Foden’s 1st EPL goal sends City top, dents Spurs top-4 bid
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Phil Foden scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester City to seal a 1-0 victory over Tottenham that sent the champions into first place on Saturday and jeopardized the London club’s top-four bid.
The third game between the teams in 11 days lacked the energy-sapping drama and tension of their Champions League meeting on Wednesday which produced seven goals and saw Tottenham reach the semifinals.
The 18-year-old Foden didn’t even make the bench for the European quarterfinal but netted five minutes into his second league start for City.
The only locally-born player in Saturday’s lineup, Foden sent a diving header into the net from close range after Sergio Agüero nodded across the face of goal.
It consigned Tottenham to a fifth successive away league loss, leaving the third-place team one point ahead of London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.
With four games remaining, City moved a point ahead of Liverpool, which is at relegation-threatened Cardiff on Sunday.
City could be facing another spell without influential midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who went off in the first half after going down holding his left leg.
Tottenham, without injured top-scorer Harry Kane, was thwarted in the pursuit of an equalizer by goalkeeper Ederson, who denied Lucas Moura from close range.
Visiting goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, deputizing for the injured Hugo Lloris, just managed to keep out Raheem Sterling’s shot with his right foot at the other end.
Tottenham was denied a possible penalty when the club’s former defender Kyle Walker handled but, unlike in the Champions League, there is no use of VAR in the Premier League until next season.
The use of video replays in the Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday saw Sterling denied a stoppage-time goal that would have secured City’s passage into the last four as Tottenham lost 4-3 but advanced on away goals following a 4-4 aggregate result.
City claimed a 10th successive league win despite having penalty appeals turned down itself in the second half when Jan Vertonghen’s hand blocked a strike from Agüero and Juan Foyth brought down Foden.
