This was the first of the much billed Super Sunday double header from Sky. League pace setters Manchester City were at home to the unlikely title challengers Tottenham Hotspur. The last time these two sides met back in August City ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.
The team news for the home side was that Micah Richards was back in the side for City and also took the Captains armband. Balotelli was named on the bench with Dzeko proffered to partner Aguero in attack.
Spurs started with Defoe in attack, Adebayor was in eligible to play against his parent club. Captain Ledley King was also brought back into the starting line up at the expense of Dawson.
The game had a rather cagey opening ten minutes with both sides exchanging possession but little else, Man City full back Clichy was the first player to pick up a booking, with a needless and stupid handball blocking a quick throw from Kyle Walker.
The first real attempt towards goal came from Aguero, the nimble Argentine skipping past a challenge by Parker on the edge of the box, only to have his shot deflected off of King for a corner, the first of the match. The resulting corner was terribly taken by Nasri, dribbling to the feet of the first Spurs defender.
The next opening again fell to City with a superb cut back from Silva had both Aguero and Dzeko trying to take a shot, with the confusion the ball went harmlessly wide for a goal kick. City appeared to be growing into the game with more of the ball.
Spurs struggled to then gain much concerted pressure against the City defence. Bale, with a rare chance to run a the defence, winning a free kick after being blocked by Lescott, the resulting free kick was blazed over the bar by Kaboul.
As the first half drew to a close Man City enjoyed a lot more of the ball, but once more were unable to break Spurs down. The half time whistle was blown with Spurs the happier side with the scores as they began at 0-0.
If the first half was cagey then the second half was the polar opposite, the first goal of the game came from Samir Nasri after fifty five minutes, a superb through ball from non other then Silva found Nasri, whose run was left in checked by Walker, who then blasted the ball in to the back of the net.
City then followed that up with a second goal shortly after. Nasri's corner flicked on at the front post by Dzeko straight into the path of an unmarked Lescott who bundled the ball in, despite the best efforts of Parker on the line.
From here it seemed as though it would be easy for City, but just three minutes later an aimless long ball was completely miss headed by Savic. Defoe chased down the header and took it wide past Hart before slowing the ball home to make the score 2-1.
From here on in it was all Spurs as they desperately looked for the equalising goal, they didn't have to wait long as in the 64th minute Lennon checked inside from the left wing and played a simple pass fro Bale who hit the ball first time, guiding it into the top corner, the best goal of the game mad the scores level!
Following the equalising goal the game seemed to die down, with both teams eager not to give away a losing goal. But in the 91st minute another error from Savic released Bale to sprint forward with the ball and cross to Defoe in the box, but whilst he stretched as far as he could he couldn't quite reach the ball and it sneaked narrowly past the post. At this point it seemed the game would end in a draw, but a long ball forward in the final minute of the game fell to Balotelli to who controlled the ball past King, who had prodded his leg out high and brought down the Italian. Incidentally Balotelli was lucky to still be on the bitch following a collision with Parker after a tackle whilst already on a yellow card.
Balotelli was the man who took the resulting penalty and calmly slotted into the bottom corner of the goal. A fantastic second half of football had ended with Man City taking the three points.
Man City had looked like they had thrown two points away after taking a two goal lead so Mancini will be delighted that his side kept going until the end of the game to get the win. As for Spurs, had Defoe been able to turn in Bales cross in the final minutes it would surely have been them taking the three points........how quickly a game of football can change!
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