Man City 3-2 Tottenham – Premier League: Jack Grealish restores City’s lead after Giovani Lo Celso’s second-half equaliser cancelled out Phil Foden’s strike
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
That one meant a lot to Grealish!
GOAL: Man City 3-2 Tottenham
JACK GREALISH SCORES! Rodri wins the ball in the middle of the pitch after Yves Bissouma turned into five players. Rodri then fired it out to Haaland on the edge of the box. The Norweigan got his head up and slipped it across the penalty area to Grealish. All he had to do was tap it home.
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
Tottenham make a change. Giovani Lo Celso makes way for Oliver Skipp. Skipp will be hoping to help Spurs find a way to win as they head into the final 10 minutes of normal time.
A look at Giovani Lo Celso's goal!
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
Chance for City following the introduction of Rico Lewis for Phil Foden. Lewis picked up the ball on the left-hand-side and slipped it back to Rodri on the edge of the box. However. Rodri was leaning back and sent it flying over the ball from a couple of yards out.
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
Nothing has been given. Grealish will be delighted with that decision. Especially as Man City managed to clear the second corner with ease and launch their own counter-attack.
Man City 2-2 TottenhaM
VAR CHECK FOR HANDBALL IN THE BOX! Spurs earned themselves a corner, fired it into the box and managed to earn themselves a second corner. However, VAR are checking for a possible handball.
GOAL: Man City 2-2 Tottenham
TOTTENHAM EQUALISE! Giovani Lo Celso finds the back of the net and what a goal it was. However, Pep Guardiola with his team as the goal came from a silly turn over by Julian Alvarez in the middle of the pitch.
Spurs countered quickly and worked the ball over to Celso. Son runs diagonally across the box, draws the defender and Celso cuts inside and fires it into the bottom left.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Tottenham earn themselves a corner and fire it into the middle of the box. However, it ended up being an easy collection for the Man City goalkeeper.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Jack Grealish looks frustrated as Brennan Johnson clips him after playing the ball back to Josko Gvardiol. No card was awarded but he has been warned by the ref.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
City’s intensity has dropped. The are playing more conservatively rather than threatening forwards. They can’t afford to switch off as Tottenham have another goal in them.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Brennan Johnson plays the ball over the top of City’s backline to Iyenoma Udogie running in behind. He breaks into the box and looks to shoot but Ederson closed down well. But, even if he did score, it wouldn’t have counted as the flag went up.
YELLOW CARD: Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Jack Grealish is booked for kicking the ball away. As a result, he will now miss Man City’s clash with Aston Villa. He’s not happy and I’m not surprised as it was a stupid mistake.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Lovely connected football from Tottenham. Porro picked up the ball on the left-hand-side, played it into Son, who carried down the line. He then looked to slip in Udogie. However, he didn’t come to the ball and City intercepted.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
City earn themselves a free-kick out on the left. Silva fires it into the box and Guardiola’s side head it away. Grealish looks to take it down out of the air but ended up playing it into the path of Son – who countered quickly.
As a result, Grealish and Son ended up in a 1-1 battle but thankfully for City… their defenders managed to get back to support.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Chance for City! Grealish got on the ball on the left-hand-side, gunned it down the flank before whipping in a cross. Haaland looked to get his head on it but couldn’t quite reach it.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Another good run from Brennan Johnson. He picked up the ball on the half-way line, drove forwards before firing a shot off from the edge of the box. However, it ended up being an easy enough save for Ederson.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Yep, that change has been made. Grealish has come on to replace Doku – who was seen pointing to what looked like his calf as he made his way off the pitch.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Jack Grealish has been warming up on the side of the pitch. He’s now taken his jacket off so I think he could be coming on for Doku – who appears to be injured.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Things are getting a little scrappy. Some last-ditch tackles from Spurs and I have a feeling they are only going to get worse as they begin to tire in the second half.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
WHAT A START FOR CITY! Julian Alvarez intercepted the ball on the left-hand-side of the box. He squared it to Haaland. He set it back for Silva – who ran onto it and fired a rocket off. But, a sensational save by Guglielmo Vicario denied him.
SECOND HALF: Man City 2-1 Tottenham
We’re back underway! It’s Tottenham who kick things off for us this afternoon. Not many chances for the second half but Bryan Gil has made way for Pierre Hojbjerg.
HALF TIME: Man City 2-1 Tottenham
And… there goes the whistle! That very easily could have been a three, four goal half for Man City. I think Haaland will be a little disappointed with some of the opportunities he missed. However, a good reaction from City after going a goal down early on.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Some good defending from Junior Emerson. He was in a 50/50 battle with Julian Alvarez and held him off well to prevent the City star from gaining possession and threatening forwards.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Three minutes of additional time have been added on to the end of the first half. Will it be enough for Spurs to equalise? I doubt it but only time will tell.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
There’s very little pressure on City in the pockets. They’re able to get on the ball, turn and drive forwards before feeling any pressure. The last thing you want is City’s midfielders turn and having the chance to get there head up and ping passes!
