Steve Sedgley looks back at Manchester City finally ending their home hoodoo.

When Spurs turned up Eastlands on Sunday, you could sense the anxiety in the air. The North Londoners have a wonderful record against City which goes back many years and on the back of their UEFA Cup exit; they came to Manchester with lot to prove.

City in contrast have had a wretched time of late and with the exception of their impressive result at Old Trafford, have failed to maintain their solid start which had many neutrals predicting a European spot for Sven Goran Eriksson's men.

The Swede has done a fine job since his summer arrival, acquiring new personnel to compliment City's already excellent youth policy. It has certainly surprised the City faithful but they have to be careful not to get too wrapped up about poor results. The likelihood was that at some point within the season; with new players and a youthful squad, a dip was to be expected, however City will grow from this experience and be better off as a result. It was always going to be a season of transition.

The game itself was certainly not one for the neutrals with both teams playing at a pedestrian pace in the early exchanges. Spurs were clearly showing signs of a Euro hangover while City looked extremely nervous. It is clear that going a few months without a home League win had caused many players to show anxiety. I can speak from experience that when a rut sets in (Failing to win at home) you just go through a mental block and you put even more pressure on yourself before stepping out on the pitch as you are so desperate to win in front of your home fans. City players were certainly going through it, as you can tell when possession is given away cheaply and the ball seemingly becomes a hot potato.

When Robbie Keane scored expertly on the half hour, you sensed a "here we go again" etched on to City fans faces. It was the time when you expected City players heads to drop but in all fairness, it seemed to galvanise them and they seemed to up the tempo of the game from that moment onwards. Two excellent Paul Robinson saves ensured that the Londoners maintained their lead at half time.

The second half we started to witness the City at the start of the season which kept Spurs on the back foot for the rest of the game. It is amazing momentum in football and how a team can simply transform at the blink of an eyelid, which is frustrating for players, management and of course, the fans. That is football for you and there is no rhyme or reason for it. A goal apiece from Stephen Ireland and the impressive Nedum Onuoha turned the game around and City certainly didn't look back.

It was a vitally important result for City as many saw this game as their last chance in the race for a UEFA spot. Having dropped down to 9th place, they seemed to be in freefall however a big result like this could be just enough to turn the tide. They have a growing squad who will have grown better for the highs and lows they have faced this season. They have a top class manager at the helm and if he gets the expected funds in the summer, City can look to move on. They need a bit more depth to their squad but should it be added there is certainly no reason can look to challenge around the Premier League's elite.