Manchester City FC

Thank you as always for your company this afternoon - what a brilliant way to start a busy month of action for City!

It wasn't pretty at times, but the Blues dug deep and got the win we deserved thanks to a Miedema header and excellent Fujino winner - her first goal in the WSL.

It's straight onto West Ham on Wednesday now, so join us again from 17:30 at the Chigwell Construction Stadium as we aim to make it three from three in the league.

Until then, keep across mancity.com and the official Man City app for plenty of reaction to today's clash!

"I'm really pleased for Aoba, it was a deserved goal and a fabulous finish. She's done a lot of really good stuff for the team.

"We want players to be able do that, getting goals and assists are really important in those positions and she's been creating a lot.

"It was the first goal she's had in a while which will give her confidence and so it should.

"You couldn't wish to work with a better person, she's out consistently practicing her crossing and finishing every single day. When that happens you're just really pleased for her."

"I have to give great credit to the girls on how they adapted so quickly after being away for so long. We found it tough today, but scored with a brilliant goal on our first attack.

"Spurs are direct but the girls stood up to it. We improved in the second half and caused a lot of clearances from their goalkeeper, and then one that potentially went over the line.

"Sometimes you have to win ugly and find a way to win and we certainly did that. I have a feeling the whole month is going to be like this, pitches aren't great at the moment so we're going to struggle maybe to play our game in possession so we have to fight.

"If winning ugly this month is the word then we'll have to do it."

"I think it was tough playing against this team and on this pitch as well. But we got together after the break and we got the three points, that's the most important thing.

"It was tough but very positive and gives us a lot of confidence for what's coming. We need to fight together as a team like today, and that's the way we need to follow.

"It doesn't matter the way we win, the important thing is we show our character and quality no matter and I think that's what we did."

"I think it's super positive and important for us. Everyone is playing for the team and it's amazing.

"We were just waiting for Aoba's celebration, she's so funny. She's a good person and player for the team so we enjoyed her goal.

"It's a super important month for us, but I think we're ready to face the games. And this gives us a lot of confidence and strength to go and win."

And the Spanish defender says she and the rest of the Blues squad were delighted to see the Japan international score the euphoric winner in our hard-fought 2-1 over Spurs.

After Vivianne Miedema’s opener was cancelled out by Beth England’s strike before half-time at Brisbane Road, a draw in our latest Barclays Women’s Super League assignment grew in likelihood after the clock ticked past the 75th minute.

That was until Fujino linked up nicely with Yui Hasegawa before the former shifted the ball onto her left foot and rifled it into the top left corner three minutes later.

City then held on for three precious points as we move towards the business end of the campaign and Aleixandri says the victory will be a source of confidence as we navigate an action-packed schedule in March.

“We were just waiting for Aoba’s celebration [after her goal], she’s so funny,” she declared.

“She’s a good person and player for the team so we enjoyed her goal. I think it’s super positive and important for us. Everyone is playing for the team and it’s amazing.

“I think it was tough playing against this team and on this pitch as well. But we got together after the break and we got the three points, that’s the most important thing.

“It was tough but very positive and gives us a lot of confidence for what’s coming. We need to fight together as a team like today, and that’s the way we need to follow.

“It doesn’t matter the way we win, the important thing is we show our character and quality no matter and I think that’s what we did.”

“It’s a super important month for us, but I think we’re ready to face the games. And this gives us a lot of confidence and strength to go and win.”

A keenly-fought encounter looked destined to end all square until Aoba Fujino rifled home her first WSL goal to seal the points for the Blues.

City had taken the lead through Vivianne Miedema’s header against the run of play, but the hosts responded before the break through Beth England.

But despite a difficult playing surface and a rapid turnaround from the international break, Taylor’s side found a way to get the win.

“I have to give great credit to the girls on how they adapted so quickly after being away for so long,” the boss reflected after the game.

MATCH REPORT: SPURS 1-2 CITY

“Spurs are direct but the girls stood up to it. We improved in the second half and caused a lot of clearances from their goalkeeper, and then one that potentially went over the line.

“Sometimes you have to win ugly and find a way to win and we certainly did that. I have a feeling the whole month is going to be like this, pitches aren’t great at the moment so we’re going to struggle maybe to play our game in possession so we have to fight.

“If winning ugly this month is the word then we’ll have to do it.”

Following a bright Spurs start, City took the lead against the run of play through Vivianne Miedema’s well-met header, but Bethany England equalised before half-time.

Both teams created chances after the break but it looked likely the contest would end in a draw before Fujino smashed home a fantastic effort on 78 minutes to restore our advantage.

It means Gareth Taylor’s side have moved back into the division’s top three - albeit having played a game more than fourth-placed Arsenal.

WHAT HAPPENED

Spurs entered the meeting looking to bounce back from their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in their final assignment ahead of the international break and they made a fast start in east London.

Eveliina Summanen tested the hands of Ayaka Yamashita before England’s fierce shot was blocked wide after she collected the ball inside the box.

