City-Spurs Live Blog! (1-5 City, FT)

By: Thad | August 28th, 2011

Four goals from Edin Dzeko have paced City to a remarkable 5-1 win over Spurs–read on to find out how it happened, in our patented minute-by-minute report!

Kickoff is nearly upon us from White Hart Lane as City face its toughest test yet of the new season, a visit to traditional bogey club Spurs. Can City make it nine points from nine? Read on to find out!

Here are your lineups:

For Spurs it’s Friedel, Corluka, Dawson, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Modric, Kranjcar, Bale, Van Der Vaart, and Crouch (still a Tottenham player)!

For City it’s a debut for Samir Nasri, alongside Barry, Toure, Silva in midfield; Aguero and Dzeko up top, Clichy, Lescott, Kompany, Zabaleta, Hart at the back. Mancini is rotating the fullbacks today, and Kolarov is not even on the bench. Milner loses his place in midfield; Tevez remains on the bench along Balotelli. Let’s see how this plays out!

Spurs put up a brave effort against Manchester United last Monday before running out of steam in the second half. What will happen today?

Here’s the kickoff:

1st min. Spurs kick it off in the sunshine, and Assou Ekoot with a great early cross leading to a shot from Lennon that’s wide to the right. Goal kick to City.

2nd min. City again in the red and black road strip. Nasri is setting up centrally wit Silva more on the right at the start, but we can expect City’s midfielders to be very fluid.

3rd min. Kranjcar takes a pop from some 25 yards out, Hart had to dive for it to be sure but that was a couple of yards wide Spurs have been getting if forward with disturbing ease early on.

4th min. A bit curious that Richards is out of the side given his solid performances so far, but perhaps Mancini is thinking in terms of defense first. Early shot for Nasri, a slow but trick one that Friedel gets a hand too. Spurs eventually get it away. Fast pace to this game early lon.

5th min. Zab sets it up for Dzeko who takes a shot from the right edge of the box, hard, low, and a couple of yards wide.

6th min. Spurs pass it around the back.

7th min. Nasri through the middle, leaves it for Silva whose powerful shot is right at Friedel. Aguero whiffed on the first attempted follow up as the ball bounced by, then Nasri snatched at his effort to the jeers of the crowd.

8th min. Spurs have it up the right side but waste it over the touchline with a bad touch by Modric. Aguero now with a foul from Modric, didn’t look there was much in that.

9th min. Lennon bursts in the box but Barry steps in after a heavy touch to clear it. Lennon again to Rafael, nice turn and shot and Hart can only parry it out for a corner.

10th min. Van der Vaart to take, poor corner is cleared at the near post. Good ball now forward towards Aguero who is tackled errantly by Assou-Ekotto, and that will be an obvious yellow card for that professional foul (but not a goal scoring opportunity).

11th min. City in possession, a throw on the left, now another one.

12th min. Clichy ’s throw toward Aguero is cleared by Corluka but City have it back, Nasri had a chance to shoot from straight on but he laid it off for Dzeko, who unfortunately gets it all wrong, miles wide after the shank.

13th min. Kompany clears it. Aguero down the right but he can’t beat Dawson this time and it’s a goal kick. Friedel plays it short but City apply some pressure at the back. Now it’s a throw for City in their own half on the left.

14th min. Lescott and Crouch battle for that ball forward, Crouch wanted a foul but none is given as the ball eludes both players and runs through to Hart.

15th min. Great run by Narsi into the box but Charlie (Corluka) slides into give up a corner. City have it in the box and after Lescott got a promising head to it, Dzeko is called offside on the other side of the box.

16th min. Another entertaining game this week, it has to be said. City have so much more flair than a year ago, and Nasri looks up for this on his debut.

17th min. Kranjcar brings it forward. The ball swings round to Lennon, Clichy handles him well and City have it back. Toure to Dzeko to Silva back to Toure to Zab to Toure to Barry to Lescott, Barry, Toure, Zab down the right, Aguero, Toure, Nasri, Silva, shot and great save by Friedel!

18th min. Fantastic string of passing led to an opportunity by Silva but the veteran American keeper was alert and got down well going to his left to keep that out, just barely too. Spurs clear the corner.

19th min. Dzeko turns and shoots from the top of the box but Dawson blocks. City recover possession. Zab, Silva, Toure, but Spurs clear it. Long ball forward that Hart comes to the edge of his box alertly to recover.

20th min. Nasri to Clichy, Friedel beats Dzeko to the lofted cross for the catch. Spurs now to Van der Vaart, Barry is called for a foul and will go into the book, didn’t seem like too much in it but Phil Dowd decides to even up the cards. Free kick 30 yards out for Spurs.

