Champions City came from behind to beat Spurs at the Etihad Stadium with substitute Edin Dzeko lashing home their 88th- minute winner after Sergio Aguero had cancelled out Steven Caulker's first-half header for the visitors.
Chelsea dropped points at Stamford Bridge where skipper John Terry headed them in front after 20 minutes of his return from a four-match domestic suspension before being carried off with a knee injury after an accidental collision with Luis Suarez 19 minutes later.
In Sunday's other match, Sam Allardyce, who was sacked by Newcastle United after 24 games in charge in 2008, enjoyed a winning return to St James' Park as his West Ham United side won 1-0 to move up to sixth.
Spurs, who had won their previous three away league matches, went ahead at City when Caulker headed home a Tom Huddlestone free-kick after 21 minutes to threaten the home team's unbeaten start to the league season.
Last season, he scored four of City's goals in their 5-1 win at White Hart Lane and has now netted seven times this season, six of them after coming on as a substitute.
"Yes, its not the first time its happened, but I think we were the better team after 90 minutes, it shows our character and that we are strong," Dzeko told Sky Sports.
Asked if he had a message for his manager Roberto Mancini, the Bosnian international replied: "The goals are my message."
"[I know] he is not happy. A player who is happy on the bench does not exist," Mancini said.
"After they scored first I thought we played fantastic. We deserved to win, the players were fantastic. The supporters were fantastic and in the second half they were like the 12th player on the pitch," he added.
