City vs Spurs: Key takeaways from the Premier League encounter
Manchester City showed steel and authority to edge past Tottenham Hotspur in an enticing Premier League encounter at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola's side went ahead with Phil Foden's early header and that was the only goal of the match. City are back on top of the table and lead Liverpool by a point. Here are the key takeaways from the match.
Resilient City keep Spurs at bay
After a fantastic all-time classic Champions League clash a few days earlier, it was known that the two sides will not be able to match that intensity. City were the better side and kept things tight. The players showed resilience to keep Spurs quiet on the day. This is something that's needed to win the title apart from all the flair City produce.
Some of City's players rise to the challenge
Ederson was immense with a flurry of saves at a time when Spurs applied the pressure. Foden showed why he is the future for both City and England after scoring a diving header early in the first half. Aymeric Laporte made a timely challenge to stop Son Hueng-min, whereas Bernardo Silva kept his energy flowing all along. These players stood out for City.
Spurs hand advantage to other rivals
Spurs weren't quite able to breach City's defense. Son was their best player on the pitch, but the overall composure was lacking in the final third. The London club's loss means that other top four contenders will now try to make the most out the situation. That could see certain changes in the table as the battle for UCL qualification heats up.
