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Son Heung-Min’s second-half strike secured three points for Tottenham Hotspur as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men inflicted a 1-0 win over Premier League champions Manchester City in their season opener on Sunday evening.
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Having seen most of their closest rivals secure statement wins earlier in the week, City set out with a point to prove and began in the ascendancy. Spurs, on the other hand, started sluggishly but gradually gained a foothold in the game as half-time grew closer.
However, neither goalkeeper was unduly tested as the two sides went into the break on level terms.
The deadlock was broken ten minutes into the second half when Son finished off a swift Spurs counter-attack by curling a superb left-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The goal spurred Pep Guardiola and his side into action as they stepped up a gear and called for reinforcements off the bench, only to come up against a well-drilled Spurs defense that they ultimately failed to breach.
Thus, Nuno’s Spurs tenure starts on a winning note as City look to bounce back from consecutive losses at the start of the season in their upcoming fixtures.
On that note, here are the player ratings for both sides:
Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings:
Hugo Lloris: 5/10
The veteran goalkeeper had a couple of moments of indecision in the first half but was ultimately equal to whatever the opposition threw at him.
Japhet Tanganga: 7/10
Given the task of playing at right-back and marking Sterling, the young defender performed admirably and earned a lot of praise for his superb defensive display.
Davinson Sanchez: 6/10
Like Tanganga and Dier on either side of him, the Colombian used his pace and physicality well and made several important tackles to help his side shut City’s attackers down.
Eric Dier: 6/10
A typically no-nonsense defensive performance from the Englishman, who was dominant in the air and was responsible for repelling several of City’s crosses into the box.
Sergio Reguilon: 6/10
Had his hands full with the dual threat of Mahrez and Cancelo and dealt with it extremely well, even finding time for a couple of promising forays upfield.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 7/10
A commanding display in midfield from the Danish international, who took a lot of pressure off his relatively inexperienced midfield partner by throwing himself wholeheartedly into tackles and stopping several City attacks.
Oliver Skipp: 6/10
Like his side as a whole, the young midfielder shook off a nervy start and grew in confidence as the minutes ticked by, delivering an accomplished performance.
Lucas Moura: 6/10
Matched Bergwijn on the opposite flank with excellent pace and trickery, scarcely giving the City defense a moment’s rest.
Dele Alli: 5/10
The Englishman still looks to be getting used to life as a regular first-team starter and was a little off the pace compared to his teammates, often finding himself on the periphery of Spurs attacks rather than at the heart of them.
Steven Bergwijn: 7/10
A constant threat to City's backline with his fast and direct running, which paid dividends as he claimed the assists for Son’s opener and should have added another himself soon after.
Son Heung-Min: 8/10
Turned in a tireless display, ably led the line for Spurs in the conspicuous absence of Harry Kane, and was rewarded for his efforts with a goal that proved to be the winner.
Substitutes:
Giovani Lo Celso: 5/10
Added a touch of calm and composure to the Spurs ranks after replacing Bergwijn with about 15 minutes to go as Spurs looked to preserve their lead.
Matt Doherty: N.A.
Took over right-back duties from Tanganga for the final few minutes and helped his side see out the game.
Cristian Romero: N.A.
Made his Spurs bow in the final minute or so to help secure a clean sheet but barely got a touch of the ball while on the pitch.
Manchester City Player Ratings:
Ederson: 5/10
A mixed outing for the City goalkeeper, who did not have much to do for most of the game but still ended up on the losing side.
Made a couple of smart saves but had little chance of saving Son’s goal.
Joao Cancelo: 5/10
One of City’s most potent attacking threats, Cancelo bombed forward at every opportunity but failed to make a telling impact on the game.
Ruben Dias: 5/10
Looked his usual calm and assured self in defense but was unable to keep Spurs’ energetic attackers at bay.
Nathan Ake: 4/10
Continues to look nervy and indecisive in the City backline and is unlikely to keep his starting berth after Guardiola is able to call upon the other defensive options at his disposal.
Benjamin Mendy: 4/10
An ever-willing attacking force, Mendy supplied a steady stream of crosses from the left flank but to no avail.
The Frenchman looked suspect defensively, however, with Spurs finding a lot of time and space on his side of the pitch.
Ilkay Gundogan: 5/10
Always willing to get involved in City’s attacks without much effect as Spurs’ defenders successfully kept him and his fellow players at bay.
Fernandinho: 5/10
Could not exert his customary level of influence on the game from his midfield role as he was largely outrun by his Spurs counterparts.
Jack Grealish: 5/10
Drafted straight into City’s startling lineup, Grealish showed a few glimpses of the excellent player City paid a huge sum for, but was ultimately unable to unlock a resolute Spurs defense.
Riyad Mahrez: 5/10
Started the game brightly as his partnership with Cancelo down the right flank looked threatening, but seemed to tail off as the game wore on.
Ferran Torres: 4/10
Looked much more threatening in the 10 minutes he spent out on the right wing than he did in the 80 or so he spent playing through the middle.
Raheem Sterling: 5/10
Got very little change on the flank from Tanganga, who matched the England winger for pace as well as strength to effectively limit his influence on the game.
Was the first player to be taken off as Guardiola looked to shake things up in attack.
Substitutes:
Gabriel Jesus: 4/10
Thrown on for the last 20 minutes as his side looked to get back on level terms but hardly featured as Spurs’ defenders put the clamps on City’s attackers.
Kevin De Bruyne: 5/10
City’s talismanic midfielder came on for the final 10 minutes and showed flashes of brilliance but was unable to help his side salvage something from the game.
Oleksandr Zinchenko: 4/10
Replaced Mendy at left-back for the last 10 minutes and was off the mark with his deliveries into the box, which were easily dealt with by the Spurs defense.
