Manchester City vs Tottenham Review
Manchester City’s impressive 52-game unbeaten streak at the Etihad Stadium came to a sudden halt with a disappointing 4-0 loss to Tottenham in the Premier League. This defeat, along with previous losses to Bournemouth and Brighton, has resulted in a career-worst four consecutive defeats for Pep Guardiola. City began the match on a positive note against Spurs, who were also eager to bounce back after a surprising 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Ipswich. Guglielmo Vicario made a crucial save with his foot to stop Erling Haaland, but shortly after, Tottenham took the lead when James Maddison, celebrating his birthday, skillfully volleyed in Dejan Kulusevski’s excellent pass.
Having now fallen behind in five of their six home league matches this season, City found themselves in familiar territory. However, a second goal from the visitors just seven minutes later raised concerns. Ederson had managed to tip Son Heung-min’s shot away from the top corner moments earlier, but he was powerless to stop Maddison from scoring his second after a clever one-two with Son Heung-min. The hosts came close to scoring several times in the first half, but Tottenham’s makeshift center-back duo of Radu Drăgușin and Ben Davies largely kept City at bay.
Remarkably, things worsened for City shortly after the second half began, as the Premier League’s top scorers added a third goal, leaving the hosts with a significant challenge ahead. Pedro Porro demonstrated why he is a fan favorite at Spurs by finishing Dominic Solanke’s cut-back with precision. In search of a spark to ignite a comeback, the home team hit the crossbar with a bending shot from Haaland, and Joško Gvardiol’s low effort was blocked by Porro.
After Kulusevski nearly scored a fourth goal on a counterattack, Guardiola made a final attempt to change the game by bringing on Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish. Despite a late push from the home team, where Vicario denied Haaland once again, Spurs managed to score a fourth goal in stoppage time. Substitutes Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson worked together to secure a significant victory that moves Tottenham up to sixth place in the Premier League standings.
This marks an unprecedented fifth consecutive defeat for the reigning Premier League champions, ending their unbeaten home run that had lasted since November 2022. Next, Guardiola’s team faces a crucial match at Anfield, trailing league leaders Liverpool by five points with one extra game played.
