Tottenham vs Man City: Complete head-to-head record in the FA Cup

  • Tottenham have faced Manchester City on multiple occasions in the FA Cup
  • Ricky Villa scored one of the competition's most iconic goals in 1981 final
  • City completed stunning comeback in 2004 replay
Tottenham have duelled Manchester City on several occasions in the FA Cup
Tottenham have duelled Manchester City on several occasions in the FA Cup / ADRIAN DENNIS/GettyImages
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Tottenham Hotspur's modern history with Manchester City has been defined by their Premier League and Champions League duels.

Despite City's domestic dominance since Pep Guardiola took charge, Spurs have emerged as a distinct annoyance for the Cityzens. Guardiola's side have stumbled often against the apparently inferior Lilywhites.

However, the two clubs have also met on several occasions in the FA Cup. While such duels are infrequent, City and Spurs have nonetheless played out some memorable encounters in England's prized domestic cup competition over the years.



Tottenham 3-2 Man City - May 1981

The first three FA Cup ties between the pair were forgettable affairs with one-goal separating the two sides in each.

They met for the fourth time in the 1981 final which was eventally decided by a moment of iconic brilliance from Tottenham's Ricky Villa.

Goals at both ends from Man City's Thomas Hutchinson forced a replay, with Argentine Villa getting the Lilywhites off to a perfect start in the second clash. Stephen MacKenzie quickly restored parity for City before a Kevin Reeves spot-kick handed them the lead at the start of the second half.

BBC Sport Team of the Week hero Garth Crooks then brought Spurs back on level terms with 20 minutes remaining before Villa produced the sequence that thrust him into Lilywhite folklore for eternity. His mazy solo run was capped off with a fine finish which gave Tottenham the lead and the trophy.


Man City 2-4 Tottenham - March 1993

Mike Sheron and Niall Quinn of Manchester City
City were eventually beaten at home / Anton Want/GettyImages

Crowd trouble at Maine Road overshadowed what The Independent described as an 'outstanding' Tottenham performance which thrust them into the FA Cup semi-finals.

Towards the end of the cup tie and the visitors 4-2 ahead, a large group of City supporters charged onto the field to taunt the away end. Play was suspended for 12 minutes, with the delay failing to facilitate any late home heroics.

Spanish midfielder Nayim, forever adored in N17 for his halfway line goal against Arsenal in the 1995 Cup Winner's Cup final, scored the first hat-trick of his career as Spurs dazzled in Manchester. The visitors fell behind through a Mike Sheron header in the opening exchanges, but their response was emphatic and their victory set up a semi-final with north London rivals Arsenal. which they'd lose 1-0.


Tottenham 3-4 Man City - February 2004

Manchester City players and supporters c
The Sky Blues completed a stunning comeback at White Hart Lane / ADRIAN DENNIS/GettyImages

A comeback so remarkable it even has its own Wikipedia page.

Once again, these two sides were forced to a replay after the initial bout in Manchester finished 1-1. They reconvened ten days later at White Hart Lane where Tottenham seemed destined to progress into the fifth round.

First half goals from Ledley King, Robbie Keane, and Christian Ziege set Spurs on their way and into a 3-0 half-time lead. However, as was the case three years prior when Man Utd rallied from three goals down to win 5-3 in north London, an early second half goal unsettled the hosts.

Sylvain Distin's 48th-minute effort set the stage for an incredible City comeback with Paul Bosvelt reducing the deficit to one after the hour. White Hart Lane once again filled with dread as another Lilywhite implosion felt inevitable, and Shaun Wright-Phillips completed City's resurgence with ten minutes to go.

However, there was still time for more as substitute striker Jon Macken prevented the need for extra time by scoring City's winner in stoppage time.


Tottenham vs Man City - Complete FA Cup record

  • Games played: 8
  • Tottenham wins: 3
  • Draws: 2
  • Manchester City wins: 3

Top scorers in Tottenham vs Man City FA Cup games

Player

Team represented

Goals

Nayim

Tottenham

3

Ricky Villa

Tottenham

2

Gary Doherty

Tottenham

1

Terry Phelan

Man City

1

Christian Ziege

Tottenham

1


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