LONDON: Mario Balotelli struck a dramatic injury-time penalty as Manchester City overcame a brave Tottenham fightback to win 3-2 and take a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Sunday.
Substitute Balotelli blasted in his spot-kick deep into injury time after the Italian striker had been bundled over by Ledley King for a clear-cut penalty.
The finale capped a remarkable game which had seen Spurs recover from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 with goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale after City had taken the lead through Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott.
Spurs’ agony was compounded by a chance missed by Defoe moments before City’s winner which might have given them a 3-2 lead, the striker just failing to tuck away a low cross from Bale. The result saw City take a six-point lead at the top of the table.
After a scrappy first half where neither side managed to get a grip on the game, the contest exploded into life shortly after the restart with four goals inside nine minutes. City drew first blood with a wonderfully worked opener on 56 minutes, David Silva releasing Nasri with a perfectly weighted through ball which took the French international beyond the Spurs defence.
The former Arsenal star ghosted away from Kyle Walker and Younes Kaboul and unleashed an unstoppable first-time shot that flew past Brad Friedel.
City looked to have taken a stranglehold on the match within three minutes when Lescott made it 2-0. Edin Dzeko rose to flick on from a corner and Lescott was on hand to bundle the ball home after outmuscling Scott Parker near the goal-line. But City’s goal celebrations had barely subsided before Tottenham were handed a way back into the game after a mistake by Stefan Savic. A hopeful clearance forward from Kaboul was headed back towards the City goal by the Montenegrin defender but fell only as far as Defoe, who coolly rounded Joe Hart before stroking home to make it 2-1.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s chances of securing a place in next season’s Champions League took a downward turn on Saturday as Bolton put their poor home form behind them to defeat Kenny Dalglish’s side 3-1 at the Reebok Stadium.
Former Anfield striker David Ngog had a hand in goals for Mark Davies and Nigel Reo-Coker before Craig Bellamy reduced the deficit – only for it to be restored early in the second half by Bolton defender Steinsson. (Agencies)
