Bogey ground sees City surrender perfect record

MANCHESTER CITY will be glad to see the back of White Hart Lane.

The last time City visited they were walloped 4-1 and Manuel Pellegrini lost his cool, tried to storm out and accidently walked into a community project classroom.

It was Aleksandar Kolarov who needed extra schooling in this one after his hopeless error set the ball rolling for Spurs.

And City will need to learn their lesson. This was their biggest test since they won at Old Trafford – and they failed it miserably.

Saved

Kolarov’s own goal and Dele Alli’s strike before half-time shattered Guardiola’s perfect start to life in England.

But it could have been even worse if Claudio Bravo hadn’t saved a penalty from Erik Lamela as Spurs made their best start since 1960.

They won the title that season and they will be contenders again this time around after moving to within a point of the leaders in second place.

It was the first time the two managers had met in the Premier League but they already had history.

Pochettino’s first game as a head coach came against Guardiola, when he helped Espanyol to a 0-0 draw against Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey in January 2009.

A month later Pochettino earned his first triumph as a manager by masterminding a 2-1 league win over Barca at the Nou Camp.

That was the only time in nine meetings he tasted victory against Guardiola in Spain though.

The respect between them is obvious and if Guardiola was expecting a test from his opposite number, he certainly got one.

Spurs challenged Leicester longer and harder than anyone else for the title last year, and they were right at this one from the off.

Yes, they were gifted the lead when Kolarov hacked a Danny Rose cross into his own net in the ninth minute with a spectacularly bad piece of defending.

But Tottenham were well on top. They snapped into every tackle, hardly allowing City to catch a breath. Victor Wanyama was a tank. HeungMin Son a terrier up front. Christian Eriksen fizzed a free kick inches wide. Hugo Lloris saved one from Sergio Aguero.

The Lane erupted when Son took advantage of confusion in the City defence to slip Alli in on goal in the 37th minute, and the England man made it two.

Whatever Guardiola said at halftime, he was quickly shaking his head again as shots from Son and Wanyama whistled past the post.

City knew they had a mountain to climb. They had never come back from two goals down at half-time to win in the Premier League, losing on 47 out of 48 occasions.

Lifeline

And things got worse as Fernandinho hacked down Alli and Andre Marriner pointed to the spot.

But Claudio Bravo gave his side a lifeline by saving Erik Lamela’s powderpuff penalty.

Sterling was then lucky to escape a red card for raking his studs down the leg of Rose as things got ugly.

But while Lloris had to make a couple of decent saves, the City fightback never really materialised.

By the end they were well beaten – and the only positive they can take is that with Spurs moving on next season, they may never have to come back here again.