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
The intensity has dropped a little. City are lacking ball pace. They are certainly taking the sting out of the game. That being said, they still look dangerous.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Son picks up the ball in the middle of the pitch, drives forward and finds Bryan Gil Salvatierra on the left-hand-side. However, he tried to cut in-field and ended up getting dispossessed.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Iyenoma Udogie picks up a yellow card after taking out Phil Foden. A really clumsy foul but I have no doubt Spurs will pick up a few more cards given the state of their defending currently.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
CHANCE FOR HAALAND! Julian Alvarez breaks into the box on the left-hand-side, gets held up and fires it over to Haaland. He takes a touch and looks to fire off a left-footed shot. However, he couldn’t keep it down and sent it flying over the bar.
Man City 2-1 Tottenham
Julian Alvarez hits the post! City have complete control at the moment and Spurs are struggling defensively. Plus, it’s worth mentioning, just before that Rodi picked up a yellow card. As a result, he’ll miss City’s clash with Villa.
GOAL: Man City 2-1 Tottenham
PHIL FODEN SCORES! Haaland picked up the ball on the edge of the box, plays it out to Doku. Alvarez runs through unmarked and collects the ball before slipping it to Foden at the penalty spot. The England international simply tapped it home. A real team goal.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
DOKU HITS THE POST! Foden recieves the ball in the middle of the pitch, turns and finds Silva. He plays in Doku on the left-hand-side. He carries hard before breaking into the box and firing a shot off. It looked promising but hit the crossbar and bounced out!
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
What a disaster from Bernardo Silva! He was on the ball, unopposed, in the middle of the pitch and played it straight to Bryan Gil Salvatierra. He broke into the box and could have shot! But, he chose to pass instead, giving City the chance to intercept and send it out for a corner.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
City are building momentum. They’re pinging passes around the midfield with every little pressure on them. Spurs are chasing the ball, putting a lot of leg work in early on.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
Lovely work from Brennan Johnson! He picks up the ball on the right flank, drives hard down the line before rounding his player and breaking into the box. He looked to play it back across the goal mouth. However, Ruben Dias did well to deflect it wide.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
Bryan Gil Salvatierra is trying to do too much. He’s picking the ball up on the flank and looking to drive through multiple players. He’s not having much luck and it’s a dangerous area to turn the ball over!
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
Tottenham earn themselves another corner. They play it deep into the box but Manuel Akanji does well to rise above the Spurs players and head it clear. No real threat from Spurs at the moment…
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
Bryan Gil Salvatierra picks up the ball on the left-hand-side. Connects well with Iyenoma Udogie. He drives towards the box and looks to fire it into the middle. However, his effort is blocked and Spurs earn themselves a corner.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
City are enjoying a lot of success down the left-hand-side. We are yet to see Phil Foden do much down the right. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s defensive structure is… lacking. As a result, their resorting to last-gasp challenges… causing some serious hacking!
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
City earn themselves another corner. They play it short with Doku shipping it on to Silva. He looked to deliver it into the box but Spur did well to head it clear.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
I’m not saying he’s having a bad game, but Haaland isn’t as sharp as he usually is. City just played a long ball into the box. He looked to control it but struggled to do so. Not something you’d usually see from him.
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
The speed of the passing from both teams has been exceptional. It’s really set the tempo. We’re in for a good night, that’s for sure!
Man City 1-1 Tottenham
HOW ON EARTH HAS HE MISSED THAT! Haaland was gifted an opportunity after Silva broke into the box and slipped it across the goal mouth to him. All the Norwegian had to do was tap it home. But… he put it wide.
GOAL: Man City 1-1 Tottenham
HAALAND EQUALISES! City win themselves a free-kick on the right-hand-side of the pitch. Julian Alvarez curled it into the box and Haaland connects with it at the near post, heading it past Guglielmo Vicario to equalise.
GOAL: Man City 0-1 Tottenham
TOTTENHAM FIND THE BACK OF THE NET! What a counter attack it was. Guglielmo Vicario punched the ball clear with Giovani Lo Celso latching onto the loose ball. He plays it over to Son on the opposite side of the pitch. He drives forwards, beats his defend and slips it past Ederson.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
City are pressing high! Haaland just put Guglielmo Vicario under an immense amount of pressure forcing him to shovel it on. As a result, City pick up the ball, play left to Doku, he unleashes a rocket at goal.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
City earn their second corner of the game and play it in towards the near post. Haaland looked to flick it on but couldn’t quite connect. Spurs do well to clear the danger but City regain possession.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
Doku picks up the ball on the left-hand-side, drives forwards and looks to cut through the middle of two players. However, the ball went out for a corner instead – which they did very little with.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
City look comfortable and relaxed in possession. They are switching the ball from side to side and picking their moments rather than forcing it forwards.
