Tottenham qualified for the Champions League for the first time, beating Manchester City 1-0 Wednesday night.
Peter Crouch was the goal scoring hero for Spurs as he reacted first to a save from Man City goalkeeper Marton Fulop to nod the ball into the net.
“For a club like us to break into the top four is a fantastic achievement— it’s probably one of the best nights I’ve been part of,” Crouch said. “I was in the right place at the right time. The keeper made a good save and I was in the right place just to nod it home.”
The win completed a dramatic turnaround for Spurs, who were bottom of the Premier League only 16 months ago when Harry Redknapp took over.
“It’s been a terrific season for us,” said Harry Redknapp. We picked an attacking team and took a big gamble. We were one point in front—we could have played 4-5-1 but went for it.”
With the loss, big-spending Manchester City will play in the Europa League next season along side Aston Villa and Liverpool. The loss was a bitter disappointment for the richest team in the world as questions will be asked about the future of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.
“I think I will stay here,” Mancini said. “I’m not a magician—I don’t have a magic wand. We tried and we worked very hard for this. I’m disappointed because we lost this game and we didn’t deserve to. We have been very unlucky in some games.”
Mancini got the City job because his predecessor Mark Hughes was fired in December when a loss to Tottenham left the owners fearful of missing out on the top four.