21st min. Van der Vaart with a powerful hit, bent it around the wall from left to right and Hart has to save going to his right this time. Good shot, good save!

22nd min. Spurs come again and this time Zab is going into the book, this time a bit more obviously after hacking down Gareth Bale.

23rd min. Zab on a yellow this early is more of a worry for City. City have been on top this match but certainly can’t afford to lose a player. And now another card is coming–or is it?

24th min. No it’s not, Crouch seemed to catch Silva down in the channel attacking City’s goal, but just a foul is given, replay shows contact was slight though Silva went down in a heap.

25th min. Modric down the left, to Rafael whose shot is blocked. Aguero with a counter, Silva, whose pass back to Aguero is misplaced. And now Yaya Toure is going to get a very silly yellow card for kicking the ball away after a foul given to Aguero. Uncharacteristic display of indiscipline from the Ivory Coast man.

26th min. Tide has definitely turned in last few minutes in the favor of the home side–and they almost score too, but Bale blasts over from just 6 yards! It was a bouncing ball off Crouch’s flicked header, he had to go for the volley with just Hart to beat and put it well over.

27th min. Letoff there for City.

28th min. Silva, Nasri, City lose it momentarily but come again. Good ball into Aguero in the box but he came back from an offside position.

29th min. City thump it forward but it goes out on the right side. Spurs start again from the back.

30th min. Dzeko down to Aguero, he gets it back, but is blocked after a promising turn. Zab with a long ball forward but he’s caught–actually shoved–as he finishes the kick and Rafael has a yellow card to his name now. That’s fifth of the day overall.

31st min. Barry, Silva to Clichy in the box, it’s nodded a way but City still have it, they are trying to play it through the middle a la Arsenal along the ground but Spurs are dealing with it at the moment. 54% possession to Spurs so far.

32nd min. Former City chairman David Bernstein is in the crowd in his capacity with the FA.

33rd min. Barry with a powerful hit from the top of the box, Friedel would never have got there but it whizzes a yard or two wide.

34th min. Spurs with a throw up the left as Tevez and Mario get some stretching in. Throw in bounces dangerously in the box. City clear the second ball and there’s a penalty shout after the clearance inadvertantly seemed to strike a City hand. Dowd emphatically says no–and City score on the other end! GOAL!!!!

35th min. It’s Edin Dzeko, but Samir Nasri makes the goal with his left footed cross from the edge of the box, Dzeko beats Kaboul to it, no chance for Friedel as the Bosnian pokes it in the corner of the net. 1-0 to City!!

36th min. Nasri played tremendously well against Spurs as an Arsenal player and it’s been more of the same today.

37th min. The last time City played with two attacking midfielders of this quality was probably Eyal Berkovic and Ali Benarbia together in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, though that combination worked much better in the First Dvision than in the Premiership (to use the terms of that era).

38th min. City come again, Aguero had a chance to shoot from a good position but he pulls it wide.

39th min. City certainly seem to be thinking in terms of trying to kick Spurs while they are down and grab a second before halftime. But Modri has other ideas, he steals the ball to start a Spurs move that ends with Rafael’s shot in the box being blocked.

40th min. Crouch with a header off Bale’s cross but he’s nodded it wide! Just wide! That looked all the world like a goal but the England man has missed. Spurs come again, and will have a corner down the right.

41st min. Toure to Silva to Aguero up the left–and that’s an incredible goal! GOAL!!! Edin Dzeko has scored again with a looping header across the goal on a ball that seemed to be over his head. But he leapt and showed real neck strength to put it right into the corner, stranding Friedel. 2-0 to City!

42nd min. City commit a foul near halfway.

43rd min. Hart catches the free kick, City break but Aguero is blocked on his shot, now Zab and Assou-Ekotto tangle in the channel and the ref blows the foul in City’s direction. Hart to boot forward.

44th min. City’s traveling support look delighted as well they might and are singing Mancini’s song well the home crowd are quiet. Speaking of 2002-03, I believe that’s the last time City won in the league at Spurs, a 2-0 victory under Kevin Keegan through goals from (I believe) Marc Vivien-Foe and Joey Barton.

45th min. City come again, Dzeko takes a shot from 20 yards out straight on, but Friedel makes a good save. City recover and come again. Silva now with a strike from distance, it’s a half yard wide of Friedel’s goal.

46th min. Three minutes of injury time, I’m not entirely sure why. City have it in the center of the park. Silva plays one down to Zab in the channel, he ges there but his cross goes well behind.

47th min. Dzeko to Nasri to Clichy, great ball to Aguero who does well to keep it in and win a corner. Nasri to take.

