Thu 12 August 2021, 12:00
Tottenham HotspurA pivotal moment in a season to remember in December, 2009.
City were taking the first steps to the promised land. The likes of Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Nigel de Jong and Ya Ya Toure were now at the Etihad and all started at the Lane.
But we were heading for the promised land as well - the Champions League - and the two matches against City proved decisive. We won both, including this 3-0 mauling in the festive season, before that memorable night in Manchester in May, 2010, when Peter Crouch headed us into Europe's most prestigious competition.
We needed this win though on a Wednesday night under the lights in N17. Our 9-1 win against Wigan was fresh in the memory, but we'd gone three games without a game since. There was only a point between us at start of play, just outside the top four.
It was Niko Kranjcar's night. The mercurial Croatian struck twice, prodding home from Peter Crouch's header for 1-0 and then beating Adebayor all ends up before sliding past Shay Given in added time. In between, Jermain Defoe fired into the top corner from close range, textbook JD.
We went on to lose just two of our next 14 and, five months later when the teams met again, we opened the door to Champions League football for the first time.
Spurs 3-0 City - the highlights
Match data
Spurs: Gomes, Bassong, Dawson, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto (Bale 90+5), Huddlestone, Lennon, Palacios, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe (Jenas 90+2). Substitutes (not used): Alnwick, Hutton, Modric, Pavlyuchenko, Keane.
City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Sylvinho, Toure, Ireland, Barry, De Jong (Petrov 71), Robinho (Santa Cruz 59), Adebayor, Tevez. Substitutes (not used): Taylor, Zabaleta, Kompany, Weiss, Mwaruwari.
Goals: Kranjcar 37, 90+3, Defoe 54.
Venue: White Hart Lane.
Attendance: 35,891.
