Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City v Tottenham live
ShareFollow Sportsmail's coverage of the Barclays Premier League as Manchester City host Tottenham at Eastlands. A win for Roberto Mancini's side will guarantee them a Champions League spot but Spurs need three points to keep their own slim hopes of a place in Europe's premier club competition alive. Email me your thoughts on the game at dan.ripley@dailymail.co.uk[LNB] Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham (7.45pm)Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Zabaleta (Kolarov 57), Milner, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Adam Johnson (Vieira 66), Silva (Tevez 83), Dzeko.Subs: Given, Wright-Phillips, Vieira, Boyata, Balotelli.[LNB]Goals: Crouch (OG) 30.[LNB]Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Rose, Lennon, Palacios (Pienaar 32), Sandro, Modric, Van der Vaart, Crouch (Defoe 78).Subs: Pletikosa, Kaboul, Pavlyuchenko, Bassong, Kranjcar.[LNB]Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral) [LNB]84min: Here is Tevez to replace the impressive Silva.[LNB]83min: Tevez is getting ready to come on as Spurs win...yes you have guessed it, another corner.[LNB]This doesn't even reach the box as a short corner goes wrong and ends with Pienaar being booked for wiping out Toure.[LNB]81min: Another Spurs corner, another disappointment. Full marks for trying something different though as a pass to the edge of the box spots Van der Vaart but his shot is miles over.[LNB]80min: There is our first booking after Danny Rose leaves Milner staring at a clean pair of heels and is promptly hacked down on the left.[LNB]78min: After Toure goes down with a laughable penalty appeal, Crouch goes off for Defoe. Another poor game from the England striker.[LNB]77min: Great play by Silva, his quick header sees Dzeko through but Dawson is on hand to block the striker's shot. Defoe is warming up for Spurs.[LNB]74min: Party time for City...well for the fans at least. Plenty of them turning around and doing the Poznan jump. You should know what it is by now.[LNB]71min: Gallas has gone down and again needs some treatment, City finally seeing some possession.[LNB]69min: That sums it ALL up. City's first attack of the half is the best of the half. Richards low ball across the penalty box just wants someone to rifle it first time but Silva is just a fraction short of making contact.[LNB]68min: City finally at least enter Tottenham's half thus ending a strange phase of the game where Tottenham absolutely dominated but created absolutely nothing.[LNB]66min: In an attempt to try and get some of the ball in midfield, City are bringing on Patrick Vieira for Adam Johnson.[LNB]64min: Another Spurs corner and but it's easily cleared by Richards who is the only man who can get anywhere near it. If Spurs are going to score, set-pieces are not the way to go.[LNB] Blood injury: Zabaleta (right) had to go off for Manchester City[LNB]63min: Spurs win a free-kick 35 yards-out but Van der Vaart's strike clips the top of the wall and eventually out to safety.[LNB]60min: Half-chance for Van der Vaart but on the edge of the box he snaps a shot well over the bar.[LNB]59min: Roberto Mancini may need to alter this, Spurs well on top but they just are not creating anything.[LNB]57min: Zabaleta still hasn't come back on and he isn't going to as Aleksandar Kolarov replaces him, Spurs again with all the ball.[LNB]55min: The pattern of play continues. Spurs attack, hit a brick wall before a mistake sees City survive the danger.[LNB]53min: Pablo Zabaleta has to go off for a couple of minutes to stem the flow of blood from his face after Crouch's arm catches him as they jump for a header.[LNB]Again no intent from the striker but Jermain Defoe was sent-off for a similar challenge for a header at Aston Villa earlier this season.[LNB] Pressure: Vedran Corluka (right) attempts to tackle David Silva[LNB]50min: A crunching but fair tackle from Modric has Richards clutching his shoulders as he goes down, but he quickly manages to get up and shake it off.[LNB]No malice in it at all as the players shake hands and it sums up the game which has not had a single booking.[LNB]47min: Nearly some humble pie from me there. Tottenham break and after Lennon's cross finds Pienaar in the box, his header is well saved by Hart who dives well to his left to keep it out.[LNB]Second-half: No 'Super Pav' yet as he is dubbed by the Spurs fans. No changes altogether as Dzeko and Silva restart proceedings.[LNB]20.41: As for Spurs I just can't see them scoring...unless Roman Pavlyuchenko comes on. The Russian does always seem to have a spark when he comes off the bench.[LNB]20.40: A lot of talk that City are fortunate to be in front but I just think they have contained Spurs and played on the break.[LNB]It's worked so far and I can't see why they would want to change in the second-half.[LNB]20.37: I have never seen a team have so much of the ball and do so little with it but that is what Spurs have served up tonight.[LNB]It's just too predictable - a few short passes and a long punt to Crouch to follow.