48th min. Nasri again puts it in the box but Spurs now counter through Bale, who settles for a shot from distance, Kompany had a touch on it so it’s a corner kick to wind down the half. But no problem for City as Hart catches it unchallenged at the near post. Hart thumps it forward and that’s halftime!

A good game between two quality teams, but City take a deserved lead into the break, with two good finishes–make that one good, one exceptional finish–from Edin Dzeko. Spurs have a mountain to climb to overcome this.

City’s official website posted video this week of that aforementioned 2003 victory at White Hart Lane, and I was wrong–it was David Sommeil, not Marc Vivien-Foe, who had City’s first goal (though Foe won the corner!) QPR new boy Joey Barton did have the second, in what I believe was his first full start for City. City of course won at White Hart Lane again the following year in that epic FA Cup tie in which City trailed 3-0 at halftime with Barton sent off, only to come back and win 4-3.

So let’s see what the second half brings. Spurs are already out on the pitch but as is often the case Mancini’s mean are slow coming out of the tunnel. My advice to the squad would be simply to keep on playing, get more goals, this isn’t over yet. Tom Huddlestone has come on for Spurs.

46th min. City kick it off, but give it away immediately. Charlie and Barry battle for it down the right but it’ll be a goal kick.

47th min. Crouch is fouled on the left side in the shade. Spurs have it again and will try to pick City apart. Bale with a cross to Crouch, he tried to bring it down in the box but is called for a foul, not sure why, possibly Dowd thought that was handball.

48th min. Lescott has done a good job on Crouch so far. Crouch was in the clear for a moment, but that’s because he was offside.

49th min. City have yet to establish a rhythm of possesion this half but will try to do so now. City do have a corner down the left now that Nasri will take. He plays it short to Silva, back to Nasri, Silva slips it in toward Aguero but it’s cleared.

50th min. City recover and now will stroke it around the pitch a bit. Toure’s ball forward is deflected though and Spurs get it back.

51st min. Lennon slips behind Clichy to get a corner, Clichy did well to make sure it was only a corner by blocking the cross. Modric fires in a cross now and it will be another corner.

52nd min. Kompany with an important header ahead of Crouch on the second ball in the box. Play is stopped now as Zab is down after colliding with Huddlestone.

53rd min. That could have been a foul on either player really as they both were late for the ball, so nothing was given. Lennon appears to have a problem, so he’s off and DeFoe is on. Clichy did a splendid job neutralizing Lennon today.

54th min. City re-start play, and Dzeko almost scores! A good header aimed at the far corner yet again but it’s just wide. City now lead Spurs 15-9 in shots, 8-5 in shots on target. Cit come agin through Silva, Dzeko, Barry, Clichy whose cross is put behind for a corner.

55th min. Nasri again to take, unfazed by the boos, he puts this one in the box where it’s temporarily cleared, but a moment later City have scored!!! GOAL!!! Edin Dzeko with yet another one, made by YaYa Toure, who flashes it across the box, and all Dzeko had to do was tap it in from point blank, which he did. 3-0 to City!

56th min. City fans do the Poznan for the third time tonight. I’m no Spurs historian but you’d have to believe it’s been a long time since Spurs were hammered like this on their own pitch.

57th min. But I’m sure Tottenham won’t quit and they still have more than enough quality to cause City problems in the remaining half hour or so. But what about the explosion of Edin Dzeko–legend in the making!

58th min. Counting the Community Shield, that’s six goals in four competitive matches, including five in the league.

59th min. Throw in to Spurs on the right. Tevez with his short hair cut has a smile as he looks on from the bench. Can last year’s leading scorer in the league make it back into the side?

60th min. Ha ha, I expect he can, but not on this form from City–because Sergio Aguero has just added a fourth! GOAL!! 4-0 to City! Aguero takes the ball from Nasri in the box, beats Dawson, then blasts it left footed past Friedel for his third league goal of the season!

61st min. Corner to Spurs is punched away.

62nd min. Long throw in the box results in a looped header toward goal that Hart catches with ease. Patrick Vieira and Mike Summerbee look on, they are calm on the outside but have to be doing cartwheels on the inside.

63rd min. Micah Richards is about to come on perhaps for Zab who has carried that yellow card the last 40 minutes or so. What Spurs fans must be thinking after this? Zab with a cross, it’s cleared, but City keep it. Lescott with a tricky back pass to give Hart something to do but City keep it seamlessly..

64th min. That move ends with Aguero shooting from about 25 yards, he blasts that one over. Substitution is made and Richards is on for Zab.

