After a dull opening the game came to life after 15 minutes.
Tom Huddlestone was the star performer in the middle of the pitch, paired alongside Teemu ‘Tiger' Tainio. On the right Hossam Ghaly endeavoured for the cause.
Two goals to the good at the start of the second half Spurs continued to trouble City at the back with Jermain Defoe industrious.
The home side came back into the contest after an hour had elapsed on the clock.
A first away win of the season at times looked uncertain from the moment City pulled a goal back and the defence at times looked nervous, but Spurs were able to sustain the pressure without conceding a leveller.
Martin Jol: "I felt we did exactly what we had to do in the first half - nicked balls in midfield and try to break forward with four or five players - and we created five or six chances."
"It was great to get an away win under out belt and it came against a strong Manchester City team who before today had four wins and four draws and only conceded one goal in eight matches at home, but we we still felt confident and scored two in the first half and could have scored another two or three.
"That was our problem, because at 3-0 the game would have been all over. City showed that in the second half, scored with half an hour to go and with all the matches we've played lately, I knew we might have needed that third goal. In the end we defended well so it was enough and that was pleasing."
"The problem against Arsenal was probably not getting the ball back but we certainly had players in the team at City who could do that."
"Aaron Lennon had a knee operation earlier in the season and the inflammation came up again, so it was better for us to rest him. It's something that has come up before and then gone away."
Tom Huddlestone: "I thought we did well on the day although we knew they would come out all guns blazing after half time, especially with the manager they've got. They changed their system - which benefited them a lot - and we found it quite difficult. Once they got the goal it was just a case of fighting hard to keep our lead.
"That was only my fourth goal but it was the best one. I had been working on my shooting recently because it was a key element that I needed to improve on because I didn't score in 98 games for Derby.
"I have been practicing near enough every day and hopefully it has come good now. There was like a two or three second delay with it being an away game because our crowd weren't at the end I scored. I was checking I wasn't offside or anything like that and wasn't sure what to do, but the lads came over quickly to celebrate with me."
Calum Davenport: "The goal meant a lot to me, with it being our first away win and my first goal, it was a nice feeling."
Source: TottenhamHotspur.com