Manchester City 1 Tottenham 2: Darren Bent's return to form continued apace this afternoon with another double and another three points for Harry Redknapp's Spurs side after they went a goal down at Manchester City.

Redknapp has yet to taste defeat as the Spurs manager, having won all but one of his five games in charge since taking over from Juande Ramos at White Hart Lane.

His team's resurgence in form has been personified by Bent, who after scoring a hat-trick against Dinamo Zagreb midweek, added one on either side of the break to cancel out Robinho's 16th minute opener for the home side.

City ended the game with nine men after Gelsen Fernandes saw yellow twice and captain Richard Dunne was judged to have hauled down Bent as he looked to complete another hat-trick. Benoit Assou-Ekotto was sent off late one for Spurs.

It began well for City, when Robinho found the target from close range, after Darius Vassell's effort had been parried by Heurelho Gomes - with Shaun Wright-Phillips also playing a part in a swift counter-attack.

The match took a significant twist in the 26th minute when Fernandes was sent off for two bookable offences - the first on Luka Modric, the second on David Bentley.

Modric almost pulled Spurs level two minutes later, only to be denied by a splendid block from Joe Hart. They did not have long to wait for the equaliser, however, Bent providing an assured finish in the 29th minute.

He gave Hart no chance, after Dunne had failed to cut out a long ball from Modric.

The home side looked vulnerable, and Dunne failed to clear a cross from Assou-Ekotto in the 41st minute - but the ball was eventually scrambled away.

City were exposed in the 52nd minute when Modric was allowed to find space in the six-yard box but drilled a shot straight at Hart.

Modric was at the heart of every Spurs move and tried his luck on goal five minutes later but saw his shot blocked by Javier Garrido.

Dunne almost put the hosts ahead again in the 61st minute when he got on the end of an inswinging free-kick from Garrido — but Gomes reacted superbly to block the captain's header.

Spurs went ahead in the 65th minute when Tom Huddlestone picked out Jermaine Jenas in the area. He laid the ball off into the path of Bent, who rattled a shot in off the post.

City suddenly picked up the pace, despite being down on numbers, and Benjani headed wide in the 72nd minute following a cross from Garrido.

Three minutes later Robinho saw his effort turned around the post by Gomes, and the goalkeeper continued his good work in the 77th minute when he blocked Stephen Ireland's effort from an acute angle.

City were reduced to nine in the 83rd minute when Dunne was given a straight red card, after referee Deane adjudged he had hauled back Bent as he homed in on goal.

Tottenham then found themselves down to 10 on the stroke off full-time, Assou-Ekotto red-carded for a challenge on Pablo Zabaleta.