City’s team showed two changes from the one that started in the derby, with Sun Jihai replacing Didi Hamann and Stephen Jordan in for the suspended Michael Ball. 21-year-old midfielder Marc Laird made his first appearance on the senior bench, another feather in the cap for the City Academy.
The Match
City’s team showed two changes from the one that started in the derby, with Sun Jihai replacing Didi Hamann and Stephen Jordan in for the suspended Michael Ball.
The game kicked off in torrential rain.
Spurs had the best of the opening spell, and they made their possession count after 10 minutes when Robbie Keane volleyed the ball home from close range after a chip over the top, but City were incensed that the goal stood as the Irishman was offside when the pass was made to him.
The goal seemed to galvanise City, who had more of the play up until 20 minutes, when a Vassell shot brought a fine save from Robinson, low to his left.
Sylvain Distin limped off after 27 minutes to be replaced by Didi Hamann, Onuoha slotting into centre back while Sun Jihai went back to right back.
The talk all week had been about Dimitar Berbatov and whether this would be his last game for Spurs, and on 31 minutes it was the Bulgarian who doubled the lead. Onuoha slipped as he blocked the striker, who took advantage with an exquisite strike from just inside the area that went past Isaksson to his right.
But it only took a few minutes for City to get back into the game, Didi Hamann chipping the ball over the defence to Emile Mpenza, who rose above his man to nod the ball high and beyond the static Robinson.
And City should have equalised a minute later, a deflected cross going to an unmarked Michael Johnson who nodded over with a goal there for the taking.
The rain relented over half time, but both sides were trying to take advantage of the greasy surface after the break, a skimming pass from Ireland just evading Johnson as the young midfielder moved towrads the area.
City’s best move of the match nearly saw them equalize on 56 minutes. Mpenza did superbly to get his head on Beasley’s cross, his efforts bringing an acrobatic save out of Robinson as the ball looped towards the top corner.
The Blues were making a decent fist of trying to get back to parity, and the home fans were getting increasingly restless as their side kept giving possession back to City. Their disquiet increased on 77 minutes when Mpenza was only just short of charging down a Robinson clearance from a back pass.
Defoe, on as a substitute, went close with six minutes left, whipping a free kick just over the bar.
For the third match in a row involving City there was a missed penalty, but this time luck was with the Blues. Referee Bennett gave a questionable penalty when Zokora tangled with Dunne, just outside the box. Defoe stepped up, but his poor spot kick was low to Isaksson’s left and the big Swede saved with some ease.
A frantic last few minutes ensued, but sadly City could not get the goal their efforts after half time deserved.
