A Freddie Kanoute thunderbolt saw Tottenham emulate north London rivals Arsenal and collect maximum points from an otherwise forgettable trip to Manchester City.

Not even the second-half introduction of record signing Nicolas Anelka could prevent City slumping to their first home league defeat since the Gunners' triumph at Eastlands nearly three months ago, as Spurs strolled to their third successive win.

On a day when there was little to enthuse either set of supporters, it was totally fitting that Kanoute should win the match with the only moment of pure class in the entire contest.

There was more than a suspicion of offside among the home fans as Kanoute collected Michael Brown's angled pass just inside the hosts half, but what followed was pure genius.

Within two touches - one to control, the other to knock the ball forward - the Mali striker had set himself up with a shooting chance. Then, Kanoute delivered an explosive 20-yard finish from the angle of the box which flashed right into the top corner before David James could even move.

City boss Kevin Keegan responded by turning to Anelka, omitted in favour of Jon Macken and Robbie Fowler, despite recovering from his recent ankle problem.

But Anelka could not trigger a revival, leaving Martin Jol to celebrate yet another Spurs victory as the troubles of a month ago are consigned to distant memory.

Having completed two victories since Anelka limped out of the action at Portsmouth three weeks ago, the City fans were starting to believe they were actually a better side without the enigmatic Frenchman.

It took a tortuous first 70 minutes, and a comparison with Kanoute and Robbie Keane during a strange opening period to dispel the theory.

While it could not be denied that City were the better side during the opening period, they created only a single opportunity worthy of more than a passing mention and looked as though they could be in trouble any time Tottenham managed to get the ball forward.

That the visitors managed that feat on only half-a-dozen occasions in the entire half was due in no small measure to the industry of Paul Bosvelt and Joey Barton in the City engine room.

The midfield pair hustled and bustled, and prevented former Blues favourite Brown getting his foot on the ball for any length of time.

Unfortunately, having done the donkey work, Bosvelt and Barton discovered Shaun Wright-Phillips was having an off day and neither Fowler nor Macken possessed the pace or ingenuity to unsettle a Tottenham defence in which Ledley King, one dubious early challenge on Macken apart, was excellent.

The one chance the Blues did create came after Antoine Sibierski had seen a far-post header blocked, the ball eventually finding its way to Barton on the edge of the area, where the England Under-21 man unleashed a powerful shot which Paul Robinson turned away.

In contrast, the visitors were only inches away from breaking the deadlock on two separate occasions, with Rohan Ricketts embarking on a darting run into the box that took him past Danny Mills and Bosvelt.

Ricketts was caught in two minds after that, eventually rolling his shot just wide with Kanoute agonisingly unable to make contact as he slid in.

At that stage, it was Keane who carried the greater threat, getting behind fellow Irishman Richard Dunne in the scrap to reach Pedro Mendes' long ball just before the break, then beating David James with his deft lob, only to see it bounce just wide.

Kanoute had been a peripheral figure up to that point but, after Jol had made a double substitution at the interval, the striker erupted into life 12 minutes after the break unleashing the unstoppable shot which put Spurs in front.

City could not say they had not been warned as Kanoute had galloped down the left flank moments earlier without gaining any reward.

There was no escape on the second occasion though, as the striker's angled drive flew into the top corner before David James had a chance to move.

The hosts would have fallen two behind, had Sylvain Distin not kept his cool and turned Keane's shot away by the post after the Irishman had burst into the box and nipped around James.

Keegan decided it was time to end Anelka's exile on the bench, although by then Tottenham had seized the initiative and Keane should really have wrapped up victory long before the end by sliding home Brown's low cross inside of blazing it over the bar.

Teams

Man City James, Mills, Distin, Dunne, Jordan, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Bosvelt, Barton, Sibierski, Fowler (Anelka 71), Macken (Bradley Wright-Phillips 70).

Subs Not Used: Onuoha, Waterreus, Flood.

Booked: Jordan.

Tottenham Robinson, Pamarot, Naybet (Gardner 46), King, Atouba, Brown, Pedro Mendes (Kelly 46), Carrick, Ricketts (Redknapp 81), Kanoute, Keane.

Subs Not Used: Fulop, Yeates.

Booked: Naybet, Kelly.

Goals: Kanoute 57.

Att: 45,805

Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).