87 mins: This would be a colossal two points dropped for City if they cannot find a winner. Advantage Arsenal? For sure.

Spurs have clearly put that particular thought to the back of their minds, as a desperate Gallagher header concedes a corner.

85 mins: Simons is at it again. A dart down the left and a low cross nearly creates a telling opening for Odobert. Guéhi just about snuffs it out.

84 mins: City have slowly wrestled control back in the past few minutes and Spurs are sinking deeper.

Reijnders heads wide again after an intelligent headed knockdown from Haaland.

82 mins: Oh my. There’s an ALMIGHTY scramble in the Spurs box. A ‘crap nineties football’ type scramble. Guéhi was close to directing it home, Haaland was in there, everyone was in there … in the end it’s a corner.

I’ve had yet another email telling me I don’t understand the meaning of Spursy. I can only apologise.

80 mins: This is the kind of Premier League football match that makes any kind of prediction or analysis look immediately stupid, so I’m now keeping my counsel until the final whistle.

The only thing that looks guaranteed is an exciting final 10 minutes plus stoppage time.

An email from Kári Tulinius

I’d be furious if I were a fan of the Sky Blues. City should’ve put this game to bed in the first half, but they didn’t press their advantage and now they’ve seen a two goal lead vanish. Pep out? He’s got infinite credit in the bank, but maybe it would be best for everyone if he went on a long vacation.

77 mins: Lovely feet from Archie Gray almost creates another Spurs chance but City get the bodies back in the end.

It’s end to end now. Semenyo and Haaland still look a threat .. and wow Reijnders directs a header just wide latching onto Bernardo’s cross.

76 mins: The best City can manage right now is a hurried clearance into touch from Rodri.

Simons has turned on the style in this second half. He’s pulling all the strings for Tottenham.

Someone took issue with my use of ‘Spursy’ before. I guess true Spursy behaviour would be for them to lose this 3-2 after all this effort …

It doesn’t look likely the way they’re playing right now. Simons arcs a brilliant shot at goal which has Donnarumma sprawling once more.

74 mins: Donnarumma sticks out a leg and makes a vital save from Odobert. Spurs have all the momentum now, all the energy. And the stadium has finally come alive!

73 mins: Do I delete all my first half updates because they are now rendered useless and silly? Or does it all still stand and should Tottenham have produced this kind of stirring display earlier on?

My head is spinning with confusion.

It’s an inventive and instinctive finish from Solanke, almost a scorpion kick to direct Gallagher’s cross into the top corner of the net. Donnarumma had no answer to it.

Goodness me, what are we witnessing here?

69 mins: It looks like Pep is going to respond with some tweaks of his own.

Cherki has taken a knock and will hobble off. He’s had a cracking game, but Tijjani Reijnders will take his spot. Nico Gonzalez replaces Aït-Nouri, which will mean O’Reilly shuffling across to left-back.

Two Tottenham changes: Bissouma and Kolo Muani and replaced by Tel and Odobert. Yeah, Spurs fans cannot have any complaints with Frank’s substitutions there.

67 mins: This is just totally different to almost everything we witnessed in the first half. Simons nearly picks out Solanke but overhits his cross, Donnarumma can catch.

66 mins: Kolo Muani needlessly bundles Cherki over when Spurs were in an attacking position. I don’t want to be mean and single players out … but he’s been so poor today.

64 mins: Tottenham’s best chance is definitely via those long searching balls up to Semenyo, but they still have a problem in midfield where City are getting acres of space.

Kolo Muani wants a penalty after going down in a duel with Nunes. He gets the next best thing instead: a corner.

62 mins: “Come on City,” is the cry from the travelling Sky Blues. Semenyo wins a corner for them off Palhinha.

60 mins: Tottenham would be wise to take a minute, ensure their shape remains solid and hold off this City riposte. They have a foothold in a game when their opponents really should be out of sight. They cannot waste this.

