Manchester City 2 Tottenham 3
23/12/02: Tottenham came from behind to give manager Glenn Hoddle the perfect Christmas present at Maine Road tonight.
After finding themselves outplayed for the opening half hour, Spurs drew level through Chris Perry shortly before the break, then swept to victory when Simon Davies and Gus Poyet wrapped up a hat-trick of close range headers.
City had looked good for victory when Steve Howey nodded them in front but were made to pay for poor defending and though Christian Ziege was sent off for twice kicking the ball away late on, Ali Benarbia's late strike proved nothing more than consolation.
The contest had started to become frantic, with play switching ends at remarkable speed.
Anelka just failed to convert Foe's knock down before Keane and Anderton both went close for Spurs.
Ziege was booked for kicking the ball away as City tried to galvanise themselves into the attacking force which had wreaked such havoc earlier in the evening.
Berkovic's influence may have waned slightly as Spurs' grip on the contest tightened but the little midfielder remained the home side's greatest threat and, when Benarbia provided a neat return pass to the edge of the area, the Israeli's shot bounced off the post and wide.
It proved to be City's last chance to level, for when Keane won a corner with seven minutes remaining, Ziege managed to pick out Gus Poyet, an earlier replacement for Iversen, and he stooped to wrong-foot Schmeichel with a low header.
What should have been a stroll to the final whistle turned into an edgy last few minutes when Ziege found himself shown a second yellow for committing the same offence which had brought the first one. As needless red cards go, it was one of the best.
Keller somehow managed to prevent Tiatto steering home Anelka's cross from barely two yards but Benarbia brilliantly curled a shot over Keller in stoppage time to briefly raise hopes of a stunning comeback.
PA