[LNB]It's an irony that it's City that have benefited from the striker - and that's before you take last season's game into account.[LNB]20.35: So City are half-way there and if truth be told it's all a bit easy.[LNB] Head boy: Joleon Lescott beats Crouch to a header[LNB]Half-time: Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham[LNB]47+2min: Some heavy pressure for Spurs ends with Van der Vaart chesting and volleying straight down Hart's throat.[LNB]Bit worrying he had the time to do that from a City perspective but the danger does pass.[LNB]45min: Four minutes are to be added on. Spurs with the ball again.[LNB]44min: Spurs win their fourth corner but again it comes to nothing. City pretty strong in the air, Tottenham are not.[LNB]41min: A delay in play as William Gallas receives some treatment - I don't think there is any more room in the Spurs treatment room, he will have to stay on.[LNB]38min: Just more embarrassment from Crouch, Corluka's ball into the box is a good one but he goes down under the slightest touch from Milner and crumbles in a heap.[LNB]37min: Mighty close from Silva, he receives the ball unmarked in the centre and as he closes in on goal unchallenged fires a shot just over the bar. Spurs are here for the taking.[LNB]35min: Spurs still trying to boss possession but there is certainly a lack of confidence out there - hey at least I was right about City waiting for a mistake after all. [LNB]32min: Just gets worse for Spurs. Now Wilson Palacios has gone off injured and has been replaced by Steven Pienaar.[LNB] Old habits die hard: Crouch (centre) puts through his own net to give City the lead[LNB]30min: GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 Tottenham[LNB]The irony is incredible! Spurs are caught out by a short corner and James Milner's cross is turned in at the near post by Peter Crouch into his own goal...the very same end he scored the winner for Tottenham last season. Spurs being made to pay for their shortcomings once again.[LNB]28min: Or maybe it could be...Lennon is looking handy tonight and after running down the right cleverly spots Modric unmarked on the edge of the box.[LNB]His low pass is perfect but the Croatian's first time shot whistles past the post - in truth he really should score, I was waiting for it to hit the back of the net.[LNB]27min: Spurs with plenty of possession but they are not at all threatening. City seemingly happy to wait for a mistake, which isn't a silly way of going about things.[LNB]24min: Anybody watch Fulham v Liverpool last night? Well so far this is the complete opposite to that.[LNB] Nothing given: James Milner (right) was denied a penalty after a collision with Michael Dawson[LNB]21min: We've seen that before, Crouch nods down to Lennon in the box but after his shot is blocked to Luka Modric, the Croatian sees his own effort deflected behind for a corner.[LNB]Having seen the penalty shout again - I was wrong...it was Milner who went down but far too easily for me, good decision from Mike Dean.[LNB]19min: Penalty shout for City as Dawson appears to haul down Dzeko in the box following an aerial challenge.[LNB]In truth there doesn't look much in it but I would like to see that again.[LNB]17min: One positive for Tottenham is Danny Rose. So far he has stood the test against Richards bombing against him on the right.[LNB]A little bit of possession for the visitors.[LNB]14min: City playing the better stuff, with Spurs looking a little lost in what to do here there is just no tempo to their play.[LNB]11min: What a save by Cudicini! Silva latches on to a flick on from Edin Dzeko but after cutting the ball back to the Bosnian inside the box, the strikers shot is well saved by the Italian. A let-off for Spurs who are playing very deep.[LNB]9min: Our first shot. Michael Dawson strangely lays the ball off to Yaya Toure on the edge of the box but his shot is poor and is well wide.[LNB]7min: Micah Richards manages to find space on the right but his cross is cut out by the Spurs defence.[LNB]Tottenham win the games first corner moments later but it's easily cleared - this game hasn't quite got going yet.[LNB] Sandwiched: Manchester City's Edin Dzeko can't find his way past Tottenham's Sandro (left) and Vedran Corluka[LNB]5min: Good passage of play from Tottenham as Aaron Lennon manages to scamper off down the right, but as he looks up to play a cross nobody is in the box.[LNB]City get defenders back and manage to clear the danger.[LNB]3min: Slightly scrappy from both sides as neither side can pass the ball particularly well here. Call it a sparring period.[LNB]Kick-off: Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart get us going[LNB]19.41: Teams in the tunnel. Spurs look fed-up to be honest, City meanwhile look a little tense.[LNB]Both teams are now out to an even tenser crowd it seems.[LNB]19.38: So is Gomes really injured? He has been prone to the odd injury or too during his time at the Lane but it does seem a coincidence he suddenly gets injured when his position is in question.[LNB]19.34: From a neutral perspective, I'm disappointed Mario 'box office' Balotelli is not starting.