Gus Poyet admitted he sent on striker Jermain Defoe against City with one simple instruction - score the winner.
Spurs substitute the hero against City
Tottenham number two Gus Poyet admitted he sent on striker Jermain Defoe against Manchester City with one simple instruction - score the winner.
Defoe entered the fray with the game locked at 1-1 but took just six minutes to make his mark, smashing home the rebound after Steed Malbranque's cross-shot had come back off the post.
With Robbie Keane serving the first of a three-game ban, Darren Bent was selected alongside Dimitar Berbatov but failed to produce and it was left to Defoe to steal the headlines.
Pascal Chimbonda gave the home side the lead in controversial circumstances but Rolando Bianchi took advantage of yet more slack Spurs marking to head City level.
Steven Ireland saw red for a late lunge on Lee Young-pyo with Defoe on target as City failed to clear the resulting free-kick.
Celebration
And Poyet told
Sky Sports: "It means a lot. We needed it, especially after last week's defeat here, and everyone is very pleased in the dressing room.
"It was good for the players, it was good for the fans, it was good for everyone to win like that.
"He (Defoe) was unlucky a few times last week, he was trying and was desperate to score.
"It was the only thing I asked him when he went on. I said 'please J, score the winner'. He did it, and was really happy with his celebration."
Everything
Poyet insists he and coach Juande Ramos now have the full picture of the task they face at Spurs, and is looking forward to a full week with the squad.
He added: "We know everything now. We cannot complain about something that we don't know. We know all the players, how they are going to play and how they are going to react.
"We have had enough time to see the whole picture. And for the first time we will have a whole week to work with the whole squad.
"We will have four or five days to work on a few things which need improving, but of course when you win it is easier."
