MANCHESTER, Dec 24: Glenn Hoddle won the battle of the former England coaches here at Maine Road on Monday as his Tottenham team came from behind to beat Kevin Keegan’s Manchester City 3-2.

City, who dominated the first half, took a deserved lead through captain Steve Howey.

But goals either side of half-time from recalled duo Chris Perry and Simon Davies turned the match Tottenham’s way before substitute Gus Poyet’s header sealed victory six minutes from time.

City substitute Ali Benarbia set up a rousing finale with a superb injury time curler but it was all too late for Keegan’s men.

Tottenham, who were reduced to 10 men for the final five minutes after Germany international Christian Ziege was sent off for a second bookable offence, moved into seventh place in the Premiership table while City stay twelfth.

Early in the match, Tottenham, without ex-England striker Teddy Sheringham who was ruled out because of a knee injury, were run ragged with City’s Israeli playmaker Eyal Berkovic directing operations.

After barely two minutes Berkovic raced on to Howey’s hopeful through ball, and got there ahead of defender Ledley King before lobbing Tottenham’s American keeper Kasey Keller, but his effort drifted wide.

But eventually City’s pressure told when they took the lead in the 29th minute. Steffen Freund conceded a free-kick from which Howey’s flicked header beat Keller.

However, slack marking allowed Tottenham to level against the run of play seven minutes before the break.

Following Ziege’s corner, a lack of concentration from Marc-Vivien Foe allowed the former Wimbledon defender to run in unchecked, dive and head home from just a few yards out.

With eight minutes to go it was Uruguayan veteran Poyet who headed past a helpless Schmeichel from another well-taken Ziege corner.—AFP