Spurs Win Shifts Pressure To Blues

City’s game at Fulham on Sunday will be vital in the battle for fourth place in the Premiership after Saturday’s results.

Fourth place Spurs beat Stoke 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium to open up a five point lead over City but have now played two games extra. But Aston Villa threw away the chance to overtake City with a 2-2 draw at home to relegation battling Wolves.

Spurs took the lead a minute into the second half and, despite an equalising penalty from Stoke, went on to win the game with the winner coming from Nico Kranjcar with 13 minutes remaining.

It leaves City needing to win at Fulham and beat Everton in midweek in order to overtake the North London club. Should the blues keep the pressure of Spurs, it will give added spice when the two meet at Eastlands in the penultimate game of the season.

Aston Villa meanwhile moved level on points with City having played a game extra. Villa took the lead after 16 minutes but found themselves 2-1 down to their Midlands rivals by half time. But a John Carew equaliser eight minutes from time salvaged a point for Villa.

The results leave City under pressure to get a decent result themselves at Craven Cottage and, although a draw would not be a disaster, it is imperative that we avoid a defeat that will make our chances of a fourth place finish that little more difficult.