58 mins: Hold that thought. Spurs are over-committing and City will feel this is the perfect chance to pounce and make it 3-1. Gray makes a vital clearance under pressure.

Guardiola has been booked for protesting. He thinks the goal ought to have been a foul on Guéhi.

56 mins: City, all of a sudden, are irked. They’re committing silly fouls, they’re complaining to the referee and they can’t string their passes together.

Football is a really strange sport sometimes.

54 mins: Are Spurs going to make me and all their critics look very silly and storm back into this game?

It looks far more likely now than it did a few minutes ago, that’s for sure.

It’s great centre-forward play from Solanke to shake off Khusanov and bundle home the finish – it may actually have come off Guehi, so it will probably count as an own goal.

VAR is going to take a look at this. A foul from Solanke, or offside? It doesn’t matter as the goal is quickly given.

52 mins: The first proper save for Donnarumma! Suddenly Spurs resemble a football team, after good play from Gray pushing forward from right-back. It eventually falls for Udogie to sting the palms of the City goalkeeper.

The resulting corner sees Dragusin, unmarked, head into a melee of players, with the home side maintaining the pressure.

50 mins: Udogie gets to the byline and sends in a cross that worries City momentarily. It wasn’t fully cleared and Gallagher was lurking to send a shot towards goal, but the former Atletico man couldn’t control the long-ranger.

Solanke grabbed Khusanov around the throat and went rightly into the book, in a second scuffle between those two players.

48 mins: There’s a coming-together between Solanke and Khusanov that has left both men writhing around in pain on the ground. Looks like the Spurs man has earned the free-kick.

There are swathes of empty seats in the stadium. Have people left early? Or are they just staying in the warmth of the concourse for an extra beer?

46 mins: It’s a four-man defence for Spurs now, with Palhinha and Dragusin the centre-back duo and Sarr slotting into midfield with Bissouma and Gallagher.

City have a corner straight away after the restart, which is scrambled clear.

We’re back under way for the second half.

A defeat here would mean Tottenham have won just two of their past 15 games in the league, and one in the last nine. They are still eight points above the relegation zone but Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal are their three next games.

Pape Sarr has replaced Romero at the break, with the Argentine presumably injured.

Some emails re Spurs:

Peter Crosby: “Horrible team selection, garbage formation, utter carnage. I can’t remember a worse team performance from Spurs since that thrashing at Newcastle under Stellini. We are a shambles. We need Tel and Odobert on, and I think Kolo Muani can go to Juve. Bissouma should not be in a Spurs shirt again.

Andrew Herrup: “As a Spurs fan it’s obvious our manager and players are out of their depth. But the rot really starts at the top with a clueless board whose January transfer one-liner is “we tried hard to buy Semenyo,” who of course was destined to score against us.”

Jamie Redknapp in the Sky studio said “City have been wonderful”. They really haven’t… but they haven’t needed to be. A wonderful City side would be leading 5-0 or 6-0 right now.

Here are your reports from the earlier games in the Premier League.

I really am struggling to understand that Spurs performance. Can someone enlighten me? How on earth can a team of top internationals play so poorly?

I get why the fans are disillusioned but the whole thing feels bizarrely flat.

45 mins + 2: Manchester City have not had to be anywhere near their best to lead 2-0 in this game. They’ve actually been a bit scruffy on the ball at times. Pep Guardiola will probably feel his team have another gear or two to reach.

It’s astounding how poor and lifeless Spurs have been.

After being found by Bernardo, Semenyo had all the time in the world to lift that ball past Vicario into the corner… although he botched his cartwheel celebration, so that’s a mark against his name.

Four minutes of added time to come.

43 mins: Thomas Frank’s Brentford were so bold, so brave, so engrossing to watch because of the variety they showed in their attacks. His Tottenham team are the polar opposite in so many ways.

41 mins: My Sky stream cut out momentarily just then. I guess its trying to send me a message about how I spend my time.

IT’S FOR WORK.

