MAN CITY 3, TOTTENHAM 0
Record-breakers Manchester City made it 16 straight wins as Tottenham were put to the sword at the Etihad.
And it was a victory once again inspired by German goalscoring machine Ilkay Gundogan who cannot stop finding the net.
The midfielder, who scored two more, is in the form of his life having with 10 goals in his last 12 games and 13 for the season in all competitions. This was also his third brace in the last five games.
Rodri also found the net as City went 13 points clear of champions Liverpool who lost 3-1 at Leicester City.
And what a dramatic turnabout in their season from November 21 when Spurs beat Pep Guardiola’s side to go top while City were languishing in 11th place.
Then Spurs were eight points clear of City but, after this loss, they are now 17 points adrift of City and lying eighth in the table having lost six of their last seven games in all competitions.
There was certainly no complacency from City who broke the top-flight record of 15 straight wins in all competitions with their Emirates FA Cup win at Swansea City. They are eight points clear of second-placed Leicester.
Embed from Getty ImagesGuardiola said: “It was well deserved. They hit the post and that can turn the game but the way we wanted to play was there. Tottenham have special quality. We have played well against them in the past and lost 2-0.
“They don’t need anything to create chances. It is the quality and the approach of their manager. We have a special way to play and we will continue, you have to be patient, patient, calm.
“The penalty is clear and then the first time we attack in the second half we score, that can happen.
“Is Rodri the taker now? No. I would say I admire the courage to take the penalty, but it was not a good penalty. I am not laughing. I am concerned about this. We will have a real specialist to take them with quality. We have to practise.
“When I talk about Ederson and penalties, you see his assist, 60-70 yards, well then he will score from 12 yards!”
Rodri also explained how he became the latest City penalty taker.
He said: “I was a bit angry the last weeks because we missed many penalties, much more than we expected and in big games you have to score penalties.
“I was angry. I grabbed the ball and no one took it from me and fortunately I scored. The win is the most important.
“Goalkeepers know each other, Ederson told me some points about (Hugo) Lloris, I didn’t listen! I was confident in shooting in the way I did.
“We were laughing in the locker room, next penalty for sure I am going to take.”
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho said: “What do I make of the game? A fresh team against a very tired team, but a team that started the game very well. We controlled it, we hit the post, and going 1-0 could give us the fuel you need when you are tired.
“And then one more of these modern penalties. I call them modern penalties, that put us in a difficult situation.
“A modern penalty is one where even if you touch with a nail it can be a penalty. It depends on the opponent. For some you touch with a nail it is a penalty, and the VAR cannot deny there is a touch with the toe or the nail or the nose. You cannot deny there is contact.
“I am very, very happy with the players’ attitude. I had guys on the pitch who played two hours a couple of days ago and they gave everything. I had guys in a difficult situation on the pitch, but they were brave.
“A team that is not united, not together would give up and would be punished but I saw guys like Harry Kane, Ben Davies, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg giving everything. I have nothing to say against my players, not even a couple of mistakes that are always present.
“We had nothing in our favour. But the second half was very difficult.”
Sergio Aguero, who has not played since January 3, was back on City’s bench after missing 11 games for Covid-19 reasons.
There were two changes to the side that last appeared on the Premier League stage at Liverpool last week.
Gabriel Jesus and Aymeric Laporte replaced Ruben Dias and Riyad Mahrez who dropped to the bench.
Gareth Bale was on Spurs’ bench after Mourinho spent a good chunk of his pre-match news conference discussing the player’s fitness.
Mourinho made three changes to the side that started the epic 5-4 FA Cup defeat at Everton in midweek.
Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga were in for Toby Alderweireld, Matt Doherty and Steven Bergwijn.
It was 21-year-old former England youth defender Tanganga’s first Premier League appearance of the season.
City enjoyed 76 per cent of the early possession but it was Spurs who had the first clear-cut chance in the 14th minute.
Kane was tripped on the edge of the box by Laporte. The striker picked himself up and his free kick struck the top of the upright.
City made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute through a Rodri penalty after Gundogan was tripped by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
After Gundogan’s miss at Anfield, the midfielder volunteered with what was an unconvincing kick.
Lloris got to the low spot kick, but it deflected into the roof of the net, his opening goal of the season and first in 48 appearances.
Remarkably, Rodri became City’s seventh penalty taker since the start of last season, during which time they had missed eight out of 17 before today’s successful conversion.
City had a great chance to increase the lead shortly before half time when Jesus’ effort grazed the bar.
Raheem Sterling had opened up Spurs’ defence and Gundogan’s initial effort was blocked before Joao Cancelo cut the ball back to Jesus.
City scored a second in the 50th minute as Gundogan made it 10 goals in the last 12 Premier League games in 2021.
Sterling was prominent in the build-up before Gundogan who slotted home a low shot which slipped past Lloris who will be disappointed not to have kept it out.
City made it 3-0 midway through the second period as Gundogan struck again thanks to an assist from goalkeeper Ederson.
The German was released by the keeper’s superb clearance as he held off Davinson Sanchez before coolly slotting a shot low past Lloris, his 10th goal in his last 12 games in all competitions and 13 for the season.
City made their first change with 21 minutes left as Ferran Torres replaced Gundogan and a second soon followed as Jesus made way for Riyad Mahrez.
Bale, who had replaced Erik Lamela, produced a brilliant jinking run to find himself through on goal only for Ederson to produce a brilliant save to preserve his clean sheet.
City would have made it four but for Lloris who did well to block Sterling’s 89th minute effort.