MY ACCOUNT
Harry Kane showed Manchester City what they missed out on with a sensational double as Tottenham stunned the Premier League leaders 3-2 in a frantic finale on Saturday.
England captain Kane was heavily linked with a move to City in the close season and sat out Spurs’ season-opening win over Pep Guardiola’s side before eventually staying put.
The Tottenham talisman played a role in Dejan Kulusevski opening his Spurs account this time and then Kane put the visitors back in front after Ilkay Gundogan’s equaliser.
Riyad Mahrez’s stoppage-time penalty appeared to have salvaged a draw for City, but Kane headed home in the fifth added minute to leave the champions’ advantage over Liverpool at the summit at six points, having played a game more.
Tottenham took a fourth-minute lead when Kane released Heung-Min Son with an exquisite throughball and the South Korea international teed up Kulusevski to slot home.
City dominated possession as they sought an equaliser. Twelve minutes after hitting the right post, Gundogan scored when Hugo Lloris failed to hold onto Raheem Sterling’s delivery while under pressure from Kevin De Bruyne.
Pep Guardiola’s home side appeared on top but were vulnerable to the counter-attack and it paid dividends for Spurs when Kane turned Son’s delivery home in the 59th minute.
Kane was thwarted by Ederson and saw a goal overturned by VAR before Cristian Romero handled Bernardo Silva’s cross in the box and gave the hosts late hope with a penalty that Mahrez fired into the top-right corner two minutes into stoppage time.
But Spurs were not to be denied, with Kane rising high to head home a cross from Kulusevski and clinch a memorable three points against the team he almost joined.
What does it mean? History for Kane and Son
By combining for Tottenham’s second goal, Kane and Son have now assisted one another for 36 Premier League goals.
It makes them the joint-most prolific combination in the competition’s history, with only Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba having reached the mark previously.
Clinical Kane
City have played most of this season without a recognised striker and Kane showed them the benefit of having one. All three of his shots hit the target and he also supplied a key pass in a display of fine playmaking and finishing.
Disappointing De Bruyne
His run may have been important to Gundogan’s goal, but it was far from a vintage performance by De Bruyne. His passing accuracy of 81.3 per cent is his worst in a Premier League game when he has attempted at least 80 passes since July 2020 (75 per cent against Watford).
Key Opta facts
– Kane’s winner for Tottenham, timed at 94:25, was the latest winning goal scored against City in the Premier League since Michael Owen for Manchester United in September 2009 (95:27).
– Tottenham are only the fourth side ever to complete a league double over a side managed by Guardiola, after Chelsea (2016-17), Manchester United (2019-20) and Wolves (2019-20).
– Guardiola has only lost more games to Chelsea (eight) than Tottenham (six) in his entire managerial career.
– Having won 14 of their last 15 Premier League matches before this game (D1), City suffered their first league defeat since October, when they went down 2-0 to Crystal Palace.
– Mahrez has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League appearances, including four penalties in his last five. Only Jorginho (six) has scored more penalties in the 2021-22 competition than the Algerian (four).
– Kulusevski was the fourth Swedish player to score on his first Premier League start, after Martin Pringle for Charlton v Newcastle in January 1999, Johan Elmander for Bolton v Stoke in August 2008 and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Manchester United v Bournemouth in August 2016.
– Gundogan scored his 33rd Premier League goal, the joint-most by a German player in the competition, along with Mesut Ozil.
– In all competitions for Tottenham, Son has been directly involved in 10 goals in 15 appearances against City (seven goals, three assists); only against Southampton (15) and West Ham (11) has he had a hand in more goals for Spurs.
What’s next?
City head to Everton next weekend but Spurs are back in action on Wednesday with a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley.
