Spurs tear Man City to shreds as Guardiola’s team lurch towards crisis

A government has gone, a new king has been crowned, and England have crammed in two tournament disappointments since Manchester City last lost at home, although after more than two years this time it feels less like a great anomaly.
The wobble has become a slump, and now is lurching towards crisis for Pep Guardiola’s team. Their fifth straight defeat in all competitions was not even close. They have injuries, but they never looked like winning this game once Erling Haaland had missed a fourth-minute chance and Tottenham picked them off expertly with two James Maddison first-half goals supplemented by two more after the break.
City, for their part, looked tired and uncertain. The game was bossed from an attacking point of view by a mesmerising performance from Dejan Kulusevski who seemed to be largely unplayable from the point of view of the City defence. He skipped away from them to help to create the third for Pedro Porro, and from then Guardiola’s players looked hollowed out. There was no intensity to their passing. No bite to their great press. They created chances but were unable to take them.
One assumes that it will change at some point. Important players will come back to form, strong words will be had. Guardiola will have to rethink certain problems. But for all of them this is uncharted territory.
It’s just what we do.Highlights: Man City 0-4 Spurs 🍿 pic.twitter.com/DOmQtJYX9e
Nov 12, 2022, and two Ivan Toney goals in a 2-1 win for Brentford was the last time City lost at the Etihad – and that season ended with the treble. That was an asteroid strike of a home defeat for City, and the last two years have been testament to their consistency. Yet Saturday evening was different. Guardiola stared out from under the rain at the worst run of his epic coaching career. After Feyenoord on Tuesday they play Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday, potentially 11 points adrift of the league leaders by then, and they look wide open.
It was a great evening for Ange Postecoglou, under no little pressure himself, who spoke afterwards about “doubling down on football principles” in the face of the many challenges of playing City away. But he did let slip that it had been taking on City down the wings one-on-one where they hoped to profit and so it proved with Kulusevski and Son Heung-min.
Guardiola admitted to his team’s “fragility”. His players had been drawn into an end-to-end game against a Spurs side that had the physicality for it, Guardiola said. “We are not a team that goes box-to-box 40 times a game,” he added. For now he feels like every other manager trying in vain to explain the reasons for a malfunctioning team when the same problems arise every week. He even said that there were times when he was not sure why his side had won so much, and equally that was the case on this unprecedented run of defeats.
“After eight years,” he said, “to change a lot would be a huge mistake.” He put his faith in his players and all that they had achieved over the past seasons. Most of it seemed to be him trying to normalise what has happened, that events can converge in a certain way. “The exceptionality we lived in eight years is not eternal,” he said. As for the immediate and long-term future, he was “hugely optimistic”.
Even given the towering standards that City set this is pretty remarkable. This was the first time any City team had lost by a margin of four at their Etihad home, 21 years since they moved into the old Commonwealth Games stadium. The last comparable home defeat was 5-1 to Arsenal at Maine Road in February 2003. Not since Chelsea in 1956 have the reigning league champions lost five in a row in all competitions. Stuart Pearce’s City were the last to go on a run this bad in the late stages of the 2005-06 season.
A dismal night for Josko Gvardiol and also Kyle Walker who struggled first against Son and then later the substitute Timo Werner. The little German just outran the great English full-back for whom once no opponent ever looked like too much trouble. Werner created the fourth for another substitute, Brennan Johnson, although long before then the two City full-backs were vulnerable when asked to defend one-on-one.
The question is what Guardiola can change in the short-term. The evening began with the full treatment for Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win, the man himself back at the Etihad for the first time since he was crowned Europe’s best player. There was a light show in his honour and his name spelled out in fireworks no less.
But Rodri is a long way from fitness and in the stand with him were Rúben Dias, Mateo Kovacic, Jérémy Doku and Oscar Bobb. John Stones came off at half-time. Nathan Aké, presumably not yet fit to start, replaced him at half-time.
City have weathered similar problems in the past and come back just as formidable. With their manager newly pledged to staying, perhaps they will again, but the old reliables like Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan looked ineffective. Haaland and Phil Foden could not conjure the game-changing moments. Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne were second-half substitutes when the game was already getting away from City.
“The best way to go through the position is accept the reality,” Guardiola said. “It’s not about you, me, you, the weather or the grass, we have to start winning games. Now you realise how difficult what we have done is.”
Spurs came to Manchester with plenty of problems of their own, Maddison would probably not have started had Rodrigo Bentancur not been hit with an extensive Football Association ban. Their two second-choice centre-halves Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin excelled. Both of them grew in confidence as the game went on as did Spurs after a 15-second booking for Yves Bissouma for an ill-advised challenge on Foden.
