Manchester City rediscover their shine to prove a point in entertaining victory against Tottenham

Tottenham 1-3 Manchester City: Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling handed the visitors their first win in four games

Gabriel Jesus celebrates giving Manchester City an earlier lead (Getty)

Finally, the emphatic and resounding response is Manchester City’s. Pep Guardiola’s side get closer to completing the job for the season by at last completing the job in a big game again. Having suffered second-half collapses in their last three matches to go on the worst run of the Catalan’s time at City at exactly the worst time, the Premier League leaders - and soon-to-be Premier League champions - bounced back by grabbing Tottenham Hotspur by the throat and this time not letting go. They held their nerve, held the lead, and will now hold the trophy if they win their next game at home to Swansea City or Manchester United drop points in their own two games before then.

This was a 3-1 that could have been six or 7-1, and puts them within two points of the title. It said much that they made a side that have been on the form Spurs have look so beneath them, and also rendered the brief comeback irrelevant. This really wasn’t what Mauricio Pochettino will have wanted ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United next week.

It was quite the performance from City, and quite the point made.

That was important for two reasons beyond reaching the points required for the title. There was first of all the need to win the title in a manner commensurate with their magnificent season, given how disappointing the last week had been with the derby defeat to United and the Champions League elimination.

Erik Lamela races to get away from David Silva (Getty)

There was also the longer-term need to address one of the problems responsible for those disappointments, and their second-half collapses. This is also why this was a game with a lot of meaning, despite the fair presumption City would still win the title even in the event of losing four successive games for the first time since 2006.

It was never going to be found wanting for motivation. Pochettino himself has always had an edgy relationship with Guardiola since they played for Espanyol and Barcelona respectively, and the word from the Spurs camp was that - much like Jose Mourinho last week - the Argentine really didn’t want to be “the clowns” who help City to the title.

Guardiola’s side however had a real point to prove after what was probably his worst week in the job since the 4-0 defeat to Everton last season. The stung pride from that produced what was probably their best start to the season. Although, not unlike their two games prior to this, City could have been out of sight very early on. Leroy Sane smashed the post with a brilliant volley, Raheem Sterling shot just over after a blistering run and Kevin De Bruyne fired just wide with a fine long-range drive. This was the thing. City were back to looking brilliant again. They were also soon back in front again.

After so much elegant elaboration, the actual goal came through the most direct of methods, although that wasn’t to say it wasn’t pretty in its own right. Vincent Kompany launched the ball towards Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian took advantage of Davinson Sanchez’s tendency to play so aggressively high, and then supremely took his chance.

Christian Eriksen gave Tottenham hope of salvaging a result (Getty)

City deserved a healthy lead by then, but didn’t necessarily deserve the manner of the second goal as Hugo Lloris’ challenge on Sterling was outside the box. Jonathan Moss still pointed to the spot, and Ilkay Gundogan put the ball right in the corner. It was his second penalty at Wembley, after the 2013 Champions League final at Borussia Dortmund.

City had been supreme, and this should have been a dream situation given how commanding they’d been away to a big-six rival but was actually now a psychological test. They had to do what they couldn’t in any of their previous three games and actually see a good start through. They had to prevent another collapse in a big game.

That was not just important for winning the title this season. It was important to next season. City had to prevent this issue becoming a proper problem, a psychological hang-up that would hover over a big match any time they went ahead.

Spurs had a point to prove themselves, though. They hadn’t been bossed around like this at home in a long while, and it wasn’t exactly good timing given they have an FA Cup semi-final here against Manchester United next Saturday.

They didn’t put up with it for too long, though, and it was notable that they began to rectify it before having to face Pochettino at half-time. Spurs were well on top by the time that Christian Eriksen had forced the ball into the net.

In that, the timing of the goal was troubling for City – but they made sure to rectify their mistakes after the break. They weren’t quite majestic in the second half here, but they were controlled - and thereby didn’t let the game slip out of control. It was conspicuous how City began to use possession to take the sting out of Spurs, before stinging Pochettino’s side themselves.

Kieran Trippier attempts to dispossess Leroy Sane with a sliding tackle (Getty)

Having been patient, particularly given some of the chances they had been missing, City eventually clinched the game as Sterling lashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range. It brings them very close to at last clinching the title.

There are still questions to be asked about the amount of good chances this otherwise scintillating side miss - something that cost them in the last week - but there at least won’t now be the same questions about holding leads against good sides.

That issue has been rectified. They found the right response. The team meanwhile looked right again. They looked like champions.