Dzeko late show sends Man City second

MANCHESTER - Edin Dzeko ensured that Manchester City kept pace with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League with a late winner in a 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

As was the case with United’s win at Aston Villa the day before, City had to come from behind to secure a late win and stay within two points of the leaders after Sergio Aguero cancelled out Steven Caulker’s opener for Tottenham.

The result extended City’s remarkable unbeaten home record in the Premier League to 35 games — a sequence dating back nearly two years.

It also offered respite for manager Roberto Mancini, who had taken the bold decision to leave controversial forward Mario Balotelli out of his squad for the game.

Aguero struck on 65 minutes with a polished example of finishing, latching onto a loose ball and committing two defenders before rolling the ball into the Spurs goal from six yards.

And with just two minutes remaining, all three points went to City as David Silva played a beautifully judged pass to substitute Dezko, who found the back of the Tottenham net with a superb shot on the turn.

Spurs had taken a first-half lead on 21 minutes through Caulker, although it owed as much to poor defending and a rare slip from England goalkeeper Joe Hart as impressive finishing.

Aguero was ruled to have fouled Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick from the right flank was met by centre-back Caulker, the ball hitting Hart firmly in the chest and then squirming agonisingly over the line.

It was a piece of defending in keeping with City’s recent form, particularly in Europe, but Mancini had cause to go in at the half-time interval feeling aggrieved at referee Michael Oliver, who turned down two strong penalty appeals.

Two minutes after the opening goal, Williams Gallas appeared to handle as Aguero attempted to flick the ball forward in the Spurs area and, late in the half, Huddlestone body-checked Pablo Zabaleta.

Huddlestone drilled a low, hard shot inches wide of the left-hand post as Spurs sought to extend their lead but City began to look more threatening as the first half wore on.

In quick succession, Gareth Barry shot wide, Aguero hurried a shot off target, Carlos Tevez shot directly at Brad Friedel, and, in injury time, Silva’s lay-off set up Zabaleta, whose six-yard shot was, again, straight at the Tottenham keeper.

City failed to carry that impetus into the second half, however, with Aguero wasting the best chance of the early exchanges when he beat the offside trap but fell over as he attempted to control Yaya Toure’s pass.

Mancini threw on Maicon — to the delight of Spurs fans, who remembered the torrid time he was given by Gareth Bale in a Champions League tie with Inter Milan two years ago — as he committed more bodies into attack.

After Toure had shot into the side netting, the tactic paid dividends, with Aguero’s equaliser following just before the midpoint of the second period.

Tevez rolled a shot just wide as City sought the winner, before making way for Dzeko after 72 minutes, although it was the visitors who carved out the next decent opening.

Toure and Vincent Kompany failed to stop Bale in his tracks and the Welsh international winger produced a vicious left-foot shot that was well blocked by the diving Hart.

By now City were in the ascendancy, with Dzeko heading just over from a Silva corner and Aleksandar Kolarov seeing a shot deflected into the side netting after tidy play by Aguero.

Silva shot just wide and Aguero was denied by an excellent double save from Friedel after being played in by Dzeko, who had the final say in the 88th minute.