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Harry Kane was inspirational as Tottenham halted their recent slide with a well-earned and stunning 3-2 win over Manchester City that could have implications on the title race.

Tottenham took a surprise early lead when Dejan Kulusevski scored by nutmegging Joao Cancelo, with goalkeeper Ederson not in a position to stop it. But City equalised when Ilkay Gundogan took advantage of a Hugo Lloris spillage in the box.

City dominated possession for the first part of the second half, but it was Tottenham who struck next. Harry Kane turned home a cross from Son Heung-min.

Kane thought he had a second when finishing at the nearpost, but VAR ruled it out for an offside in the buildup.

Tottenham defended well in an effort to retain their advantage. But City won a penalty for a Cristian Romero handball as seven minutes of stoppage time began. Riyad Mahrez smashed it home to clinch a draw – or so he thought.

But Spurs responded instantly and won it late when Harry Kane headed in after a floated cross from Kulusevski to make it 3-2 in the 95th minute.

It means City could be looking over their shoulders at Liverpool, who earlier won against Norwich, in the title race. As for Spurs, it halts a run of three consecutive Premier League defeats.

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Manchester City

Ederson: Perhaps not decisive enough to cover the right position for the first goal. Kept himself big to prevent one chance for Harry Kane when the score was 2-1. 6/10

Kyle Walker: Going about his business calmly, was alert to danger in a steady way but began to make a couple of mistakes midway through the first half. Some of his crosses caused danger. 7

Ruben Dias: Allowed Spurs to get in behind too easily for the opening goal. Grew into the game though with some recovery challenges. But wasn’t his usual self in general at the back and beaten too easily for the winner. 5

Aymeric Laporte: Wasn’t aware of the danger from Kane sneaking in between himself and Cancelo for Spurs’ second. 5

Joao Cancelo: Skilfully made a chance for himself after a quarter of an hour, weaving in and firing a shot wide. Not everything came off for him but he covered a lot of ground on and off the ball. 7

Rodri: Comfortable on the ball to help City build possession. His passing wasn’t always penetrative, though. 6

Ilkay Gundogan: Hit the post with a curled effort in the 20th minute. Calmly finished when the ball fell to him for City’s first goal. Went close with another smart curler in the 65th minute. City’s best player. 8

Kevin De Bruyne: Passing radar was uncharacteristically off in the opening stages. Became more heavily involved but without his usual precision. 5

Raheem Sterling: Forward thinking, his direct approach was pivotal as City’s link-up play began to improve. His stinging cross caused the danger for City’s first goal. Dropped off the boil after the break and was the first to go off. 7

Bernardo Silva: Somewhat on the fringes to start with but grew into it more in the second half. Didn’t have quite enough direction to provide his side impetus. 5

Phil Foden: Kept the ball under control well when having it at his feet. Generally had little effect though. 5

Substitutes:

Riyad Mahrez (on for Sterling, 68 mins): A surprise omission after his recent form. Tried to affect things when he came on and emphatically scored the penalty that almost earned City a point. 6

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Tottenham

Hugo Lloris: Made a smart save from a wide angle to deny Cancelo when first called into action. However, he could not keep hold of the ball in the move for City’s first equaliser, spilling it into Gundogan’s path. Made amends to deny the German with a fingertip save midway through the second half. 6

Cristian Romero: Defended well with good reading of the play. Confident in the air and on the ground, making several blocks. Gave the penalty away after trying to make one more but the winner meant it did not blemish what was a big performance. 8

Eric Dier: Generally calm in the centre of defence, only giving the ball away on occasion. Won a lot in the air to ensure his impact was positive. 8

Ben Davies: In the right place at the right time to make a block against a dangerous City effort midway through the first half. Played a lovely cross-field pass in the build-up to Kane’s disallowed goal after also setting the first goal in motion. 7

Emerson Royal: Looked better than usual defensively but still had some issues with accuracy in the attacking phase. The focus was in his own third though and in that regard he did well, putting his body on the line. One of his best games since joining the club. 7

Rodrigo Bentancur: Lost possession a couple of times in the first half, not releasing the ball quickly or decisively enough. Off the pace defensively too, giving Sterling too much space to cross for City’s leveller. 5

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Helped his side on the transition from defence to attack. Sometimes a bit stretched in the opposite phase but put in a good shift. 7

Ryan Sessegnon: Involved in a to-and-fro battle with Sterling early on. Had a chance from an Emerson cross but couldn’t control his finish. Beaten too easily in some one-on-one battles and not strong enough. 5

Dejan Kulusevski: Making his first start for the club, the attacking midfielder scored inside five minutes. Didn’t shy away from his defensive duties either, often forming part of a back six out of possession. His cross for Kane’s winner was perfect. 7

“What a start to the career of Dejan Kulusevski!”

Spurs strike first as Kulusevski slots the ball home after Son’s unselfish play! pic.twitter.com/L88sjiJ86v

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 19, 2022

Harry Kane: Made a brilliant pass to set up Son to assist Kulusevski’s opener. Continued to spread the play well when dropping deep. Got the goal he deserved when latching onto Son’s cross to make it 2-1 with a well-placed finish, and the crucial winner with a good header. Would have got perfect marks if not for missing a one-on-one in between. 9 (Man of the Match)

Son Heung-min: Unselfish to provide the assist for the opening goal and put in a brilliant cross for their second too. Linked up well with his strike partner to match the record for a partnership combining for goals (36) in Premier League history. 8

Substitutes:

Lucas Moura (on for Son, 80): N/A

Matt Doherty (on for Emerson, 83): N/A

Davinson Sanchez (on for Sessegnon, 94): N/A

The post Player Ratings: Tottenham inspiration defies his position with huge performance to stun Man City – but just misses out on full marks appeared first on TEAMtalk.