Manchester City spent nearly £100m on talent in the close season but it was their modest investment in keeper Joe Hart who enabled them to come away with a fortunate 0-0 draw at Tottenham. Hart's first half performance saved City from being on the end of an embarrassing scoreline for the first game of the season.

The former Birmingham loanee saved acrobatically from Jermain Defoe, Tom Huddlestone and Benoit Assou-Ekotto as Spurs started strongly.

Even when Hart was beaten luck was on his side as Gareth Bale struck the foot of the post as City were overwhelmed.

City did improve after the break and Shaun Wright-Phillips came closest, but Hart twice kept out efforts from Roman Pavlyuchenko.

City boss Roberto Mancini will be relieved they come away with a rare point, having stopped a run of six straight league defeats at White Hart Lane.

TOTTENHAM 01 Gomes 03 Bale 20 Dawson 22 Corluka 26 King 32 Assou-Ekotto 06 Huddlestone 07 Lennon (Giovani 77) 14 Modric 15 Crouch (Keane 68) 18 Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 68)

Substitutes 23 Cudicini, 04 Kaboul, 19 Bassong, 12 Wilson Palacios, 09 Pavlyuchenko, 10 Keane, 17 Giovani

MANCHESTER CITY 25 Hart 02 Richards 04 Kompany yellow card 13 Kolarov (Zabaleta 46 yellow card) 28 Kolo Toure 08 Wright-Phillips (A Johnson 67) 18 Barry 21 Silva 34 De Jong 42 Yaya Toure 32 Tevez (Adebayor 83)

Substitutes 01 Given, 05 Zabaleta, 19 Lescott, 11 A Johnson, 24 Vieira, 09 Adebayor, 27 Jo

Referee: Andre Marriner Att: 35,928