Gareth Taylor’s side boasted a strong defensive record against the Londoners having not conceded in each of our last three games with Robert Vilahamn’s side, but the hosts came close to breaking the deadlock in the latest meeting.

We defended a corner well before the ball looped towards Ella Morris’ direction, allowing her to strike a venomous volley which flew just wide of Yamashita’s top corner.

But, against the run of play, City scored with our first attack of the match following a well-crafted move down the right – allowing Fujino’s cross to be headed home by Miedema.

The Japan international played a neat one-two with Laura Blindkilde Brown – sending the winger down the right before her pinpoint cross was powerfully nodded into the back of the net by the WSL’s all-time leading scorer.

It represented the Netherlands international’s eighth goal in 12 outings since her summer arrival at the Club.

That somewhat knocked the wind out of Spurs’ sails following their breathless start and another City cross almost paid dividends when Leila Ouahabi’s ball from the left was headed over by Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.

A rare missed opportunity by the Jamaican who has netted an impressive three hat-tricks against Vilahamn’s side - the most of any player against the same team in the competition’s history.

Spurs were then forced into making a substitution on the 30-minute mark when Martha Thomas was replaced by Olivia Holdt due to injury.

And the latter made her presence felt almost immediately when she broke into the box and lifted the ball to England, who found the roof of the net with an improvised effort.

The hosts then arguably finished the half the stronger of the two teams as Ashleigh Neville got the better of Casparij and teed up Charlotte Grant, whose dangerous cross was well cleared by Naomi Layzell before it could reach England.

And Spurs’ striker came close to finding her second of the afternoon on the cusp of the break when her header from a corner was cleared off the line by Miedema before Holdt fired over from close-range.

City had 18 players away on international duty across tournaments, friendlies and training camps and the taxing journeys from around the world looked to have sapped some of the energy out of our players on the first assignment back.

The Blues were then hugely let off when a ball over the top found Matilda Vinberg alone inside the box, but Spurs’ forward lashed her effort wide when she had time and space to line up her shot.

That seemed to spring fresh life into Taylor’s team and Yui Hasegawa’s curled attempt towards the top corner was grabbed by the grateful Lize Kop before City thought we had regained the lead.

From a corner, Miedema again met the ball with a powerful header which flew past Kop but Neville was on hand on the line to scoop the ball onto the cross bar with her right foot.

Blues players were adamant it had already crossed the line, but the referee and assistant were unmoved and the scores level.

That rise in temperature sprung the game into an end-to-end contest and Spurs came close on two occasions when England nipped in ahead of Aleixandri and fired over the bar before Grant’s effort followed the same trajectory.

With the clock approaching the final 10 minutes a draw looked increasingly likely, before Fujino scored a phenomenal goal which regained our lead.

The winger and Hasegawa combined wonderfully down the right before the 20-year-old collected the ball, flicked it onto her left foot and rifled it into the top left corner.

It was a goal fit to win any game and City held on for three precious points in the capital.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: AOBA FUJINO

Fresh from helping Japan to SheBelieves Cup glory during the international break, Fujino maintained her fine form with a goal and an assist in the capital.

The February Etihad Player of the Month nominee was the instigator of most of our fine attacking play and deserved the winner for her continued sparkling displays since the turn of the year.

HOW WE LINED UP

Taylor made three changes from the XI who started our 4-0 win over Liverpool before the international break.

Ayaka Yamashita’s goal was protected by Kerstin Casparij, Naomi Layzell, Laia Aleixandri and Leila Ouahabi.

Yui Hasegawa anchored our engine room with Laura Blindkilde Brown and Vivianne Miedema playing further forward than the Japan international.

The front three was then spearheaded by Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw with Kerolin Nicoli on the left wing and Aoba Fujino on the right.

Spurs XI: Kop, Grant, Morris, Bartrip, England (C), Vinberg, Thomas (Holdt 30’), Buhler, Spence, Summanen (Rybrink 66’), Neville.

Unused substitutes: Heeps, Nilden, Naz, Oroz, Csiki, Ayane, Gunning-Williams.

City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Layzell, Aleixandri (C), Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Blindkilde Brown (Roord 69’), Miedema, Fujino, Kerolin Nicoli (Park 69’), Shaw (Fowler, 69’).

Unused substitutes: Keating Wienroither, Prior, Oyama, Murphy, Davies.

WHAT IT MEANS

The win over Spurs moves us up to third in the WSL table on 31 points – albeit having played a game more than fourth place Arsenal.

WHAT’S NEXT

It’s a quick turnaround for City who return to the capital on Wednesday 5 March to lock horns with West Ham.

Kick-off at Chigwell Construction Stadium is set for 19:00 (UK) and there will be comprehensive coverage of the WSL clash on mancity.com and our official App.

In general, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for the Blues and Spurs have been something of a bogey team for City over the years.

