Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end as Tottenham Hotspur clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory, securing their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals where they will face Manchester United. Spurs started with impressive intensity, seizing an early lead in the fifth minute when Timo Werner capitalized on a well-placed pass from Dejan Kulusevski, firing a powerful shot past City’s keeper Stefan Ortega. This marked Werner’s first goal since March, adding to Spurs’ momentum in the opening moments.
Tottenham’s positive start suffered a setback when Micky van de Ven was forced off the pitch with a suspected hamstring injury. Despite this, Spurs maintained their rhythm, continuing to press City and hold their advantage. As the half progressed, City began to find their footing, controlling possession and creating chances as they searched for a response before halftime. Their persistence paid off just before the break when Savinho, a lively presence throughout the first half, delivered a pinpoint cross to Matheus Nunes, who converted at the far post to pull City within one.
The second half was punctuated by injuries, further disrupting the game’s flow. City lost Savinho to an injury as he was stretchered off and replaced by Jacob Wright, while star striker Erling Haaland remained on the bench. Spurs, too, were forced to make substitutions, replacing Cristian Romero and Werner. City pushed hard for an equalizer, but Tottenham remained dangerous on the counterattack, with Ortega making two crucial saves to deny Brennan Johnson and Kulusevski.
As the match neared its end, Spurs had a golden chance to seal the win when substitute Richarlison broke free on a loose pass from City’s Josko Gvardiol, but his tame shot went directly to Ortega. In a dramatic final moment, City almost snatched a draw when Nico O’Reilly’s shot seemed destined for the net, only for Yves Bissouma to make a spectacular block right on the goal line, preserving Spurs’ lead and keeping their hopes alive for their first trophy since 2008.