40 mins: Rob Jones shows Simons a yellow card, I think for dissent. The Dutchman is trying, bless him, but looks a bit hapless without much attacking support. There’s also something about him that means he always looks on the verge of tears, but he can’t help that I guess.

38 mins: Xavi Simons had about three chances to shoot just now and refused every one of them. It’s inevitable when he’s eventually crowded out.

City’s level has also dropped in this game. Both teams are slugging it out – and not in a good way.

36 mins: Rodri drifts a nice looking ball towards the back post where Haaland was looking but Dragusin does well to shepherd it out.

Here come Spurs on the front foot – they are ironically cheered by their fans for actually attacking – but Guehi slides in to get it back for City.

33 mins: Simons plays a good ball into the inside-right channel to find Kolo Muani but the French forward can’t square it back for Solanke.

A bit better from Spurs now. Just a bit.

Sam (who is presumably a Spurs fan) emails me:

I’ve heard the suggestion that Spurs let teams past to stop Arsenal winning the league before. Personally, honestly, I’d rather Arsenal (a team that has earned their status as a serious team through good management over generations) won than City, a team with no pedigree of achievement who bought the league.

(These are Sam’s views by the way)

31 mins: A game low on quality is not being helped by the refereeing. Rob Jones has blown his whistle too often for very soft fouls, so we’re not even getting any rhythm, let alone tempo to the contest.

30 mins: Half an hour gone and Spurs have created 0.05 xG from one shot, the Simons free-kick that was hit tamely into City’s wall.

1-0 is flattering the home side as things stand.

28 mins: It’s so quiet in the stadium you can hear the players shouting, a la the Covid era matches.

The ball just keeps coming back at Tottenham every time they try to clear their lines and formulate an attack.

25 mins: Randal Kolo Muani is a France international of 31 caps – and nine goals. He was in the PSG side for a while. He looks completely lost in this Tottenham team.

That mazy run from Cherki was like something out of a school game when the kid in the local professional academy turns up and just bosses it. Vicario did make a brilliant save, actually.

24 mins: Cherki dribbles on and on and on and almost doubles his and City’s tally for the game after selling a dummy on Dragusin. It’s wide in the end I think via a Vicario touch, although the officials give a goal kick.

The effort from Simons whacks into the wall and Donnarumma collects the afters. As you were.

22 mins: Spurs get themselves a free-kick on the edge of the City box after a rash tackle on Gallagher by Khusanov. It’s a nasty one on the ankle from the City centre-back. Is this an opportunity for Tottenham? Well, yes it is. Will they take it? I’m dubious.

20 mins: If you’re not watching along and only following this live blog, I really must make clear how utterly hopeless Spurs have been in this opening 20 minutes.

19 mins: Archie Gray brings Spurs forward as the home side show a rare moment of coherence on the ball. It doesn’t last long.

Cherki is getting the freedom of north London when he receives it in the Tottenham half. It’s incredible how much space he’s getting.

I do wonder if there’s an element of wanting City to catch Arsenal in the title race to this muted Spurs crowd right now. They’ve got form for it …

Haaland lobs one over the crossbar. He could have done better there you know.

17 mins: Cherki is down with a knock so time for an email from Joshua Keeling

How quiet is it at Spurs?! There was barely even a reaction from the home fans to them going behind. They want to get a grip and stop sulking, sitting there in their incredible new stadium, which most fans could only dream of. This sort of sullen silence will not help their team to improve.

“This doesn’t feel right… eerie almost,” says Gary Neville on Sky commentary duty.

It’s like a training session for Manchester City’s players.

14 mins: Judging from their reaction to that goal, Spurs fans have gone beyond anger and are now at the acceptance stage. Their team are looking ragged at the moment. You feel City will get a second goal if and when they want it.

Bissouma was robbed of the ball in midfield and then it was so simple for Haaland to just move it on to Cherki on the right. The Frenchman’s shot took a slight nick, but Vicario wasn’t close to saving it.

An odd goal to cap an odd start to the game.

11 mins: Why would you bring your centre-backs forward for a set-piece and then play it short?

