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LONDON. — As he looks to keep hold of his job in the closing days of what has been a difficult season, afternoons like this will help Manuel Pellegrini greatly. This was not a perfect Manchester City performance. Far from it. In fact England’s goalkeeper Joe Hart was probably the game’s best player, the save he made from Erik Lamela in added time enough to ensure City won the game.

Here, though, it was the spirit of the performance that was impressive, if not always the style. Missing key players and under some pressure after recent struggles, knowing that Chelsea had taken their Barclays Premier League title from them in the moments before kick-off, it would have been possible for some of Pellegrini’s players to lose a little focus. Not excusable or understandable, but possible nonetheless

As it was, City produced a display of some gumption and application here against a Tottenham team similarly unwilling to allow the season to burn out.

Tottenham were impressive at times and produced enough opportunities to take something from the game. City, though, score through Sergio Aguero in the 28th minute and subsequently would not yield. There is something to be said for that.

Players like David Silva and James Milner were noticeable in terms of effort. Silva provided the pass for Aguero’s goal but also ran hard for the cause, that cause now being respectability and second place. At the end, meanwhile, both Brazilian midfielders Fernando and Fernandinho clenched their fists. It had been that kind of day.

A decent game, this, then, one that said much for the competitiveness of the Premier League and the players who earn their living from it. Arguably, City’s most difficult game of the run-in, they now have an opportunity to finish this season in a manner that did not seem possible after that numbing defeat to neighbours United just three weeks ago.

With City’s rivals Chelsea celebrating their title win 20km away in West London, it was important that Pellegrini’s team grasped the importance of finishing the season strongly. Perception is important in football and it may yet be important to Pellegrini that his team are seen to finish what has been a disappointing season on the front foot.

Certainly for the first 10 minutes, a fruitful afternoon on the Seven Sisters Road seemed rather unlikely for City. They began dreadfully and, thanks largely to the ineptitude of central defender Eliaquim Mangala, could have been a couple of goals down very early on indeed.

Tottenham’s record against City has been poor in recent times but here they were on the front foot straight away. Less than a minute had passed when Erik Lamela broke away down the left and his low cross looked as though it would be turned in by Harry Kane only for City left-back Aleksandar Kolarov to make an interception with an outstretched leg.

If that wasn’t warning enough for City, the deposed champions’ defence left Tottenham full-back Eric Dier totally unmarked from the ensuing corner and the young Englishman should have done much better than head the ball wide.

Replays showed that Mangala was the guilty party in the City defence on that occasion and it wasn’t long before his central defensive partner Martin Demichelis was left staring at him in disbelief as he allowed Kane to run off his shoulder and clear on goal. On this occasion Kane dragged his shot across goal and wide.

Coming so early in the game, Tottenham may not have fretted too much about their missed opportunities. There was, after all, plenty of time to go.

Against the top teams, however, it pays to take your chances. Sure enough, City soon found something of their true selves and began to spend some time on the ball and probe gently in the final third. — Mailonline.