Razor-sharp Spurs deal Guardiola first Man City loss

Tottenham Hotspur’s English midfielder Dele Alli shoots to score their second goal under pressure from Manchester City’s Argentinian defender Nicolas Otamendi (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane in London, on 2 October 

City lose 100% record in defeat at Tottenham

AFP: Tottenham Hotspur advanced their Premier League title credentials with a superb 2-0 victory on Sunday as Pep Guardiola tasted defeat for the first time as Manchester City manager.

An Aleksandar Kolarov own goal and a Dele Alli strike gave Spurs a third successive league win over City and manager Mauricio Pochettino could even afford for Erik Lamela to squander a second-half penalty.

The result lifted Spurs to second, a point below City, and means the north London club, third last term, have made their best start to a season since their fabled 1960-61 title-winning campaign.

Pochettino was left to celebrate only a second league win over Guardiola in 10 matches, and the first since Espanyol beat Barcelona in their first such encounter in February 2009.

It was Guardiola’s first defeat in 12 games as City manager and following their mid-week 3-3 draw at Celtic in the Champions League, his side have now gone successive games without victory.

City had won their first six league matches, but the last unbeaten record in the division now belongs to Tottenham.

Spurs were caught cold by Liverpool, the last high-pressing team to visit White Hart Lane, in August’s 1-1 draw between the sides, but Pochettino’s men did not make the same mistake against City.