Son Heung-min’s late goal gave Tottenham a crucial and well-deserved advantage over Manchester City in a thunderous Champions League quarter-final first leg.
In a searing atmosphere in their vast new stadium, Tottenham overcame the loss of Harry Kane to a serious looking ankle injury – sustained when he challenged Fabian Delph in the second half.
And they made the breakthrough with 12 minutes left as Son twisted and turned on the byeline before shooting low past Ederson.
Tottenham had survived the concession of an early penalty, awarded on a pitch side video review by the referee after Danny Rose was judged to have handled Raheem Sterling’s shot. Sergio Aguero stepped up, but keeper Hugo Lloris saved.
With Tottenham talisman Kane having hobbled off injured and favourites City beginning to turn the screw, Son sent the home fans inside the London club’s majestic new stadium into delirium as he fired past Ederson in the 78th minute.
Manchester City were never at their best and must now overturn this narrow deficit at Etihad Stadium on 17 April to keep alive their hopes of a historic quadruple of Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.
Guardiola sent on De Bruyne and Sane in the 89th minute, but Tottenham survived six minutes of stoppage time to leave City with a stiff task next week.
“Sometimes 1-0 is better than 0-0, as you know exactly what you have to do,” Guardiola, whose side lost to Liverpool in last season’s quarter-finals after a 3-0 first-leg defeat, said.
“We have to go out to score goals.”
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