Hart shines as Man City earn draw at Tottenham

Posted Saturday, August 14, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

By NEIL RICHARDS STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - A breathtaking display of goalkeeping from Joe Hart earned Manchester City a point they barely deserved against an impressive Tottenham side as the Premier League’s opening game of the season ended in a goalless draw at White Hart Lane.

The young England stopper, surprisingly preferred in the City goal to veteran Shay Given, put up a one-man barrier to deny Spurs, who had a host of chances to wrap up a comfortable victory.

Hart denied Jermain Defoe on three separate occasions and also kept out Tom Huddlestone and Benoit Assou-Ekotto in a one-sided first half, while Gareth Bale saw a shot come back off the inside of a post.

City were better after the break, but Shaun Wright-Phillips wasted their best chance, dithering after being put clean through by Yaya Toure and allowing Assou-Ekotto to get in a saving tackle.

Hart’s inclusion at the expense of Given was a major surprise, but the 23-year-old more than justified his inclusion even though manager Roberto Mancini refused to be drawn after the match on whether he would remain as City’s first choice.

Mancini said: “The right decision is always after the game for the manager. I am happy because I have two good goalkeepers.

“I must make a decision and one strong keeper must go on the bench.”

Hart added: “Shay Given is the other goalkeeper and I’m sure he’ll get chances. We’ll be pushing each other, he’s a great goalkeeper.

“It was just an enjoyable day, I love playing football. It was just another game I was looking forward to.”

Mancini left Emmanuel Adebayor and Adam Johnson on the bench, while handing debuts to three of his big-money summer signings, Aleksandar Kolarov, Yaya Toure and David Silva.

Like his Republic of Ireland team-mate Given, Robbie Keane found himself left out of the starting line-up, with Peter Crouch partnering Jermain Defoe in attack for Spurs.

City were taken apart in this fixture last season, the 3-0 defeat costing then manager Mark Hughes his job. The home side started in determined mood and could easily have settled the issue inside the first half-hour but for the stunning form of Hart.

The goalkeeper made a superb save to deny Defoe on 11 minutes, flying to his left to turn aside a shot from his England team-mate after Crouch had knocked down Aaron Lennon’s cross from the left.

Tom Huddlestone saw a goalbound shot kept out by a desperate clearance from Vincent Kompany before seeing a long-range volley parried away by Hart, who also saved acrobatically to keep out Assou-Ekotto’s deflected thunderbolt.

City were giving the ball away far too easily and when the ball did fall to Carlos Tevez inside the area he miscontrolled, which was indicative of an inept first-half display from the visitors.

There was still time before the break for Hart to deny Defoe twice more, once with his foot and once with a sprawling save. Luck was on his side as well, because Bale’s low angled drive just after the half-hour beat him but came back off the inside of the post.

“We created so many chances in the first half but just couldn’t beat him (Hart),” Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said.

“But the way we played, the intensity of our game, the passing, the way we moved the ball, the way we pressed them, I couldn’t have asked for any more.

“Today, I thought we were fantastic, we just couldn’t get the two extra points. But if we play like that all season we will be up there again.”

Mancini was clearly unhappy on the bench, but the only change he made at the break was an enforced one, Pablo Zabaleta replacing Kolarov, who had twisted an ankle just before the interval.

City should have been in front within a minute of the restart. Yaya Toure’s long ball put Wright-Phillips clean through as Spurs were caught trying to play offside but the winger hesitated and Assou-Ekotto was able to redeem himself by getting back to make a saving tackle.

Tevez saw a fierce shot take a deflection off Ledley King’s head to totally wrong-foot Heurelho Gomes, who was relieved to see the ball drop just over the crossbar.

Redknapp threw on Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko for Defoe and Crouch in the closing stages and his side might have snatched victory six minutes from time.

Nigel de Jong cut out the Russian’s cross from the right with Keane set to apply the finishing touch and the otherwise excellent Bale sliced the loose ball wide of an open goal with his weaker right foot.