For the first goal Gvardiol was out-muscled by Kulusevski, who picked out Maddison’s run. Then Gvardiol gave it away from Manuel Akanji’s pass. Maddison played a ball into Son and then ran past and around his team-mate for the return to score. Dominic Solanke took Kulusevski’s pass to make the third for Porro. The late break created Johnson’s goal. Spurs deserved them all. 
It is what it is. We started really well but then the first time they arrived [in the City area] we conceded. In the moment we are in it is more difficult to come back mentally. We cannot handle the duels like we normally do. We are struggling a bit.
We congratulate Tottenham and look at ourselves, me first. There are a few reasons that we are not able to be consistent at the moment. The balance is not right, but it happens. We have the chance to break it against Feyenoord on Tuesday.
Of course Rodri’s important but it’s not just that. There are a lot of little things [Pep lists a series of injuries]. We have to remember the process that gave us the last eight years. Now we have to come back, refresh our minds and break this run. The season is so long and many things are going to happen.
This situation is new for us. It shows us how hard it is to achieve what we have in the last eight years.
We struggled more without the ball, especially high pressing. With the ball we are more than decent and we created many chances. But in every situation it is not going well at the moment. We have to accept it and move forward.
“We have to look at ourselves, me first” Pep Guardiola reacts to Man City’s defeat to Tottenham 👇 pic.twitter.com/OO7qcpxM47
5 – Manchester City are the first reigning top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/iwhPdDRoFC
It’s a rare day to come to the champions, especially City, and win 4-0. It’s special. These are the days you remember and it’s important we enjoy it. Sometimes as a player you’re always looking to the next game, which it should be, but we need to enjoy this.
I feel really good. It’s really nice when you make the sacrifice of not seeing your wife and kids on your birthday; these are the moments that make it worthwhile.
[On the first goal] I’ve made a few runs like that this season and got the ball but not scored. The quality Kulusevski’s got… I actually said to him before the game, when you get the ball look for that inswinging cross.
[Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp asks him whether he shinned the volley] On my birthday, Jamie, really?!
[On the second goal] Defenders are petrified of Sonny so I thought instead of making the inside run I’m going around him, and then it was just about keeping cool.
I know what the manager expects of his midfielders. City press high and it can be tough to get out, so I thought it would be right to try to help with the build-up. We did lots of tactical work as well of course.
I’m never happy when I don’t play but I’ve been all right. I’ve got a lot of self-belief and if I go through tough spells, I’m able to think, ‘I’ll show you that the team is much better with me in it.’ Not in an arrogant way, but you need that self-belief to get out of a rut. I’m really happy and proud that I bounced back today and showed my leadership.
That’s the real Spurs today. That’s the one we train towards. It had a bit of everything: we pressed high, we defended deep, we got blocks in, we relied on our keeper, we played on the counter, we built up. That’s a good benchmark for us.
At the start of the season that phrase meant five titles in a row, City’s target in 2024-25. They may well still achieve it – only an idiot would write them off – but they are in crisis after losing five games in a row. It’s the first time that has happened in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career.
Spurs have their FOURTH 😳Timo Werner pounces on a loose Jack Grealish pass and finds Brennan Johnson to complete a DEMOLITION of the champions! pic.twitter.com/IFeaRrJxeJ
Liverpool will go eight points clear if they win at Southampton tomorrow. That’s quite a margin, even with 26 games still to play.
That was also City’s first home defeat in 52 games, going back to November 2022. There will inevitably be loads of talk about City’s crisis, but I hope it doesn’t overshadow a stunning performance from Spurs. Whatever happens, we should all be grateful for Ange Postecoglou because his Spurs team make the Premier League infinitely more interesting.
At the final whistle there’s a lovely touch from James Maddison, who picks out a young fan in the crowd and gives him his shirt.
If that isn’t Spurs’ greatest win of the Premier League era, then I don’t know what is. They have taken the champions to the cleaners on an extraordinary night at the Etihad.
James Maddison scored two lovely goals in the first half, and Spurs played with maturity and pragmatism to pick City off in the second half. Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson completed a victory – and a performance – that Spurs fans will talk about forever.
City have lost five games in a row, and they go to Liverpool next weekend.
90+3 min: Man City 0 Spurs 4 (Johnson) City’s humiliation is complete! Timo Werner roasts Kyle Walker – how often does that happen – and slides a devastating low cross that is turned into the net from barely a yard by Brennan Johnson. Amazing.
