Comeback wins for Spurs, Man City
LONDON: A tough week for Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, two of the rebel clubs in the aborted Super League project, became even more difficult when they fell behind on their return to English Premier League action yesterday.
However, both teams recovered to register vital wins and leave them in good spirits for their next match, their meeting at Wembley for the English League Cup final on Monday.
City fought back from conceding a goal after just 20 seconds to beat Aston Villa 21 and move 11 points clear in its march to a third league title in four years.
John McGinn gave Villa the lead inside the first minute, although the impressive Phil Foden and Rodri ensured Pep Guardiola's men went in at the interval ahead.
Both sides had a man sent off at Villa Park, City defender John Stones receiving a straight red card for a reckless lunge late in the first half which has ruled him out for three matches, starting with the cup final.
Matty Cash saw red before the hour to level things up in terms of players on the pitch.
Tottenham needed a 90thminute penalty from Heungmin Son to clinch a 21 victory over Southampton and close to within two points of fourthplaced Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
It was a great way for Ryan Mason to start his interim tenure as manager, as the replacement for the fired Jose Mourinho.
At 29 years, 312 days,
Mason became the youngest person to manage a team in a Premier League game, a proud moment for the former Tottenham midfielder who was forced to retire in 2018 after failing to fully recover from a fractured skull sustained during an FA Cup match.
Spurs failed to get a single shot on target in the first half for the first time this season, while Southampton, who went ahead through Danny Ings, was good value for its lead.
Gareth Bale's equaliser sparked Spurs into life and, despite the disappointment of having a Son strike disallowed, the South Korean subsequently converted an 88thminute spotkick winner.
They were the first games for City and Tottenham since they were pressured into withdrawing from a breakaway Super League which they had formed with 10 of Europe's other elite clubs.
A small band of supporters protested outside Tottenham's stadium ahead of match against Southampton, calling for the removal of chairman Daniel Levy and the club's owners, the ENIC Group. — AP