This is very controversial. Danny Rose crosses from the left and Raheem Sterling leaps while turning his back to block. He does just that and is immediately penalised for handball as Clattenburg points to the spot. Does it even hit his arm? It looks like his back.

Robbie Savage
Former Leicester midfielder on Radio 5 live at the Etihad Stadium

"For him it is a great chance. He is on the corner of the six-yard box, the ball is spinning because of the deflection, but he has just got to compose himself.

"It seemed to spin and hit his shin pad. You would expect Aguero there, in the form he is in, to hit the target and put City one up."

Neither team are able to hold on to the ball for long at the moment. The game is being played largely in the middle third and is lacking a moment or two of real quality.

Image source, Reuters

Oh, Sergio Aguero! You would have put good money on him finishing from an angle after Yaya Toure's shot loops his way but instead he fires over. No wonder his head is in his hands. 

The yellow card is out again, this time for Vincent Kompany after he hammers into the back of Dele Alli.

And we are back under way.

Gillie: Danny Simpson must be watching this game with disbelief. 2 soft fouls and he's off whilst Toure hasn't even been booked yet. 

Glenn: Multiple bad tackles by ManC go unbooked. First bad tackle by Dier...Yellow card. How it that fair??

Robert Snell: Clear bias for "big teams" and "big players." How does Simpson get sent off, but no punishment for Toure?

The players are back out. Here we go again...

Jaime Dodd: Another abysmal 1st half performance from MCFC, why does Pellegrini persist with Toure? Absolute joke

Andy Knowles: Better at the back with Kompany, but lacking up top. Sloppy in possession though

Andy Porter: How the ref can book Dier but not Toure is beyond me. Both bookable offences but the City player gets away with it.

Dele Alli is not only a supremely talented player but a really hard-working one. He has covered 5.63km so far (City's biggest distance covered is 4.88km by Fernando), has made more sprints (44 compared Raheem Sterling's 29) and has the highest average speed of anyone on the park (8.68km/h). It makes me tired thinking about it.

Shohidur Rahman: Spurs have been the better team but no pace in their attack to hurt City like Leicester last week

Nigel Newton: We need to get Toure off and replace him with Kelechi iheanacho in the second half. It's not his age, but his attitude - looks lazy.

AADZ: 3 luxury players for City-  Aguero, Toure, Silva - don't put the hard shift in,too much pressure on holding midfield! Pep won't allow it.

There is hope... 

January 2012 was the last time a Premier League game between these sides was 0-0 at half-time - that game finished 3-2 to Man City  

Robbie Savage
Former Leicester midfielder on Radio 5 live at the Etihad Stadium

"It has all been in the middle of the park. Kane and Aguero have not had a chance between them. Pretty dull, but hopefully better in the second half." 

Intriguing more than exciting.

Robbie Savage
Former Leicester midfielder on Radio 5 live at the Etihad Stadium

"Again, where is Silva? He has run for that number 10 position, he doesn’t want to be on that right-hand side, but it was good defending in the end."

Mark Clattenburg has his yellow card out (some would say 40 minutes too late) as Eric Dier goes into the book for a foul on Yaya Toure, who was looking to break into Tottenham territory.

David Silva sneaks in unnoticed to gather a neat ball to the byline but his pull-back is blocked before being hammered behind off a City man. Again, it is an attack of promise, and again it produces little.

Theo Bowyer: City sloppy in possession and lethargic without... On a more positive note good to have the assurance of Kompany back!

Alan North: Toure just looks to lethargic. Ali and Dier so much more energy and desire.

Rachel Eaton: Man City defence better with Kompany back but got to think he not 90min match fit. Will work for Spurs in late stage

Image source, .

Tottenham are having plenty of possession, yet to do much with it though.

Tottenham have their first corner, which is chipped in to the near post for Dele Alli. He gets his head to it before it loops over the goal off a City head but the whistle has gone for a foul.

Joe Hart's mantra so far this game - one he keeps yelling at his defence - is "watch Alli". He's no mug, the City keeper. He knows the identity of the Spurs danger man.