Akanji is booked for fouling Bergvall. 
Triple substitution for Spurs Timo Werner, Djed Spence and Lucas Bergvall replace Pape Sarr, Destiny Udogie and James Maddison, who scored two gorgeous goals on his 28th birthday.
Johnson, clearly offside, rounds Ederson and hits the post. The chance came from another outstanding bit of play by Kulusevski. He has developed into a genuinely world-class footballer; in fact he looks like a City player.
Spurs have scored 11 goals on their last four visits to the Etihad, a frankly bonkers statistic.
Grealish’s cross is volleyed over by Bernardo Silva, a tough chance even for somebody with his technical ability.
Fine save by Vicario! De Bruyne plays a beautiful return pass to Haaland, whose shot is superbly kept out to his right by Vicario. That’s his best save so far. The ball runs loose and De Bruyne, trying to shoot, ends up kicking Bissouma instead.
He accuses Bissouma of diving, which leads to a brief bit of aggro with players piling in from all angles. De Bruyne is booked, as is Sarr for his part in the aggro.
Bernardo Silva is booked for tripping Maddison. City’s players look really confused by what is happening to them.
Gundogan hits a fierce shot from a tight angle that is kept out by Vicario. Good positioning.
Double substitution for City Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish replace Rico Lewis and the limping Savinho.
Foden wriggles away from a defender on the edge of the area before mishitting a low that that is comfortably saved by Vicario. That’s City first shot on target since half-time.
This wouldn’t be Pep Guardiola’s biggest home defeat. City lost 5-2 at home to Leicester in 2020-21, when Jamie Vardy had a field day. Many people wrote City off then as well. They’ve won every Premier League title since.
Gvardiol stands up a deep cross that is headed over by Haaland. Not even he could jump high enough to get over the ball and keep it down.
Fine save by Ederson! Another Spurs counter-attack, another big chance. Solanke beats his man and finds Kulusevski in the inside-right channel. He strolls into the area, cuts back onto his left foot and lifts a shot that is pawed away by the falling Ederson.
Gvardiol does well to control Savinho’s cross on the chest but sprays a difficult half-volley over the bar. City look unusually low on confidence; no surprise given the run they’re having.
Spurs substitution Brennan Johnson replaces Son Heung-min, who played a big part in the second and third goals. 
Spurs have famously been 3-0 up against City before and ended up losing – see Jon Macken biography for the full story. But they look in good shape here to inflict City’s first defeat at the Etihad in two years. Brentford were the last team to beat them on their own turf, with Ivan Toney part of their victory before the last World Cup.  
Bernardo Silva’s low cross from the right reaches Gvardigol, whose first-time shot is well blocked by Porro. Vicario probably had it covered but I wouldn’t put the farm on it.
Haaland hits the bar! Haaland nicks the ball off Bissouma on the right side of the area, turns and curls an instant shot that hits the top of the crossbar. That was a fine effort from a very tight angle.
“You’re getting sacked in the morning,” is the chant from the Spurs fans in the corner of the Etihad. Five defeats in a row usually means questions are asked of the manager, but not Pep Guardiola. 
If City aren’t careful this could get even uglier. Apart from the first 10 minutes, they haven’t been at the races.
Pedro Porro was on City’s books from 2019-22 but didn’t play for the first team and spent most of the time out on loan.
Rico Lewis takes out of his frustration on Maddison and is booked.
53 min: Man City 0 Spurs 3 (Pedro Porro) Pedro Porro has made it three!! This is astonishing. It came on the counter-attack, sparked by a beautiful, sinuous run from Kulusevski in the centre of the field. He gave the ball to Son, who returned it with a deft chipped pass that took two defenders out of the game. Kulusevski galloped down the left but then slightly overhit his long cross-cum-pass towards Solanke. No matter: Solanke retrieved the ball beyond the far post and laid it back for Porro to lash past Ederson. My word.
Pedro PORRO! 👊It’s all falling apart for Man City at the Etihad 😲 pic.twitter.com/Ox0eEoo9zJ
We probably all expected City to make a ferocious start to the second half but that hasn’t been the case at all. Spurs are keeping the ball with surprising ease.
Spurs were 2-0 up at Brighton last month and lost, so they’ll be taking precisely bugger all for granted here.
City have made a half-time substitution: Nathan Ake is on for John Stones.
