25 minutes of that half, it was Spurs who posed the most attacking threats, with Son coming closest on 40' with a 20-yard shot that went just wide of the right post. But amid Spurs dominance, Mahrez had a great chance to give City the lead on 35' when Sterling found him unmarked by the penalty spot, but he could only blast his attempt over.
Oracle Cloud crunching the numbers for the Premier League and have Spurs and City's win probability at 23% and 42%, respectively. That's Big Data for you folks.
SOOONNN! Again Spurs break quickly on the counter. Son receives the ball close to the box, lines himself up for the shot, and tries a curling effort which goes inches wide of the right post. It took a slight deflection and he should have had a corner. Best chance of the game so far.
Skipp goes in strone to stop Mendy's cross and City have a corner on the left. Mahrez takes but Spurs clear the danger.
What a chance for Mahrez! Sterling on the left plays a cross towards the penalty spot, where Mahrez is all alone but he blasts his shot high and over. He should have nailed it.
Spurs again with another fast counter attack but Son can't get a shot off from a tight angle on the left inside the box and eventually plays a pass backwards. Spurs look threatening on the counter but lacking that finishing touch.
Great break for Spurs as Moura drives past a few men on route to the box before playing a ball wide to Bergwijn, who tees up Son for a shot. But the flag goes up for a Bergwijn offside.
Great chance for Spurs! Son plays the free kick from 35 yards towards the head of Sanchez, who beats the onrushing Ederson to the ball. City clear but only as far as Moura who hits a first time volley that's saved by a City defender close to the line.
A Spurs quick counter attacks ends with Moura, whose shot takes a deflection and the hosts have another corner on the left. Son takes and it's another fine delivery towards Sanchez, but he can't make connection and the ball goes all the way across towards the far touchline.
Spurs, enjoying a bit of possession now, win a corner on the left. Son with a very good delivery but Ederson comes out to punch the ball away.
City in control in these early stages and have made several attacking threats. But they're still yet to really test Lloris.
Nice play from Mahrez, who rounds Reguilon on the right and then puts a good a ball towards the center. But Lloris is on hand to snatch the ball.
From the free kick, Gundogan goes straight for goal with a curling strike towards the near post, but it takes a deflection and goes over. City have a corner. Fernandinho gets his head on the corner delivery under pressure from Lloris but puts the ball just wide.
Grealish does well to beat two defenders and is taken down right at the edge of the box. City have a free kick.
Spurs get the game underway.
Spurs unbeaten against City on opening day
Spurs have faced Manchester City in their opening top-flight match of the season on three previous occasions, losing none of those matches in 1990-91 (3-1 win), 1995-96 (1-1 draw) and 2010-11 (0-0 draw).
The Nuno era begins at Spurs
Spurs begin a new chapter under new head coach Nuno Espiritu Santo, who has a decent record against Manchester City. The former Wolves coach is undefeated in four of the seven games he has played against Manchester City.
Here's what Son had to say about his new boss earlier this weeek...
Pep Guardiola's pre-match comments
Pep Guardiola believes his player's mental strength will be key against Spurs today:
"It’s quite similar like last season when we played Wolves without any friendly game being played. All of you asked ‘how is the team’, I said ‘I don’t know'."
“That’s why the mentality and being strong in the head will be more important, we know we are still away from our best condition. This is normal.
“The most impressive thing that we did last season in the beginning was that when we started we adjusted, we had to adapt, no complaints. That’s the reality.
“That’s why we had success last season, we didn’t cry in the beginning, we accepted we had to do better, what can we do to improve and then we started to win and over three or four months we were unbeatable.
“That’s why we won the Premier League and arrived in the latter stages of all competitions. The reality is it is what it is, adapt and go forward.”
Tottenham team sheet is in
Starting XI: LLoris, Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier, Reguilon, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Dele, Bergwijn, Lucas, Son
Man City team confirmed
Starting XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Mendy, Fernandinho (C), Gundogan, Grealish, Mahrez, Torres, Sterling.
Jack Grealish will make his Manchester City Premier League debut today after his £100m from Aston Villa, which makes him the most expensive player in EPL history. He's got a fresh new hairstyle to start this new stage of his career, which begins in earnest today...
Tottenham vs Man City: Kane not in squad
Manchester City visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, where Harry Kane will not play. The England captain has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad this summer and it remains to be seen if new Spurs boss Nuno will field his star striker with talks between the clubs reportedly ongoing over a move that will smash the British transfer record – set by City a few days ago when they signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa.
Daniel Levy is understandably playing hardball over Kane and it will require a bid of over €150m for City to acquire their target, a move that will only serve to strengthen the grip Pep Guardiola and his squad have asserted on Premier League dominance.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the biggest game of the opening weekend of the Premier League, as Tottenham take on Manchester City at the Tottenham Stadium. The game gets underway in an hour (11.30pm ET), so stick with us for some preamble.