There is not much that lies beyond the reach of Abu Dhabi-era Manchester City, although for one evening at least the perfect football machine was halted by the perfect striker’s performance, or as near as Harry Kane is likely to get in that regard.
This was Kane’s masterpiece against the club that promised to sign him last summer, a brilliant display finessed upon the minimum of touches to beat the leaders, 15 games previously undefeated in the Premier League. Kane’s evening included the game’s best pass, three superb goals – of which two were allowed to stand by Var – the last a thrilling 95th-minute winner. Pep Guardiola usually has the answer for everything, but not on this occasion and certainly not for Kane.
The first defeat in the league for City since Oct 30 was inflicted moments after they had finally levelled with a 94th minute penalty from Riyad Mahrez. It had seemed that Spurs had at last been reined in at 2-2, that the universe, according to Guardiola, was back on its axis. But this was a day when the usual logic was to be defied by Kane. The seven minutes of added time were already half expired when he emerged to head in the game’s winning goal.
This was the classic striker’s goal, the latest variation in what felt like an endless repertoire from the England captain. Creating, scoring, leading, and through it all totally unflappable. If there was a point to prove to the club that left him hanging, then it was hard to read it in what Kane did. If anything he looked utterly liberated. The more the odds were stacked against him, the greater the number of defenders surrounding him, the better he played.
City’s lead over Liverpool at the top of the league is now down six points, with the Merseysiders having played one game fewer. The title race is back on.
For Antonio Conte it was a transformative moment. As much as Kane had delivered the game’s crucial moments, the Spurs manager had found a way to beat the team that has so far dominated at home and in Europe. The 10 men behind the ball placed their unwavering faith in the resilience of Kane.
Conte’s short-lived predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo had done the same without Kane on the first day of the season which meant an unlikely double for Spurs over the champions. There was an early goal from Dejan Kulusevski on his first Premier League start and the Swede also delivered the cross for both Kane’s second-half goals, one of which was chalked off for a marginal offside.
This was a variation on the Spurs team that lost to Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers previously and might yet do the same to Burnley in midweek. Nevertheless, there were glimmers of what might be under Conte in the performances of Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, who had a fine game despite conceding the late penalty.
Conte selected a five-man back line often morphing into seven at the back as they lost territory and fell back to defend what remained. Most teams – possibly all teams – are used to life without the ball at the Etihad Stadium. It is just a case of how little. The paralysis that City often provoke in the opposition never took hold, however. Instead, there was a clear defiance about Spurs.
In the sixth minute, Kane’s first-time left-foot pass on the turn went like an arrow through the careful configuration of all that Guardiola holds dear. Suddenly City’s defence was scattered, Son Heung-min. was running onto the throughball and, improbably, the home side seemed short-handed.
Son did not have the angle on Ederson and wisely chose to open it up by passing right to Kulusevski. It was a big moment for the young Sweden international, but he took his goal well. That was the lead for Spurs that no-one expected.
Conte’s players hardly had the ball and Kane watched much of the rest of the half on his own as the one player attack-side of the ball. Yet the moments he did have proved significant.
Hugo Lloris would make an exceptional second-half save from Ilkay Gundogan, but it was the goalkeeper who was at fault for the City’s first goal.
Kevin De Bruyne was bearing down on Lloris as Raheem Sterling’s shot came in. De Bruyne made contact with the goalkeeper after the ball had been dropped by Lloris – to be driven in by Gundogan – and Kane’s complaints to referee Anthony Taylor about a possible foul fell on deaf ears.
By the time Kane scored Spurs’ second, the visitors were surviving on ten per cent possession. Kane started the move that led to his own first goal, another long pass to Son that never reached its target but was well recycled and eventually made its way back to the Korean. From there, City’s defence once again felt vulnerable to the run from deep and as he approached the line of the last defender, Kane’s arm was raised to signal for the ball. The finish, you might say, was the easy bit, although taking s shot first time on the half-volley is never as simple as Kane makes it look.
Kane missed another chance five minutes later, but he took the third from Kulusevski’s slightly-deflected cross and turned expertly, feinting once for the shot to throw Kyle Walker off the scent, before burying the ball just inside Ederson’s near post. After all the celebrations it emerged that Lee Mason, in the Var suite, had noticed Kulusevski offside when the ball was played out to him and the goal was disallowed.
And it was Mason who urged a review for the City penalty, with Romero’s arm clearly striking down on the ball giving Taylor an easy decision.
Mahrez, on as a substitute, scored and that would ordinarily have been the end of it. Then Kulusevski delivered the ball again and Kane, the evening’s outstanding player, decided the game.
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