City gets small measure of revenge on Tottenham
LONDON: Phil Foden’s first English Premier League goal ensured Manchester City edged past Tottenham Hotspur 10 yesterday to return to the top of the Premier League and avenge its Champions League elimination by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
With Liverpool due to play Cardiff this morning, City completed its 10th successive league win to move one point clear with four games left and remain master of its own fate.
However, its joy was muted by another injury to Kevin De Bruyne, who went off late in the first half and will almost certainly miss the midweek trip to Manchester United.
Elsewhere, relegationthreatened Brighton & Hove Albion scraped a key point in a goalless draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and relegated Fulham recorded its first away win of the season at Bournemouth.
Newcastle United erased any lingering relegation doubts as Ayoze Perez scored a hattrick in a 31 victory over Southampton that lifted it 10 points clear of the drop zone.
City struck early when Foden headed home on five minutes after a clever ball back across goal from Sergio Aguero.
It struggled to assert itself, however, against ever dangerous opponents who always looked capable of scoring, with Son Heungmin twice free on goal and Christian Eriksen failing to make City pay.
The champions could have extended their lead in a fastflowing game in which both keepers produced excellent saves, but there was to be no repeat of Thursday’s thriller. City won that 43, but still went out of Europe on goal difference.
‘‘It’s my first Premier League goal so it will live with me forever,’’ Foden, who admitted he was surprised to be given a start in the vital game, said.
Of De Bruyne, Guardiola said: ‘‘I don’t know — he’s played a lot of minutes without preparation. After injury they don’t train properly to be able to take a game every three days.’’
Defeat may prove costly for thirdplaced Tottenham, which is struggling to hang on to its topfour place. Three points separates it from sixthplaced United, which has played one game fewer.
‘‘It was an amazing game again,’’ Pochettino said. ‘‘It was tough again. Both teams competed really well and I think we deserved more.
‘‘I am happy, disappointed with the result but so happy with the performance. We were always in the game.’’
At Molineux, Brighton hardly oozed confidence after a run of four straight league defeats with no goals scored, but it scrambled a draw to go three points clear of Cardiff with four games remaining. It also has a better goal difference.
Fulham produced a shock by beating Bournemouth 10 at the Vitality Stadium.
Gerard Deulofeu scored an impressive double as FA Cup finalist Watford kept its European ambitions alive with a 21 victory over Huddersfield, while Leicester City twice came from behind to draw 22 with West Ham United at London Stadium.