[LNB]But the good news is the return of Carlos Tevez, if City do qualify for the Champions League tonight hopefully he will be on the pitch when it happens - he is a symbol of their recent rise.[LNB]You just can't underestimate how much he has helped the club to get where it has now and hopefully he will be fit to lead the club out at the FA Cup final.[LNB] Lockout: Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips on the ball in the 0-0 stalemate earlier this term[LNB]19.29: But who remembers these sides playing out a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the season? Spurs had chance-after-chance to score but an inspired Joe Hart kept them at bay.[LNB]Had Spurs won that fixture they would be in a position today to put fourth place back in their grasp. All 'ifs' and 'buts' hey?[LNB]19.26: Spurs have slipped up big time in recent weeks and are obviously way out of form going into this game. The only match they have won since beating AC Milan was Stoke, and even they had one eye on an FA Cup semi-final a week later.[LNB]In fact Spurs have not won away from home since beating Sunderland in February - and judging by their recent plight it seems any side could have beaten them that day.[LNB]Worrying times if you are a Spurs fan.[LNB]19.23: So what are Spurs really aiming to achieve out this season? Realistically the Champions League looks gone but Harry Redknapp doesn't fancy settling for a Europa League place in fifth either.[LNB]Is sixth really the second best option? Easy to do I admit but I wouldn't want my club losing the last three games of a season to make sure it happens.[LNB]19.19: Carlos Tevez is named on the bench as Manchester City take on Tottenham at Eastlands tonight knowing victory would secure a place in next season's Champions League.[LNB]Micah Richards is recalled after his hamstring injury, although there was still no place for Gareth Barry, who has been troubled by a similar problem.[LNB]Six points behind City with three games remaining, Spurs have to win.[LNB]19.15: Hang on stop the press here, turns out Gomes is actually a pretty handy customer for Spurs according to our friends at OptaJoe:[LNB]1 - Tottenham Hotspur have won just one of the last seven Premier League games that Heurelho Gomes has not played in. Absent.[LNB] Heading for the top: Crouch (centre) celebrates his goal that took Spurs to the Champions League[LNB]19.12: So Manchester City v Tottenham - another Champions League play-off. But it's all so different to a year ago.[LNB]Back then Spurs knew a win would propel them amongst Europe's elite and a Peter Crouch header late on proved to be the goal that took them there.[LNB]City were left devastated as a win for them would have meant a victory in their final game would have secured them fourth but they don't have such pressure this year. Even if Spurs do win tonight, the final Champions League spot is still in City's own hands.[LNB]19.09: Word coming from Tottenham is that Heurelho Gomes has got a back injury - no doubt caused by having to quickly turn to dive in vain at your own fumbles and by wiping players out in the penalty box.[LNB]19.07: Tottenham squad:[LNB]Cudicini; Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Rose; Lennon, Palacios, Sandro, Modric; Van der Vaart; Crouch. Subs: Pletikosa, Bassong, Kaboul, Kranjcar, Pienaar, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko.[LNB]19.05: Manchester City squad:[LNB]Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Zabaleta; De Jong, Milner; A Johnson, Yaya, Silva; Dzeko. Subs: Given, Kolarov, Boyata, Wright-Phillips, Vieira, Tevez, Balotelli.[LNB]19.02: Early team news - Carlo Cudicini starts in goal for Tottenham.[LNB]19.00: It just seems about everyone and thing is trying to overshadow potentially one of the greatest weeks in Manchester City's history.[LNB]With City due to play Stoke in the FA Cup final on Saturday, local rivals United are determined to ensure their title celebrations will be loud enough to drown out the noise of 'Abide With Me' at Wembley.[LNB]Lord Triesman has stolen the show with his allegations on FIFA and THAT World Cup bid, but perhaps most importantly of all Tottenham are in town.[LNB]The north London side famously sealed a Champions League place with a win at Eastlands last season but with the boot now on the other foot, City will be determined to secure the three points they need to start the party. Team news coming up.[LNB] Silva lining: Manchester City's David Silva (right) will hope his side can bounce back from defeat at Everton to secure Champions League football for next season[LNB] This week is 'do or die'! De Jong tells Manchester City to make historyWe need a miracle! Harry casts doubt over Spurs' Champions League dream All the latest Manchester City news, features and opinionAll the latest Tottenham news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Roberto Mancini, Carlo Cudicini, Harry Redknapp, Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, Joe Hart, Adam Johnson, Edin Dzeko, Michael Dawson, Danny Rose, Luka Modric, Peter Crouch, James Milner, Wilson Palacios, William Gallas Places: London, Liverpool, Europe