But this would be a confident and deserved win for Pep’s men.

Our Pitcam highlights feature unusual angles and moments unseen by the broadcast cameras.

Watch the game again through fresh eyes, with the players, supporters and major incidents up close and personal.

See Erling Haaland’s winner - and his second effort late on that was ruled out but perhaps should have been allowed to stand - plus everything else besides.

Watch our latest Pitcam via your CITY+ subscription by playing the video above.

CITY+

CITY+ is available via an annual subscription of £34.99 a year, saving you £24 on our monthly offering.

Choose monthly and pay £4.99 a month with the option to cancel anytime.

Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members can subscribe annually for £30 a year, a saving of £29.

After missing our last two games, Haaland needed just 12 minutes to open the scoring.

He was found brilliantly by Jeremy Doku, who rolled the path into his path just six yards out for Haaland to stroke into the corner.

It made him just the second player in Premier League history to hit 20 goals in his first three seasons in the English top-flight.

City dominated the rest of the first half and should have extended our lead, but some determined last ditch defending kept the margin to one.

It meant an inspired Ederson performance was required in the second period to earn all three points, with the Brazilian making six saves including a stunning late stop from Heung-min Son.

In the end, the Blues claimed a hard-fought victory to move back into the Premier League’s top four.

Having missed last week’s defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool, it was a reminder of the impact our clinical finisher can make.

Spurs 0-1 City | Guardiola reaction

He even thought he’d put the icing on the cake in the dying moments after stroking past Guglielmo Vicario but he instead saw the strike ruled out for handball.

City could easily have put the game beyond Spurs in the first half but were instead forced to work hard for a clean sheet and the three points as the hosts improved after the break.

Ederson demonstrated what has made him one of the Premier League’s finest goalkeepers for seven-and-a-half seasons with a string of superb saves to keep the hosts at bay.

The win moves us back into the top four of the Premier League with 11 games remaining.

After four successive league defeats without a goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following its opening, we have now been successful on our last two trips to the top-flight’s newest venue.

City travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seeking to get back to winning ways after back-to-back losses against Real Madrid and Liverpool.

With the race for a top four Premier League finish and with it a guaranteed place in next season’s Champions League hotting up, it was another crucial clash for Pep Guardiola‘s side.

But with Spurs seeking a fourth successive league win and playing on home soil it promised to be a testing assignment.

Spurs had already recorded two wins over City this term in the Carabao Cup and in the league at the Etihad - but City travelled down to London seeking a result that help avenge those two defeats.

How would it play out this time?

Watch the full-match replay at the top of the page...

CITY+

CITY+ is available via an annual subscription of £34.99 a year, saving you £24 on our monthly offering.

Choose monthly and pay £4.99 a month with the option to cancel anytime.

Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members can subscribe annually for £30 a year, a saving of £29.

That's all from me after a really satisfactory night.

A 1-0 win at Spurs, back into the Premier League top four and a goalscoring return for Erling Haaland.

That's a decent night's work in anyone's book!

We'll have highlights and a full match replay on our app and mancity.com from midnight.

And we'll be back on Saturday four our FA Cup fifth round clash at home to Plymouth, kick-off 5.45pm.

As always many thanks for your company tonight and see you on Saturday.

We were better in the first and they were better in the second. 1-0 2-0 3-0 that should have happened because of the chances.

Never ever can you stop playing. Always you have to play and make long actions.

Teams play so high it can happen. Always its a lesson when you stop to do it anything can happen.

We are happy. Important three points, that's what we need.

I think Jeremy did a really good game and he should have had more assists. It was a great goal and good to get the ball from Jeremy.

It’s not easy to know when to get the ball, it was lucky as well with the deflection.

The Uzbek defender, who joined the Club in January, put in a brilliant display to help us to a clean sheet in Wednesday’s narrow victory at Tottenham Hotspur.

Erling Haaland‘s goal proved to be enough for the three points in north London, with City dominating the first half but failing to capitalise on our chances.

The hosts grew into the match in the second period and a solid defensive display, including six Ederson saves, was required to earn the win.

Just six games into his City career, Khusanov is already impressing Guardiola with his attitude as well as his skillset.

“Today he travelled without a brush and his washbag. Nothing. He arrived here to play football,” said the boss in his post-match press conference.

“What I like is that he is already incredible for the dressing room,” said the boss in his post-match press conference.

“Today he travelled without no toothbrush and his washbag. Nothing. Arrived here to play football.

“When you talk to him he just laughs, laughs, laughs all the time but he is a reliable player.

“So fast, so quick, quality with passes is extraordinary. He breaks the lines. He has the ability to do it. He has to improve but he’s 20.

“I’ve seen players with a lot of pace but he is one of them.

“People adore him. He is silent, no complaints and so humble and I’m sure our fans will love him.

“It’s not easy to overcome after what happened after five minutes against Chelsea but he was calm and he handled it.

“The games he’s played recently, he’s been really, really good.”