In another inspirational performance from the unstoppable Gareth Bale, Tottenham stunned Manchester City 3-1 to keep their challenge for a top-four place in the English Premier League very much alive.
Needing nothing short of a win really was needed, after their rivals Arsenal had picked up three points Saturday, and Spurs produced three amazing goals in a seven-minute span of the second half to send the reigning Premier League champions reeling.
Samir Nasri opened the scoring for City in the fifth minute, and were looking on their way to three points, before three late goals from Clint Dempsey, Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale took Spurs to a memorable victory. Manchester United can now clinch the Premier League title with a win over Aston Villa Monday night.
Spurs, though, maintain their charge for a Champions League place, going level on points with Chelsea, who play Liverpool in the second game of Sunday. Arsenal are now only two points ahead of Spurs, having played a game more.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas expectedly named Bale in the starting lineup, and the forward almost made an immediate impact, forcing the ball off Vincent Kompany in a dangerous area, before the Belgian just about recovered to snuff out the danger.
The home side started the game better, and Bale again was involved, taking an audacious 35-yard strike, which was well watched by Joe Hart.
The game was being played at a searing pace, and such is the quality that Man City possess that you can never take your eyes of any of their players.
Tevez, out of nowhere, made a brilliant solo run, but then had to wait for some support. The support came, and the Argentine played in a nice little ball to James Milner, who in turn found Samir Nasri to hit first-time into the bottom corner in the fifth minute of the game.
The goal gave City confidence as Bale became increasingly marginalised, with Edin Dzeko forcing a good save from Hugo Lloris before Carlos Tevez nearly scored off a knockdown from his strike partner Dzeko.
Gylfi Sigurdsson nearly scored on the stroke of halftime, but his shot was well blocked by Pablo Zabaleta.
The first half ended with the score still at 1-0 as Villas-Boas looked to earn his corn bill by giving a halftime talk that could keep his side's hopes of playing in the Champions League next season.
The start of second half was not as high-octane as the first, but boy did the match ignite with a bang in the 75th minute.
Dempsey made it 1-1, getting in on the end of a brilliant low cross from Bale, with the outside of his left foot, a pass that left the City defenders rooted to their spot and Dempsey with the easiest of tasks of tapping in from close range.
If Spurs fans were thinking they would at least take home a point as things stood, they were in for a pleasant surprise as 1-1 quickly transformed to 3-1 for the home side in quite stunning fashion.
Jermain Defoe, who had just come on for the ineffective Emmanuel Adebayor, produced a moment of brilliance, curling a wonderful shot which went off the inside of the post and in.
Three minutes later in the 82nd, Bale, who else, calmly chipped the ball over Hart, after a nice through ball from Tom Huddlestone, to put the game to bed and send the Spurs faithful into dreamland.