KICK OFF: Man City 0-0 Tottenham
And… just like that, we are underway! It is Man City who kick off the proceedings at the Etihad this evening. We *should* be in for a good night of football. Make sure you stay tuned.
We are just five minutes away…
Not long to go until Manchester City get underway. Make sure you stay tuned as we will be bringing you minute-by-minute coverage of the game.
Postecoglou: 'We won't change our approach'
Ange Postecoglou is adamant Spurs won’t change their approach, despite their injury crisis.
‘We’re just going to try and play our football but you’ve always got to remember there’s an opponent there that’s going to try and stop you and a very, very good opponent today,’ he tells Sky Sports.
‘So we’re going to have to make adjustments during the game but what won’t change is the way we play our football.’
A cold night in store in Manchester
The teams are out to warm-up on a chilly evening in Manchester.
Guardiola expects an entertaining contest at the Etihad
Pep Guardiola expects another entertaining affair at the Etihad this afternoon.
Postecoglou happy to have Bissouma back
Yves Bissouma is back with Spurs after serving his suspension and it’s fair to say Ange Postecoglou is pleased to have the Mali international back at his disposal.
Will Rodri be key again for City?
City are unbeaten in their last 42 competitive fixtures in which Rordi has featured. Incidentally, their last defeat with the Spaniard on the pitch came against Spurs in February.
How will Spurs cope with their injury crisis?
The last Tottenham manager to lose four Premier League games in a row was David Pleat back in April 2004.
Few would have expected Ange Postecoglou to find himself on the precipice of equalling the unwanted record after Spurs flew out of the blocks this season.
But an injury crisis that seemly grows by the week has checked their momentum and left Postecoglou without 10 senior players for this fixture.
Rodrigo Bentancur joined James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon on the sidelines.
Cristian Romero is serving the last game of his three-game ban, while Yves Bissouma is available following his suspension.
Pep Guardiola vows to stay honest with his players 'whether they want to hear it or not'
Pep Guardiola has insisted he will keep speaking his mind in order to try and keep Manchester City top of the tree.
Guardiola faces Spurs at The Etihad today for the first time since he described his players as a ‘happy flowers team’ after a sloppy 4-2 victory against the same opponents in January.
On that occasion, Guardiola lambasted his stars for being too comfortable and not playing from the stomach, and it worked with City responding. Now the Catalan says he’ll continue to be honest even if it causes offence.
You can read more here.
Tottenham team news
And here’s the XI picked by Ange Postecoglou
Manchester City team news
Here’s how City line up this afternoon. Jeremy Doku retains his place over Jack Grealish, while John Stones is back on the bench for the first time since last month.
Can City return to winning ways?
The Premier League champions have been unusually fallible this season and are winless in four of their last seven Premier League games, having only failed to win four of the previous 26 matches.
Draws with Chelsea and Liverpool in the last two fixtures mean City could go winless in three Premier League games for the first time since they failed to win four in a row between March and April 2017.
Worryingly for them, they relinquished a lead in both games, with Chelsea salvaging a point courtesy of a late Cole Palmer penalty and Liverpool earning a draw thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal late on last week.
The good news for Pep Guardiola is that his team are unbeaten in the last 48 games at the Etihad and kept the run going on Tuesday, coming back from 2-0 down to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League.
Preamble
Pep Guardiola has dominated English football since first arriving on these shores seven years ago, but Tottenham are a challenge he’s yet to completely master.
Spurs have beaten Guardiola on six occasions since 2016, the most of any team in the Premier League and have won five of their last seven Premier League games against City.
And how would Ange Postecoglou love to extend that record on Sunday afternoon.
After a flying start to the season, the Australian finds himself under pressure for the first time since taking charge in the summer.
Three consecutive defeats have seen Spurs drop to sixth on the table, while a growing injury crisis has deprived them of a host of key players including James Maddison and Micky van de Wen.
Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday, meanwhile, means City kick off this evening in third place, four adrift of the league leaders.
Good afternoon!
Good afternoon and welcome to Mail Sport’s coverage of Manchester City vs Tottenham.
Pep Guardiola’s men look to close the gap to Arsenal at the top of the table to one point, while Ange Postecoglou is hoping his injury-ravaged side can halt a three-game losing streak.
Coming up we’ll have all the latest updates from the Etihad and team news in the lead-up to the 4:30pm kick-off.
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