Man City 3-2 Tottenham: Balotelli Stamps His Authority As Last-Ditch Penalty Sinks Spurs (Photos & Highlights)

Chris Wright

23rd, January 2012

6 Comments

By Chris Wright

Given that he really shouldn’t have been on the pitch by that time, Tottenham had every right to feel absolutely bloody eviscerated at the final whistle seeing as Mario Balotelli both won and then subsequently rolled home a 95th-minute penalty to nab all three points for Man City with the final touch of the game at the Etihad.

After a ponderous first-half, the game sparked into life after the interval – with four goals in nine minutes finding the back of the net courtesy of Samir Nasri (adding a sweet first-time finish to David Silva’s cute through-ball), Joleon Lescott (bundling home with his perineum), Jermain Defoe (capitalising on Stefan Savic’s wayward header to roll past Joe Hart and into an empty net) and Gareth Bale – who did this to equalise at 2-2…

Beauty.

Come the 65th minute, cometh the man. Mario Balotelli emerged from the bench – replacing the really quite useless Edin Dzeko – and found time to get booked for brushing Benoit Assou-Ekotto aside, not get booked for kicking seven shades of Tibetan Fox out of Scott Parker’s face, get bought down in the area deep into stoppage time (Ledley King’s only mistake in 90+ minutes) and then steer the resultant penalty past Brad Freidel all without so much as breaking into a jog.

In short, t’was a spiffing football match. For everyone of a non-Tottenham persuasion.

Photos…

Highlights…

Photos: PA

Posted in Man City, Photos, Tottenham Hotspur, Videos

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6 Comments

  1. swiss mafia says:

    Disgrace really…
    After what Balotelli did what he did to Scott Parker, I was really hoping karma would kick in during that penalty.
    Spiffing game nonetheless! Worthy of a true premier league game.

  2. derek says:

    City shouldve been down to 10 men after Lescott in the first half, and 9 with Mario in the second. Tottenham have had alot of game changing calls and missed calls this season. Could be sitting in first place otherwise.

  3. L. Evans says:

    As a tottenham fan. its got to me. got to me bad. but… what was i ever thinking in the first place? title chance? ha.

  4. Tinez says:

    Webb seems to be dropping a bollock every other game. Where’s the referees chief bringing the thunder?

  5. Markell says:

    Why always you, Balo?!

  6. Peter Müller says:

    that stamp was on purpose… look how awkward “stupid mario” falls after the incident. there has to be a ban like in pepe’s case… oh wait (sarcasm; bloody spanish FA)!!

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