A great performance from Spurs and now a challenge for both managers. Pep Guardiola will be troubled by the performances of his two full-backs Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker. The latter has really struggled with Son Heung-min breaking on him. City have had chances and they could well take one early in the second half and direct the momentum behind them. But they have rarely looked so easy to get through as this. Dejan Kulusevski is the game’s most influential player so far. James Maddison took his goals very well and has responded to Ange Postecoglou’s demand to make more of those runs in behind. Spurs second-choice defenders Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin have been brilliant so far.
Manchester City could be facing a fifty straight defeat after a dramatic first half at the Etihad. They started brilliantly but were stunned by two charming goals from James Maddison, back in the Spurs side on his 28th birthday. City had plenty of the ball after that without rediscovering their early threat. 
One way or another, the second half is going to give us a cracking story.
Kyle Walker loses his rag and shoves Maddison over the touchline. Free-kick to Spurs on the left wing, near the corner flag, but they take it short and end up going back to the goalkeeper.
Three minutes of added time.
Bernardo Silva’s flat cross from the left is volleyed over by acrobatically by Foden, eight yards from goal. That was a pretty good chance as well.
Another dangerous Spurs attack ends with Bissouma curling over from 25 yards. 
Moments later Kulusevski tees up Son, who turns back into trouble instead of shooting first time with his left shot. Son’s chance was a really good one.
Vicario is down, which allows the players on both sides to take a drink.
A poor backheader by Pedro Porro is almost stolen by Savinho. Vicario does his right-back a favour by charging from his line to beat Savinho to the ball.
Savinho pings a decent low drive from the edge of the D. Vicario gets down to his right to make a comfortable save.
City look a bit shell-shocked. A goal would change everything but for now there’s a kind of impotent confusion to City’s attacking play.
Savinho’s stooping header is well saved to his right by Vicario, though the flag went up for offside straight after.
Another chance for Spurs! Son wanders infield and slips a reverse pass to Solanke, who holds off Walker and hits a rising drive from the edge of the area. It’s too straight and Ederson fingertips it over the bar.
Foden shoots across goal and well wide from a tight angle. He does at least look sharp and has taken up some excellent positions. You’d fancy City to score at least one and probably more; the worry for them is that you’d also fancy Spurs to score more.
Two seasons ago City were 2-0 down at home to Spurs and recovered to win 4-2, a victory that reignited their title challenge. They really need something similar here. If they lose this game they could be eight points behind Liverpool by tomorrow night.
Extraordinary stuff at the Etihad. Spurs clearly focussed on putting pressure on Josko Gvardiol who has given up the chances for both goals. James Maddison has scored them both and he may not even have been playing if Rodrigo Bentancur had not been suspended by the FA. That said, City have missed lots of chances – especially Erling Haaland. Defensively, City look very vulnerable.
Chance for Haaland! Gvardiol’s low pass across the area is slammed over the bar by Haaland, who throws his hands in frustration. It wasn’t an easy chance, and he was under pressure, but he’d usually hit the target from there.
20 min: Man City 0 Spurs 2 (Maddison) Happy birthday Jamea Maddison! He has doubled Spurs’ lead with another outstanding goal. It stemmed from a City mistake, with Gvardiol’s pass going straight to Maddison 25 yards from goal, but the rest was sublime. Maddison fed the ball into Son on the edge of the area and kept running. Son reversed an early return pass to Maddison, who controlled it with a velvet touch and dinked the ball gently over Ederson. Maddison had almost no space to work in so both touches had to be perfect; they were.
James Maddison has his and Spurs’ second! 💥Tottenham are off to a flyer against the champions in their own backyard 😳 pic.twitter.com/7JKGkszjWW
Fine save by Ederson! Son cuts inside from the left and strikes a trademark booming curler towards the far top corner. Ederson leaps to his left, strains every sinew and just manages to push the ball around the post. That was a lovely effort from Son.
Spurs are having plenty of the ball now. Solanke is this close to collecting a loose ball and running straight through on goal, but John Stones makes a vital interception.
James Maddison is 28 today, and he’s just given himself the best birthday present of all.
Foden, who has started the game very well in the No10 position, takes a pass on the stretch and pokes a half-volley just over the bar from 15 yards. He had to take it early with Davies coming across. 
13 min: Man City 0 Spurs 1 (Maddison) Spurs take the lead with a superb goal! It’s completely against the run of play but it was beautifully constructed. Kulusevski slipped away from Gvardiol on the right, spotted Maddison pelting it into the box and curled a perfectly weighted cross-cum-pass to find him at the far post. Maddison met it with a cushioned volley from six yards that gave Ederson no chance. The pass, the run and the finish were all exemplary.
Good save by Vicario! Savinho dummies a defender cleverly and pushes the ball across the area to Haaland. He sweeps a first-time shot that is kicked away at the near post by Vicario. That’s a pretty good reaction save.