Just one of the many things that baffle me about modern football. Xavi Simons did it twice just then.

10 mins: Tottenham’s pressing structure – or lack thereof – is slightly strange. Just one man pressing at a time and it’s all too straightforward for City to knock it around them.

This has been a subdued start all round.

8 mins: I made a pre-match cup of tea which is far too strong. Don’t know what I was thinking leaving the bag in that long.

It’s been scrappy stuff on the pitch in the past minute or two.

6 mins: It’s a game of cat and mouse right now, with Spurs reluctant to play the ball through midfield and City waiting for the right moment to press. Romero is seeing a lot of it, as the central piece in that back three.

5 mins: Simons rakes a long pass towards Kolo Muani, who is playing high and right, with Spurs looking to catch City on the transition. City are playing their trademark high line, so there ought to be chances for the hosts.

3 mins: Palhinha’s first test of the afternoon is against Semenyo, who was found nicely by Haaland with City driving forward. The Portuguese backed off but fortunately for him Vicario read Semenyo’s finish, which was guided to the far post from the left.

1 min: Palhinha does look very deep on the right hand side of a three-man central defence. Interesting. Think he performed a similar role against Frankfurt in Europe.

The teams are out and we’re almost good to go.

An email from Spurs fan SF Devereux:

As well as those eight you mentioned (Maddison, Kulusevski, Kudus, van de Ven, Bentancur, Bergvall, Porro and Davies), we’re also without Richarlison, Kevin Danso, Djed Spence and Wilson Odobert. We just need a goalkeeper to go down injured today and we’ll have a pretty competitive, tactically balanced XI missing, with a couple of options available to come off the bench.

(Odobert is on the bench today, so presumably he’s at least semi-fit).

“We are hit pretty hard by injuries… but it’s part of the game, we have to find solutions,” says Frank on Sky. He reveals Kevin Danso sustained a toe injury just before this game, which added his name to the list of absentees.

“Even with the injuries there are signs we’re going in the right direction. But we need a spell of consistent results.”

Spurs have won seven from 23 in the league this season; they won five of their eight Champions League group games.

Pep Guardiola is in good spirits during his pre-match chat with Sky Sports. He praises Arsenal as formidable leaders in the title race but says City still have “hope”. A win today would close the gap to four points again, so you have more than just hope, Josep.

The 2pm games are all now complete – and there was some ridiculous stoppage-time drama at Old Trafford:

• Aston Villa 0-1 Brentford

• Manchester United 3-2 Fulham

• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Crystal Palace

That Brentford victory came with 10 men, too, that’s some blow for Villa playing at home. City will see that result as a boost to their title hopes; I think it pretty much leaves two teams in the race for the league championship.

This is what Thomas Frank said about Spurs’s January pursuit of Antoine Semenyo:

The club worked relentlessly to try and improve the squad, we can’t be too obsessed with short-term fixes. I will go against my rule, hopefully only once, that there’s no doubt the club wanted to sign Semenyo.

He’s definitely going to score today, isn’t he?

Pep has formed part of a football dynasty at the Etihad, of course. Take the current women’s team, managed by Andrée Jeglertz, who are marching towards the WSL title, currently hammering perennial champions Chelsea.

Here’s live coverage of the latter stages of that one.

Pep Guardiola has been Manchester City manager for more than a decade. Some stint. Here’s Rob Draper on the day English football changed forever.

That Spurs bench tells its own story. Thomas Frank has been beset by injuries for the bulk of the season. He’s without Maddison, Kulusevski, Kudus, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Bergvall, Porro and Davies today – and that’s just off the top of my head.

Archie Gray at right-back certainly has a job on his hands to contain Antoine Semenyo, who Spurs tried to sign earlier in the window. The former Bournemouth man has been electric sign he joined City, slotting straight into Pep Guardiola’s preferred XI.

Against a Spurs defence that has looked vulnerable to say the least of late, he will surely be licking his lips.