Manchester City might have played for 78 minutes of this Premier League drama with 10 men only for Raheem Sterling to get away with a horribly late tackle on Dele Alli. But when they did have a man sent off – Oleksandr Zinchenko for a second bookable offence in the 61st minute – it was the prompt for Tottenham to throw off the shackles and fire the wildest of turnarounds.

Until then it was difficult to overstate City’s dominance. Sergio Agüero missed a clutch of chances and Ilkay Gündogan had a penalty saved by Hugo Lloris as Pep Guardiola’s team hogged the ball and took up residence in the Spurs half. Yet profligacy has been their enemy on numerous occasions this season and they were left once again to count its cost after Zinchenko’s dismissal.

Spurs’ hero was Steven Bergwijn, the £25m signing from PSV Eindhoven, who started on the left wing and ran himself into the ground, so much so that he was forced off with cramp. Before then, however, he was able to conjure the breakthrough goal. It was a stunning piece of technique and it seemed to unfold in the blink of an eye – the chest control from Lucas Moura’s chipped pass followed by the right-footed volley from the edge of the area that flashed into the far corner.

The 22-year-old said he had dreamed of playing in England’s top division and so to score on his debut with his first shot was plainly something else. Son Heung-min made the points safe for Spurs shortly afterwards with a shot that deflected on its way past Ederson and José Mourinho could toast the statement victory he needed.

It involved plenty of luck – his team were also fortunate not to concede a second penalty moments after the first when Lloris appeared to catch Sterling – but it lifted them to within four points of fourth-placed Chelsea.

City could scarcely believe how the fates had conspired against them, with their afternoon summed up when the Spurs defender, Davinson Sánchez, miscued an attempted clearing header in stoppage time only for it to crash against his own crossbar.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tempers fray at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Guardiola’s team had seen Liverpool break another record on Saturday with their home win against Southampton taking them 22 points clear at the top of the table – no English club has held such a lead in the top division – and it is easy to question whether City’s players have had their edge dulled slightly in the competition.

There is a big difference between a title defence and trying to ensure a runners-up spot. And, it has to be asked, is there a great difference to City between finishing second and fourth? City played very well for an hour or so, doing the right things, yet they were out of sync when it mattered the most, lacking ruthlessness in front of goal.

The game might have had a different tone had Sterling been dismissed in the 12th minute. He overran the ball and, when he lunged for it, he missed completely and clattered into Alli, forcing the Spurs player’s ankle to buckle. It was the sort of challenge that can lead to serious injury and, on this occasion, it would eventually see Alli depart. Mourinho said he would await the medical examinations with trepidation.

Mike Dean, the referee, showed a yellow card to Sterling and a VAR check for serious foul play ruled against an upgrade to red. Mourinho put his hands to his head in disbelief after watching a replay on an iPad in the technical area and it was merely the start of the VAR-based head-scratching.

Serge Aurier dived in on Agüero in the 36th minute, sending him down inside the area but Dean said no penalty and play went on for about three minutes. When there was finally a stoppage, VAR stepped in to award the penalty. Mourinho lolled back in his seat, laughing out loud.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Raheem Sterling takes a tumble after Hugo Lloris’s penalty save. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Gündogan’s kick was saved by Lloris, who sprang back up to reach the loose ball in front of Sterling but he was not quick enough. Sterling got there first, touched it away, felt contact from the goalkeeper and went down. Cue a melee between both sets of players. It looked like another penalty but this time VAR said no. So did it add up to a second yellow card instead for a dive by Sterling? Apparently not.

Agüero had the chances for a first-half hat-trick; miscuing, hitting the post and shooting wide from close range and City would blow a glorious opening early in the second half after Toby Alderweireld had cleared off the line from Agüero. Sterling, who would limp off with hamstring trouble, played a heavy pass to Gündogan, who lifted high.

City were the architects of their own downfall. They mucked up a short corner routine, allowing Harry Winks to break at pace, and he was cynically checked by Zinchenko, who had been booked during the confrontations following the non-penalty award for Sterling. Dean finally got a decision right and dismissed him. It was the prompt for Bergwijn and Son to rewrite the script.

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