Spurs have survived the first wave of City attacks. Now they need to find a way to get on the ball and in the game.
Gundogan’s pass over the top just evades Walker, though he looked offside anyway. Spurs can’t get out at the moment.
Chance for Haaland! Gvardiol finds Haaland in all sorts of space on the right side of the area. The ball gets stuck under his feet, and by the time he gets a shot away Davies is able to get across and block. A better first touch would have given Haaland a clear chance.
A really fast start from City. Foden’s fine angled pass finds Gvardiol on the left. His chipped cross is headed back across goal by Haaland and Spurs eventually clear.
The resulting free-kick, taken by Gundogan, hits the unsighted Akanki and goes wide. City have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Phil Foden as the No10, Rico Lewis on the right of midfield and Savinho on the left.
Spurs kick off from right to left as we watch. They lose the ball, Bissouma fouls Foden and is booked after 16 seconds. Oh dear.
They’re not messing around at the Etihad – his name picked out in RODRI fireworks; a full pitch RODRI cover; a full light show as the man himself comes out. I can remember when Michael Owen won his Ballon d’Or in 2001. It was a presentation and a handshake pre-match at Anfield as if he’d just won supporters’ player of the year.
Manchester City (possible 4-3-3) Ederson; Walker, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Lewis, Gundogan; Savinho, Haaland, Foden.
Substitutes: Ortega, Ake, Grealish, De Bruyne, Nunes, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee.
Tottenham Hotspur (possible 4-3-3) Vicario; Pedro Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.
Substitutes: Forster, Gray, Bergvall, Werner, Johnson, Spence, Lankshear, Olusesi, Hardy.
Referee John Brooks.
The Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is pitchside for the warm-up for the first time since his injury as the City players prepare. Chatting with fellow injured City players Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Dias, the latter of whom is wearing a pair of extremely baggy leather trousers and a high-cut cream jacket. The look is very 2024. Not one that just anyone can pull off, but I think he’s managed it.
James Maddison was one of the ones who trained with us during the international break so he’s one of the fresher ones. Brennan [Johnson] will still have a big part to play when he comes on.
By Sam Wallace
Again and again, Manchester City have appealed over the heads of the Premier League executive to speak directly to their fellow 19 clubs as if City themselves were running the competition. The club have rejected the analysis of the league’s in-house lawyers, contradicted the league’s public statements and even offered the services of its own alternative legal hotline.
On Friday morning City eventually got their answer – and for those in the City camp proposing the alternative arrangement it was chastening.
Read more…
You can read all those games with Joel Mians’ live blog…
Both managers make three changes from their league defeats a fortnight ago.
City bring in John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Bernardo Silva for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Mateo Kovacic (injured) and Matheus Nunes. That probably means Rico Lewis will start in midfield.
Spurs include Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison in place of Cristian Romero (injured), Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson.
This evening’s squad! 👊XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol, Lewis, Gundogan, Bernardo, Savinho, Foden, HaalandSUBS | Ortega Moreno, Ake, Grealish, De Bruyne, Nunes, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/S95sZkMv0Q
Team news locked in 🔒🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/wXNTigPc9T
Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live, minute-by-minute coverage of Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. For a team that has lost four games in a row and is facing 115 charges, City will go into the game in remarkably good spirits. There a simple reason for that: Pep Guardiola is staying at the club for at least two more seasons.
The announcement of Guardiola’s new contract felt like a carefully timed two fingers to the rest of the Premier League. “Seventy-five per cent of the clubs want [City to be relegated], because I know what they do behind the scenes and this sort of stuff. But I don’t live with it, I live with the four defeats, what I have to do. There are lawyers on both sides.
“I prefer not to be in that position but once it’s there, I love it. Because when you believe in your club, and the people there. I believe what they say to me and the reasons why.”
There is a different type of pressure on Ange Postecoglou, whose Spurs team continue a disappointing start to the season by losing at home to Ipswich before the international break. “It’s really important we move on pretty quickly,” he said. “I don’t get the sense the lads are down in the dumps in any way. I think there is a determination there to get back to the level we need to be and get consistency around that.
“You are playing City at their place and they have a pretty imposing record there. Those four losses have all been away from home. Irrespective, it is always a great test and a great challenge for us.
“It’s great that Pep has re-signed. It’s fantastic for the Premier League. He keeps setting the standard, which is great for all of us trying to mow him down.”
Kick off 5.30pm.
Legend. pic.twitter.com/gyiEZ9V3jJ
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