Pleat was indebted to a superb display of goalkeeping from Kasey Keller, a first-half goal-line clearance from skipper Stephen Carr and a profligate Manchester City attack.

Having averaged over two goals a game in their nine outings so far this term, the Blues found they had left their shooting boots at home today as they somehow failed to hit the net despite an amazing 24 shots on the Tottenham goal.

Paulo Wanchope was the chief culprit, wasting some excellent approach work from Nicolas Anelka by spurning three separate opportunities, although home boss Kevin Keegan will no doubt question referee Neale Barry’s decision not to dismiss Spurs defensive lynchpin Dean Richards when he blatantly tried to haul the Costa Rican back during his third clear run on goal.

None of that will matter to Pleat, though, who has already stated his willingness to take on one of football’s most onerous tasks on a full-time basis.

This result will certainly not have done him any harm, especially as good fortune is often a more useful commodity than good play.

Rarely can any side managed by Keegan have created so many chances without getting a goal as City did in the first half.

The home side found themselves clean through on six separate occasions in the opening 45 minutes and not only did they not manage to score, Spurs keeper Keller was forced into nothing more than a series of routine saves.

Returning hero Wanchope mis-hit two shots, the second created by a brilliant back-heeled return pass from Anelka, both of which Keller stopped comfortably, Anelka failed with a similar effort and Steve McManaman another.

Biggest culprit of the lot, though, was Trevor Sinclair, who rose to meet Michael Tarnat’s cross unchallenged eight yards out and succeeded only in sending his header a shocking distance wide.

In fact, City came closest when their players did not have time to think about what they were going to do as Wanchope nodded Sinclair’s far-post corner into the path of Anelka, whose instant finish was turned off the line by visitors’ skipper Carr.

If any one of those efforts had gone in, Spurs heads may have dropped. Instead, they went into their interval chat with Pleat clinging to hopes of victory.

Spurs had started the match well, then deteriorated after Freddie Kanoute had just failed to trickle a shot beyond David Seaman after an impressive burst forward from debutant Paul Konchesky, who has waited a surprisingly lengthy amount of time for his first league start.

With his team so much on top, Seaman, the subject of ironic jeers from his own supporters against Lokeren on Wednesday, had little to do, but showed no lack of resolve in coming to punch clear a couple of hanging crosses and clawing a deflected Darren Anderton free-kick away from Gus Poyet.

Whatever Pleat did say at half-time did not manifest itself in an on-pitch improvement as City continued to force the pace without being able to find the goal their play so richly deserved.

Wanchope had already put one looping header onto the roof of Keller’s net when he was released for a second time by an Anelka back-heel.

It was almost a replica of the first opportunity, except the Costa Rican was further out when he took possession and the outcome must have left Keegan doubly frustrated.

First, the City boss will want to know why Richards was not red-carded for clearly trying to half the popular Blues striker with a tug of the shirt when he was in full flow.

Richards probably only survived because Wanchope kept his feet and staggered into the box where, once again, he struck a timid effort straight at Keller, whose busy afternoon continued when he gathered an Anelka piledriver.

City seemed to run out of ideas after that, with late substitute Robbie Fowler also failing to break their duck with two half chances.

In stoppage time, there was even a half chance for Spurs, although if Robbie Keane had converted his overhead kick, talk of a City curse at their new home really would have gathered momentum.