Balotelli helps Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2

Ashley Williams January 23, 2012 0

Balotelli helps Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2

MANCHESTER: Manchester City won their 11^th straight English Premier League home game Sunday thanks to a stoppage-time penalty kick goal by Mario Balotelli as they defeated never-say-die Tottenham Hotspur 3-2.

The match ended with a huge drama as Jermain Defoe missed a brilliant opening for Tottenham but on the other side of the pitch Ledley King produced a debatable foul to hand Manchester City the penalty where Balotelli made no mistake to take his side eight points clear of the third-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

The opening half failed to produce a goal but Manchester City found goals on the initial part of the second half where Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott scored within four times to take the league-toppers to a comfortable position.

The Manchester City defenders probably felt comfortable and Tottenham Hotspur attackers found the gaps where Defoe made full use of the discrepancy in the 60^th minute to reduce the deficit before Bale equalized the affair in the 65^th minute thus making it ripe for a grand closing stage.

And the closing stages were no short of controversy where Spurs Manager Harry Redknapp disdained play by Balotelli.

Talking to a press conference following the match, Redknapp said, “I don’t like people kicking people in the head on a football pitch. Why he should go and backheel someone in the head when they are lying on the floor, I don’t understand it. It’s not the first time he’s done that is it and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”

On the other hand, Balotelli, who is infamous for his volatile on and off the field attitude, said, “What do you think? He’s not my problem, let somebody else have the problem, he’s a good player, we all know he is a talent. I’m the last person to ever talk about getting people sent off … but it’s blatantly obvious that he reacts like that at times to challenges. Scott’s got a lovely cut on his head.”

Manchester City assistant coach David Platt told media persons, “He wants to take penalties, he’s not afraid to miss. He’s happy to be the centre of attention in the last minute. He’s a very, very cool penalty taker. I don’t think he lets the occasion get to him.”

The defeat to Hotspur has pushed them down in the title race and Redknapp was aware of the effect. “It’s going to be hard … still today we are genuine (title contenders). There’s not much between the teams, we are not a million miles behind Man City or anybody else. We are a good team in our own way. It’s difficult now, there’s lots of points between us, but we’ve just got to keep going and see where that takes us.”

Platt said, “(The title race is) open, one game doesn’t win it. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great victory but the value was three points and we go on and we concentrate on our next game.”