Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson and star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne were both substituted on Tuesday with injuries.

Ederson was caught by Cristian Romero in the second half and for a moment looked in serious pain while receiving treatment on the pitch, but Guardiola later confirmed the Brazilian was not concussed.

“He had a problem with his eye, he could not see properly so the doctor said I should change,” he added.

Ederson was unhappy when he was substituted, kicking a cool box on the sideline, although replacement keeper Stefan Ortega did superbly to keep out a one-on-one chance from Spurs captain Son Heung-min after coming on.

Guardiola said that De Bruyne picked up an ankle injury.

Yet Ortega stayed strong, stayed on his feet, waited for Son to make his move before stretching out his right leg to make the save that may well seal another Premier League triumph.

Guardiola, who clearly feared the worst, threw himself on his back dramatically in his technical area in an animated display of agony and then sheer relief, while Manchester City captain Kyle Walker likened Ortega, and the save, to the keeper’s fellow countryman, Bayern Munich icon Manuel Neuer. Praise indeed.

It was Spurs’ last stand as Erling Haaland added his second of the night from the penalty spot in added time for his 38th goal of the season. If City beat West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, the formalities will be complete.

Haaland may grab some headlines as his remarkable goalscoring feats continue, despite this season not being quite as prolific as his first, but Ortega was top of the bill. The keeper’s involvement was short and sweet but spectacular and probably decisive.

He was needed because this was not City at their peak but they are so well schooled in being in this position that a muscle memory kicks in to ensure they get the job done at the season’s pressure points.

Since City lost at Aston Villa in December, they are unbeaten in 22 Premier League games, winning 18 and drawing four in the sort of unstoppable surge that threatens to break Arsenal’s hearts in the same way they have also broken Liverpool’s on the final day of the season in previous years.

Experience means their players appear impervious to the natural pressures and when you possess players of the quality of Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, allied to their telepathic relationship, there always remains the capacity to make the difference.

And so it proved in the 51st minute for the vital opener, De Bruyne providing the 112th assist of his City career to lay a goal on a plate for Haaland.

It still needed the outstanding intervention of Ortega, who will long be remembered by his grateful manager and colleagues as they raced to him to show their appreciation before the celebrations started in front of the joyous travelling fans.

City are now in the position they have occupied so often and one from which they rarely slip.

It would be a shock to see them stumble now – and so much of the credit for that must go to Ortega.

In the men’s event, Daniil Medvedev’s title defence came to an end after he fell to a 6-1 6-4 defeat by American 14th seed Tommy Paul.

The Russian’s exit means world number five Alexander Zverev, who beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-2 7-5 on Thursday, is the highest-ranked player left in the draw.

World number two Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew because of injury before the event, while top seed Novak Djokovic was knocked out by Alejandro Tabilo in the second round.

Tabilo followed up his surprise win over the Serb by upsetting Russian 16th seed Karen Khachanov.

The Chilean, ranked 32nd in the world, won 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (12-10) to reach his first ATP Masters 1,000 quarter-final.

He will play China’s Zhang Zhizhen, who defeated Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

Meanwhile, Greek sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas needed just 61 minutes to thrash Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-1 6-2.

Tsitsipas, a finalist in Rome in 2022, has lost just two of his 15 matches on clay this season.

The Monte Carlo champion and Barcelona Open finalist will face Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, who beat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 7-5 6-3.

American Taylor Fritz overcame Bulgarian eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-7 (11-13) 6-1 after letting a match point slip during a 20-minute second-set tie-break.

Fritz, the 11th seed, will now take on Zverev, while Paul’s victory over Medvedev means he will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the last eight.

Hurkacz fought back from a set down to beat Sebastian Baez of Argentina 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.