Spurs win with Kane’s record goal

London: It was a special moment for Harry Kane as he drove in his 267th goal for Tottenham Hotspur to become the club’s all-time top scorer beating the record of the legendary Jimmy Greaves. It was also the only goal of the match that brought Manchester City their fifth defeat in five goalless visits to Tottenham’s new stadium putting a dent on their chances of winning the Premier League as they remain five points behind Arsenal.

Kane became the fastest player to reach 200 Premier League goals with only former players Alan Shearer with 260 and Wayne Rooney with 208 scoring more. A jubilant Kane said: “It’s a magical moment. I was desperate to do it with a win as well. To do it in front of the home fans, it’s a moment I’ll never forget. To do it against one of the best teams in the world, it’s a special feeling.

He added: “There’s been so much talk about it the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to get it done as soon as possible. It’s a dream come true. My friends and family were here so it was a special time to do it.”

Spurs manager Antonio Conte was unable to be at the ground following a surgery.

Spurs took time to settle into the game as City dominated possession for the first 15 minutes moving the ball with control and came close to scoring when Nathan Ake missed a chance for a header and a low volley from Julian Alvarez from the edge of the box took a deflection and went just wide.

But against the run of play came Kane’s big moment. A poor pass from Rodrigo aimed at Rico Lewis was intercepted by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg whose accurate pass inside the area to Kane was driven inside the far post in the 15th minute for a definitive goal to the delight of a packed stadium.

In added time at the end of the first half, Riyad Mahrez was unlucky to see his powerful shot hit the bar. The second-half substitutions did not help City, although Kevin De Bruyne’s arrival improved the attack and from his excellent free-kick Alvarez saw his shot blocked by Eric Dyer.

City’s striker Erling Haaland who has made a massive impact since joining from Borussia Dortmund for £51.4 million and leading with 25 Premier League goals and 31 in all competitions for the club made little impression on this occasion. He was closely marked by Christian Romero and after Romero was sent off in the 87th minute for a foul on Jack Grealish, Dyer kept a close eye until the end of added time.

On his team’s dismal record at Tottenham, City manager, Pep Guardiola said: “Sooner or later it’s going to change, but it’s strange we haven’t scored one goal. We missed penalties in the past. To find an explanation isn’t easy. We found the positions, made good balls to the channels, but missed the last action up front. Tottenham have a fantastic team and they punish you. They have a lot of quality up front.”