Keller's heroics thwart City and put Pleat on right path

Manchester City 0 Tottenham Hotspur

David Pleat once famously gambolled across a Maine Road morass before leaping, like a benign Martin Keown, upon a Luton player. His first visit to Manchester City's new citadel, the City of Manchester Stadium, ended less dramatically but with no little satisfaction for Tottenham's caretaker manager, his side escaping the bottom three by virtue of their first point in four games.

Since Pleat succeeded the sacked Glenn Hoddle, Spurs have also won a Carling Cup tie at Coventry, so they have had a better week. The stand-in was not deluded, however, into believingthat yesterday was anything but a desperate rearguard action. The statistics showed City had 24 efforts on goal, several of them superbly saved by Kasey Keller.

"City were better than us," Pleat confessed. "We gave the ball away far too cheaply and weren't composed or technically good enough. But there was something to be said for the resolution of our defending. Nine out of 10 for determination, but the quality wasn't there."

Pleat cast no light on whether Spurs - heavily linked with Celtic's Martin O'Neill overnight - were any closer to an appointment. "I'm not sure if there's a shortlist, or a long one," said Pleat, who may yet take over on a permanent basis himself. "There are a lot of boxes to tick. But we aren't panicking. There's no fire. There hasn't been a murder."

On the contrary, Kevin Keegan felt he had witnessed blue murder. "We're disappointed," the City manager said. "We made enough chances to win two or three matches."

Spurs may have ditched their manager - and his 3-5-2 obsession - but their defensive frailties were familiar. With their centre-backs often dragged out of position by Nicolas Anelka's diagonal runs, only a combination of awful finishing and Keller's agility kept City out. The trend was set by Stephen Carr's poor clearance in the 14th minute, which Anelka picked up and lashed across goal. Soon afterwards, Anthony Gardner's weak back-header let in Anelka, who found that Keller had narrowed the angle to block his shot.

The American's alertness was in sharp relief with David Seaman's languor. The 40-year-old goalkeeper had been too slow to leave his line when Frédéric Kanouté poked wide moments earlier. Seaman also provoked mirth and dismay when he tried to kick a back-pass, sliced the ball behind for a corner and fell on to his rear. But apart from a sprawling save from Darren Anderton's 32nd-minute free-kick, he was largely inactive as City's catalogue of misses mounted.

Trevor Sinclair headed wide from Michael Tarnat's cross, Steve McManaman forced a fine save from Keller, and from the corner, Carr cleared off the line from Anelka. Twice Anelka put Wanchope through but each time the striker shotat an easily saveable height.

Inventive to the last, Anelka played an audacious stoppage-time flick to Robbie Fowler, who volleyed narrowly wide. Amazingly, there was still time for Robbie Keane to launch an overhead kick when a lay-off to Kanouté would have served Spurs better. The ball trundled to Seaman, leaving Pleat shaking his head and Keegan's hand when the final whistle blew.

Manchester City (4-4-2): Seaman 4; Sun Jihai 5, Sommeil 7, Distin 6, Tarnat 6; Wright-Phillips 7, Bosvelt 6, McManaman 7 (Reyna, 84), Sinclair 5 (Sibierski 5, 71); Anelka 8, Wanchope 5 (Fowler, 76). Substitutes not used: Weaver (gk), Bischoff.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Keller 8; Carr 6, Gardner 5, Richards 6, Taricco 5; Anderton 5, Poyet 5, Bunjevcevic 6 (Ricketts 5, 62), Konchesky 7 (Dalmat, 78); Kanouté 6, Keane 5. Substitutes not used: Burch (gk), Postiga, Doherty.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe) 7.

Bookings: Manchester City: Sun Jihai, Tarnat. Tottenham: Gardner.

Man of the match: Keller.

Attendance: 46,842.