The Hindu : Sport / Football : Goalkeeper Hart saves the day for Manchester City

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Goalkeeper Hart saves the day for Manchester City

— PHOTO: AFP

DAZZLING DISPLAY:Manchester City's goalkeeper Joe Hart punches the ball away to safety in the English Premier League football match against Tottenham Hotspur.

LONDON: Manchester City had goalkeeper Joe Hart to thank for a point as its Premier League title bid started with a goalless draw away to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane here on Saturday.

For all the millions at City's disposal, it was its bargain signing from fourth-tier Shrewsbury in 2006 who excelled on the opening day of the season.

The 23-year-old, after making his first England start during the week, pulled off save after save in the first half to keep out the side that denied City a place in the Champions League last season.

Intense competition

City manager Roberto Mancini has overseen huge spending that has left him with intense competition in his squad, meaning the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Joleon Lescott were on the bench.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was also among the substitutes as Mancini started with Hart.

In the early stages Hart gave three examples of why he has edged ahead in the race to be City's first choice.

His first save was an instinctive effort from Jermain Defoe's close-range volley, after Aaron Lennon had carried the ball to the goalline and lofted a cross for Peter Crouch to head down.

Close call

Tom Huddlestone then went close, returning the ball from a cleared corner with a powerful volley that Hart saved at full-stretch.

To complete his hat-trick of early saves, Hart tipped over the crossbar after Benoit Assou-Ekotto unleashed a volley that was deflected and headed towards the top corner.

Spurs edged closer to a goal but when Hart was finally beaten, by Gareth Bale with an angled drive, the ball cannoned off the post.

Hart was called into action again just after the half-hour mark when Huddlestone's long ball released Defoe, who had his finish blocked and was beaten to the rebound by Kolo Toure with the goal unguarded.

Spurs also had a decent appeal for a penalty when Bale was challenged by Micah Richards as he carried the ball into the penalty area. It was a tough start for City debutants Aleksandar Kolarov, Yaya Toure and David Silva, who were adjusting to the pace of the English game.

Wright-Phillips failed to impose himself on the game, and was replaced by Adam Johnson, while Spurs took off their two strikers and brought on Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

The substitutes were involved immediately, with Johnson setting up a chance for Carlos Tevez that was deflected just over before Pavlyuchenko twice tested Hart at the other end.

The results: Tottenham 0 drew with Manchester City 0; Aston Villa 3 (Downing 15, Petrov 40, Milner 66) bt West Ham 0; Blackburn 1 (Kalinic 14) bt Everton 0; Bolton 0 drew with Fulham 0; Sunderland 2 (Bent 24-pen, Carr 56-og) drew with Birmingham 2 (Dann 77, Ridgewell 88); Wigan 0 lost to Blackpool 4 (Taylor-Fletcher 16, Harewood 38, 43, Baptiste 75); Wolves 2 (Jones 37, Fletcher 39) bt Stoke 1 (Faye 55) . — AFP

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