2-1 v Manchester City - 13 May 2007 - Home

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 2

Manchester City

Manchester City

1

  • Mpenza
    40'
Details
Match Number

6635

Opposition
Manchester city

Manchester City

Competition
Premier League

Premier League

Round / Leg

Last Match of the Season

Season

2006/07

Date

13th May 2007

Kick Off

15:00

Venue

White Hart Lane

Attendance

35,426

Referee

Steve Bennett

League Position

5th

Opposition League Position

14th

Opposition Form

LDLWLW

Weather at Kick Off

14.3° - Rain

Facts & Milestones
  • 6600th overall match (3125 wins, 1447 draws, 2015 losses)

  • 5084th competitive match (2261 wins, 1191 draws, 1632 losses)

  • Last League Match of the Season (41 wins, 21 draws, 39 losses)

  • team

    133rd match vs Manchester City (51 wins, 33 draws, 49 losses)

  • competition

    582nd Premier League match (212 wins, 152 draws, 218 losses)

  • 6075th match in England (2827 wins, 1366 draws, 1869 losses)

  • 2710th match at White Hart Lane (1583 wins, 583 draws, 544 losses)

  • 7th consecutive match with a goal scored

  • 7th consecutive match without losing

  • Robbie Keane
    Robbie Keane: 200th appearance
Report

Robbie Keane marked his 200th Tottenham appearance with a goal to set the hosts on the way to a narrow win that sealed them fifth spot and a Uefa Cup place.

The Irishman turned delightfully in the box to volley Jermaine Jenas' clipped pass into the net for the opener.

And Dimitar Berbatov notched his 23rd of the season when he slammed home.

Emile Mpenza's header reduced the arrears and City threatened a leveller, but Jermain Defoe should have sealed it late on only to see his penalty saved.

The victory brought huge cheers from the home crowd, who delighted in their club matching last season's league finish, but City will rightly feel aggrieved at not getting anything from a game they dominated at times.

Tottenham certainly started the brighter, Aaron Lennon going close to an opener when he cut inside the box and shot straight at Andreas Isaksson.

And a fine passing move brought them their first minutes later, Berbatov and King combining well to find Jenas, who clipped a delightful ball over the top which Keane swivelled under and volleyed home.

City claimed offside but replays suggested Keane had been kept marginally onside by Nedum Onuoha at right-back.

However, as is so often the case for a team playing without the pressure of needing a result, the visitors were proving obstinate opposition.

With Stephen Ireland and Michael Johnson pressing well in midfield, only a superb reaction Paul Robinson save from Darius Vassell's snap-shot kept Spurs ahead.

It was not long before Tottenham made it two, though, as Berbatov latched onto Lennon's fine dummy, bundled his way into the box and slammed low into the near corner.

It should have brought about a procession for Spurs, who were playing some fantastic football at times, but City deservedly reduced the deficit before half-time when Mpenza headed Hamann's precise cross home totally unmarked from six yards.

And it should have been 2-2 moments later, Mpenza forcing Robinson into a sprawling save from the angle and Johnson heading the rebound over with the goal at his mercy.

Any thoughts that Spurs would emerge from half-time a more secure outfit were dispelled in the opening exchanges as City upped the tempo.

With Mpenza causing the home defence problems, the visitors pinned Spurs back in their own half as the likes of DaMarcus Beasley and Ireland dominated possession.

And Robinson again proved Spurs' saviour on the hour mark when Beasley rose highest to send a looping header towards the top corner that the England number one tipped over the bar on the stretch.

Spurs boss Martin Jol reacted by replacing the tired Lennon with Steed Malbranque and it almost had the desired effect late on, only for Dunne to slide Berbatov's low cross away with Keane looming.

It should have been 3-1 late in the piece after Dunne was harshly adjudged to have shoved Didier Zokora - the initial contact was outside the box - but substitute Defoe's tame penalty was saved and he blazed the rebound over.

It mattered little, though, as Spurs saw out the closing minutes without alarm to secure victory and £7,738,000 in prize money for their fifth-placed finish.

Tottenham boss Martin Jol: "We are absolutely delighted and rightly so. For this club to finish fifth two season on the trot is a big achievement. "Credit to Manchester City, they came at us and never gave up. This was our third game in six days and they pressed us really well, but we had some heroes out there and our quality told.

"We are fifth again and we are celebrating. This club wants to be top six, in Europe every season, and we've done that. Now our aim is to get a trophy because that is what we deserve.

"As for Dimitar Berbatov - the answer is very clear. Of course he will be here next season. He's got a very long, very good contract. He's a sensitive lad, he loves the fans, they love him and he's extremely happy here."

Location
League Table
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Manchester united
37 28 5 4 83 26 57 89
2
Chelsea
37 24 10 3 63 23 40 82
3
Liverpool
37 20 7 10 55 25 30 67
4
Arsenal
37 19 10 8 63 35 28 67
5
Everton
37 15 12 10 51 35 16 57
6
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
37 16 9 12 55 53 2 57
7
Bolton wanderers
37 16 7 14 45 50 -5 55
8
Reading
37 16 6 15 49 44 5 54
9
Portsmouth
37 14 11 12 45 42 3 53
10
Blackburn rovers
37 15 6 16 49 51 -2 51
11
Aston villa
37 11 16 10 41 39 2 49
12
Middlesbrough
37 11 10 16 41 48 -7 43
13
Newcastle united
37 11 9 17 37 46 -9 42
14
Manchester city
37 11 9 17 28 42 -14 42
15
Fulham
37 8 15 14 37 57 -20 39
16
Sheffield united
37 10 8 19 31 53 -22 38
17
West ham united
37 11 5 21 34 59 -25 38
18
Wigan athletic
37 9 8 20 35 58 -23 35
19
Charlton athletic
37 8 9 20 32 58 -26 33
20
Watford
37 5 12 20 28 58 -30 27
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Manchester united
38 28 5 5 83 27 56 89
2
Chelsea
38 24 11 3 64 24 40 83
3
Liverpool
38 20 8 10 57 27 30 68
4
Arsenal
38 19 11 8 63 35 28 68
5
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
38 17 9 12 57 54 3 60
6
Everton
38 15 13 10 52 36 16 58
7
Bolton wanderers
38 16 8 14 47 52 -5 56
8
Reading
38 16 7 15 52 47 5 55
9
Portsmouth
38 14 12 12 45 42 3 54
10
Blackburn rovers
38 15 7 16 52 54 -2 52
11
Aston villa
38 11 17 10 43 41 2 50
12
Middlesbrough
38 12 10 16 44 49 -5 46
13
Newcastle united
38 11 10 17 38 47 -9 43
14
Manchester city
38 11 9 18 29 44 -15 42
15
West ham united
38 12 5 21 35 59 -24 41
16
Fulham
38 8 15 15 38 60 -22 39
17
Wigan athletic
38 10 8 20 37 59 -22 38
18
Sheffield united
38 10 8 20 32 55 -23 38
19
Charlton athletic
38 8 10 20 34 60 -26 34
20
Watford
38 5 13 20 29 59 -30 28
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