Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City 1991/92

City Coton, Hill, Pointon, Curle, Reid, Redmond, Sheron, Heath, I Brightwell, Hughes, Quinn – Subs Hoekman(unused), Hendry(unused)

Spurs Thorstvedt, Edinburgh, Van den Hauwe, Nayim, Bergsson, Mabbutt, Sedgley, Durie, Samways, Lineker, Allen – Subs Walsh(59), Howells(80)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

BOB HOUSTON WRITING IN THE OBSERVER 20TH OCTOBER 1991
Anyone suffering from a Wembley Wednesday hangover and hoping to have their spirits lifted by a trip to White Hart Lane would have found themselves partaking of a hair of that midweek dog. The England manager Graham Taylor’s contribution of ‘nothing football’ to the sports vocabulary would have to be applied to most of this game, which saw Manchester City leap several places up the League table.
It certainly wasn’t the kind of performance to make Spurs’ players or fans ready or waiting for the visit of Portugal’s FC Porto on Wednesday, and that gloom had seeped into the marrow of the Londoners bones long before City’s Niall Quinn decided the outcome in the 76th minute.
City had begun much more purposefully and Heath had already squandered a good chance before he demanded a fine save From Thorstvedt from a 15th minute drive. At the other end Coton’s contact with the ball had been undemanding until the 25th minute when he was forced to block Lineker from close range.
Allen, So often Tottenham’s faithful journeyman, had taken over the role of inspiration and briefly disturbed the visitors. Coton was decidedly uncomfortable minutes later when dealing with a speculative 25 yarder from Lineker, while most of White Hart Lane thought, Hill’s felling of Nayim just before half-time deserved the ultimate penalty.
But that was it for Spurs, Lineker and Durie were effectively shackled by the impressive Curle And Redmond. City’s expensive buy from Wimbledon even caused more than a few tremors with a couple of 50 yard thrusts, speeding past tackles with ease before making a mess of the final pass. As his manager, Peter Reid, reminded us after the game. “He used to be a right Winger.”
When the game’s only goal came, the Spurs defence were definitely out to lunch. Quinn was allowed to bring down Redmond’s free kick, control it, turn and strike a volley high past Thorstvedt.
Spurs had already brought on Walsh, to add some punch? But the absence of Stewart and the failure of Samways and Sedgley to mount any real challenge to the old head of Reid and the young legs of Brightwell meant an uphill struggle. In the end, it was too much for them.