3 takeaways from Tottenham's win over Manchester City: Spurs affirm title credentials

While Eastlands failed to live up to Arsenal and Leicester City's pulsating 3-2 tie earlier in the day, it provided an arguably more telling scoreline for the Premier League's top four sides: Manchester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur.

Christian Eriksen took his winner well for the visitor, latching onto substitute Erik Lamela's threaded pass to slot beyond Joe Hart on 83 minutes.

But many will point to the penalty that gifted Spurs' 54th-minute opener, converted by Harry Kane, as being a terrible call, and setting a too tough a challenge for City to overcome against the division's meanest defence. This despite Kelechi Iheanacho leveling matters and giving hope of all three points on 74 minutes.

Here are three takeaways from Tottenham's huge victory in Manchester:

Match marred by poor decision

The match was finely poised in the second half, with both teams defending stoutly and it looking as if the deadlock would only be broken by something spectacular. Instead, it was broken by a spectacularly bad decision.

There appeared to be a touch of the theatrics to Mark Clattenburg's officiating before the penalty call - elaborate gesturing and soundlessly bringing the whistle to his lips on multiple occasions - and then he firmly cast himself the role of pantomime villain in Eastlands.

Tracking back to support Pablo Zabaleta, Raheem Sterling blocked an early Danny Rose cross, and rebounded the ball off his back and away from trouble. Clattenburg incredibly deemed it a handball, and there's certainly a reasonable argument for the ball hitting Sterling's back outside the area anyway.

In a match of such enormity, it's a shame when the referee takes centre stage.

Alderweireld colossal once more

There was an opportunity for City in the last seconds after a goalmouth scramble, but ultimately the Spurs' defence made just one slip up when allowing teenager Iheanacho to steal in and finish emphatically into the top corner.

Questions were asked when Mauricio Pochettino opted not to delve into the transfer market in the wake of Jan Vertonghen's medial ligament injury, but the Argentinian stubbornly invested in the leadership of Toby Alderweireld and the previously obscure talents of Kevin Wimmer. It appears the defence has thrived on his belief.

Alderweireld and Wimmer, aided by the superb Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier, crowded the middle to cut off the runs of Yaya Toure and invention of David Silva, while Danny Rose and Kyle Walker were lively to prevent supply lines on the flanks.

Pochettino has turned Spurs into a well-drilled and consistent outfit, and they mean business.

Just the beginning of a stacked City fixture list

59, 72, 75, 76 - not the years of City cup triumphs before the money rolled in, but the squad numbers that assumed their positions on the Etihad Stadium home bench.

It's absurd that a squad of City's depth and incredible riches finds its resources so strained, but injuries to Kevin De Bruyne, Fabian Delph, Samir Nasri, and Jesus Navas have left Manuel Pellegrini incredibly short of options in midfield.

It won't get any easier too: Before the club's next Premier League match away at Liverpool, it squeezes in trips to Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup, Dynamo Kyiv's NSC Olimpiyskiy in the Champions League, and a League Cup final against the Reds.

Unless youngsters like Bersant Celina, Aleix Garcia, and Manu Garcia are afforded an opportunity, Pellegrini's squad is at risk of being stretched beyond repair in that run.

Six points and three teams separate City from the top spot.