Eric Dier had one of his best games in a while in Tottenham Hotspur's victory over Manchester City, journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed.

What's the word?

Spurs produced a defensive masterclass to shut Man City out in North London, and Harry Kane's early strike proved to be the difference.

A number of players including Emerson Royal and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg were outstanding, but Dier was also crucial in helping see out the victory.

Dier was awarded 9/10 by Gold in his player ratings for football.london, and was praised for the way in which he dealt with deadly striker Erling Haaland.

"Constantly pushing up the pitch and adding to the numbers in the middle. One of his best games in a while. Nothing got past him. It was the first time Haaland didn't even have a single shot in a Premier League match."

Rock in the middle

There was a nervous ending to the match as Spurs were reduced to ten men as Cristian Romero received a red card, but Dier's commanding performance at the back helped them secure all three points.

The Englishman had come in for criticism at times this season, but looked back to his best as he kept Haaland quiet for the entire game.

Dier completed four long balls, won three aerial duels and made four clearances as per SofaScore, and looked assured in his defending as Spurs recorded their third clean sheet in a row in all competitions.

The 29-year-old has made 346 appearances for Spurs since his arrival in 2014, and his experience is now starting to prove vital in tough games, helping command his three-man defence to a convincing victory against the Champions.