Bergwijn enjoys dream debut as Tottenham sink Man City

• Bergwijn nets superb finish on debut
• Son doubles the lead for Mourinho’s side
• City have Zinchenko sent off
• Gundogan misses first-half penalty for City

LONDON: Steven Bergwijn made an instant impact on his Tottenham Hotspur debut with a stunning opener in his side’s 2-0 win over champions Manchester City in an incident-packed Premier League game on Sunday.

The Dutch midfielder, signed this week from PSV Eindhoven, produced a masterful piece of skill to chest down and sweep home a volley three minutes after City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko was shown a second yellow card on the hour.

With 10-man City stretched Son Heung-min added a second in the 71st minute with a deflected effort, allowing Spurs manager Jose Mourinho to get the better of his old adversary Pep Guardiola for only the sixth time in 23 clashes.

City remain 22 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool and only had themselves to blame for a sixth defeat of the season as they wasted several gilt-edged chances and missed yet another penalty when Hugo Lloris saved Ilkay Gundogan’s spot kick.

Sergio Aguero was unusually profligate, striking the post in the first half and missing two other chances as City failed to score in consecutive games for the first time under Guardiola.

In the context of what has become a title race in name only, it means Liverpool can be crowned champions if they win their next six league games, having won 16 in succession.

While City’s pursuit of Liverpool has long run out of steam, a second successive league win revived Tottenham’s push for a top-four finish. They have moved up to fifth in the table, four points behind London rivals Chelsea.

It was a sweet moment for Mourinho who claimed his biggest scalp since replacing Mauricio Pochettino in November, although he had raged before halftime, believing City’s Raheem Sterling should have been shown a red card for a foul on Dele Alli.

‘GREAT DISCIPLINE’

“We worked hard this week and so pleased for the boys,” he said. “We were a bit lucky in a couple of situations, they hit the woodwork and missed chances but were very unlucky that VAR didn’t decide for a Sterling red card.

“We showed great discipline. Playing one player less for them is no big deal the way they move the ball.”

Tottenham were under siege for long periods in the first half but City’s attack misfired. Lloris did superbly to turn one Aguero effort against the post, but the City striker lacked his usual ruthless finishing, spurning some glorious chances.

The game burst into life when Aguero was fouled in the area by a reckless Serge Aurier, although, as the game continued, it took referee Mike Dean nearly two minutes to stop the action and award City a penalty courtesy of a VAR check.

Lloris made a great save to deny Gundogan — City’s fourth missed penalty in their last six in all competitions — but Tottenham’s hearts were in their mouths as Sterling went sprawling under the French keeper’s lunge to stop the follow-up.

This time VAR ruled in Tottenham’s favour and as tempers flared, with Tottenham’s players feeling Sterling had simulated contact, Toby Alderweireld and Zinchenko were both booked for their part in a melee.

City’s territorial domination continued after the break with Gundogan firing over with the goal gaping but they were stopped in their tracks when Zinchenko ended a Harry Winks run with a crude challenge and was sent off.

Tottenham took rapid advantage as Bergwijn controlled Lucas Moura’s drilled pass with his chest and delivered an instantaneous right-foot volley that arrowed past Ederson.

Son then latched on to a through ball and his shot nicked off Fernandinho to nestle in the bottom corner.

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