65th min. Livermore about to come on for Spurs. City attack down the right, good work by Kaboul to win the goal kick off Silva. Modric is off and Livermore on.

66th min. Redknapp gives Modric a head pat with the Croatian who has been linked with Chelsea all summer.

67th min. Spurs battle hard to keep the ball and DeFoe has a powerful strike from distance, Hart does well to save it!

68th min. And there’s the goal! Kaboul with a powerful header and the home side is on the board. Toure didn’t contest Kaboul’s leap and that bit of slackness has given Spurs a small ray of hope.

69th min. Good tackle by Kompany on Bale at the edge of the box. Spurs have lifted the pace. Aguero is offside on that quick counter by City.

70th min. What City don’t want to do is concede another one, especially in the next few minutes. Hart with a punt, Aguero jinks with the ball and is fouled by Huddlestone who couldn’t help but run into him. Free kick 40 yards out. Nasri lays it off for Toure who hits it well but wide.

71st min. Spurs nearly score again as DeFoe gets through and hits it hard at Hart, well-saved and City scramble it away. Goal kick now as Crouch can’t reach Charlie’s cross from the right.

72nd min. DeFoe has made an impact since his arrival, why wasn’t he there from the start? Well that’s for Spurs to worry about. City now with a half chance after Richards’s run but can’t get a proper shot off.

73rd min. Spurs are pushing hard still but will be very vulnerable on the counter. DeFoe with another shot that is blocked.

74th min. De Jong is not available today, he would be the obvious person to bring in. Rafael meanwhile has stormed off the pitch, which means Spurs must finish with 10 men, he has a knock. DeFoe now wins a foul on the edge of the box.

75th min. Mancini is going to make a defensive-minded substitution as Savic gets ready to come on. Huddlestone prepares to take this as the ref lines up the wall. Aguero is off and Savic is on, the defender came on too soon. Some frustration after Aguero walks off slowly. Savic gets a yellow for coming on too soon.

76th min. After all that Huddlestone decided to just rip it at goal from an impossible angle, and it was deflected behind by Dzeko. City now have a break after the corner but lose it over the touchline.

77th min. Richards now with a dribble, he chose to try to force his way through rather than passing but got nothing for his efforts but a collision with the advertising boards after it goes out for a goal kick.

78th min. City keep it for a spell.

79th min. The man advantage should make that task easier till the end of the match.

80th min. Richards flicks it for Silva, Dzeko, Nasri, chipped ball into Silva who might have done a little better on that chance, he fires wide, Assou-Ekotto with a subtle push right before the shot.

81st min. DeFoe with another shot that is blocked. Savic is now actually at right back with Richards in midfield, unusually. Bale with a shot that Hart deals with easily.

82nd min. City pass it around some more, happy to take the air out of this. Spurs get it back now, Kaboul is all the way forward, a cross comes into Crouch who has his arms wrapped around Lescot, that’s a foul.

83rd min. Toure now to Richards, his first cross is blocked but he gets it back and only a great save by Friedel stops Dzeko from scoring again!

84th min. Spurs come again, Crouch again leaps and gets nothing but air, he wanted a foul called against Savic but nothing doing. Nasri had the cutback to set up Dzeko’s shot from 8 yards a moment ago, by the way.

85th min. Silva down to Clichy , Nasri to Dzeko to Nasri to Toure. City keep the ball.

87th min. Dawson tries a shot but that was never going anywhere near goal. Spurs will now have a goal difference of (-6) after two matches against the two Manchester teams.

88th min. Unless of course another goal goes in here. Richards with a knock after an aerial head collision. Play restarts.

89th min. Silva sets play up again but City will go backward for a spell to run the clock down.

91st min. Spurs with a corner, but nothing comes of it. Hart with a goal kick.

92nd min. Three minutes of injury time being played out. Spurs try to get forward yet again, but they now look a beaten, as well as shorthanded, side.

93rd min. One more cross to Crouch, who wa offside, Hart takes and City come agian. Dzeko with a classy GOAL! GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL! That’s four goals for the Bosnian, and almost casual blast to the top left corner after a nice one-two with Barry who teed it up for him perfectly.

That’s as good a goal as you will see in this league, and it’s now 5-1. That’s the game’s final kick too, the whistle goes for full time on the kick-off and there are a smattering of boos at White Hart Lane.

But absolute delight for Manchester City fans and also one suspects the squad itself–a huge win in one of the tougher contests of the league season, including a 10 out of 10 performance from four-goal hero Edin Dzeko, two of which were goals of the very highest quality.

Only bad news for City is that they do not play again until Wigan in two weeks’ time. City fans will be able to contemplate the league table until then knowing their team will be at the top.