ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER — Manchester City's losing streak was extended to five matches as Tottenham hammered the forlorn Premier League champions 4-0, James Maddison starring with a first-half brace.
City were beaten in each of their past two top-flight matches at Bournemouth and Brighton but made a more assured start on home turf as Erling Haaland twice went close during the opening stages.
But Spurs drew first blood as Josko Gvardiol hesitated under a high ball and Dejan Kulusevski sent in a delightful cross from the right for the recalled James Maddison to volley home at the back post.
Maddison doubled his delight and City's misery shortly afterwards. Gvardiol, one of City's better performers this season, was again culpable with a dreadful pass across his own third. Son Heung-min cleverly dummied a shot and tickled through a pass for Maddison to dink home.
City 0-4 Spurs as it happened | Team news and lineups | Where to watch where you are
The earlier celebratory feel, after ACL victim Rodri paraded his Ballon d'Or on the pitch and the City fans saluted Guardiola's latest contract extension, was stripped away and a team low on confidence, goal threat and physicality looked exposed and vulnerable.
It could have been 3-0 before Pedro Porro gleefully slammed past Ederson early in the second half. Tottenham then bettered the margin of victory they enjoyed on the other side of Manchester at Old Trafford when substitutes Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson combined in stoppage time.
Ange Postecolgou's team remain a mystery wrapped in an enigma, but they're up to sixth after bouncing back from a loss to Ipswich Town that feels even more inexplicable. City remain second but could be eight points behind Liverpool by the end of tomorrow before a daunting trip to Anfield next weekend.
Ederson's opposite number Guglielmo Vicario did well to preserve his clean sheet but City never truly threatened the sort of stirring comeback that has become a hallmark under Guardiola. If the new contract marks the start of a new cycle for the Catalan tactician, this vintage of his great side looks very much like it is coming towards the end of one. That impression might be confirmed in the brutal fashion imaginable on Merseyside next weekend.
MORE: All the latest Man City news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
Man City vs. Tottenham score
FulltimeGoal scorersMan City0Tottenham4Maddison 13', 20', Porro, Johnson 90+3'
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Referee: John Brooks
Keep track of every game and every goal via SN's live Premier League scoreboard
Lineups:
Man City (4-3-3, right to left): 31. Ederson (GK) — 2. Kyle Walker, 5. John Stones (6. Nathan Ake), 25. Manuel Akanji, 24. Josko Gvardiol — 82. Rico Lewis (17. Kevin De Bruyne), 19. Ilkay Gundogan, 20. Bernardo Silva — 47. Phil Foden, 9. Erling Haaland, 26. Savinho (10. Jack Grealish)
Tottenham (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Guglielmo Vicario (GK) — 23. Pedro Porro, 6. Radu Dragusin, 33. Ben Davies, 13. Destiny Udogie — 10. James Maddison (16. Timo Werner), 8. Yves Bissouma, 29. Pape Sarr (15. Lucas Bergvall) — 21. Dejan Kulusevski, 19. Dominic Solanke, 7. Son Heung-min (22. Brennan Johnson)
MORE: All the latest Tottenham news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
Man City vs Tottenham stats
Man CityStatTottenham23Shots95Shots on target72.15Expected goals2.5159%Possession41%559Passes4109Corners319Fouls94Yellow cards22Offsides3
Man City vs. Tottenham live updates, highlights, and commentary
Fulltime
It's five defeats in a row for City but you have to go all the way back to Pep Guardiola's first season in charge for the last time his team were hammered to such an extent. Maybe even further back than that. City are a shadow of the team that have won six out of the past seven Premier League titles and Tottenham brutally took them apart. Ange Postecoglou's side were fantastic, James Maddison's brace hopefully kick-starting a fine player who has been in a rut. Liverpool at Anfield up next for City, by which point Arne Slot's men could be eight points clear of them at the top of the table. Welp.
City's misery is complete. Grealish plays a ball towards where he thinks Walker might be. He isn't and the famously pacy defender is left for dirt by Timo Werner. His cross is slid home at the back post by Johnson.
Surely no way back for City now. Tottenham storm forward, they look physically miles ahead of their opponents. The ball for Solanke is overhit but he retrieves it and the on-rushing Porro lashes a fine finish past Ederson.
Kickoff: 2nd Half
City get us back underway. Ake is on for Stones. In the present circumstances for Guardiola's side there's really no way of knowing whether that's tactical or because of an injury. Kevin De Bruyne is warming up and surely we'll see him soon.
Halftime
Pep Guardiola said this week that it was not the right time for him to leave Manchester City. Increasingly that looks like it's because he recognises the rebuilding job his all-conquering side now needs. They're plummeting towards a fifth consecutive defeat after being picked off by a James Maddison brace. City could have scored a couple, but Spurs look good for a couple more against the forlorn champions.
Manchester City's title defence is completely falling apart! Gvardiol is culpable again with a dreadful ball back into traffic inside his own third. Son dummies to shoot but slips a clever ball to Maddison, who dinks home smartly.
Spurs lead at the Etihad again! Kulusevski is second favourite to a ball out to the right but picks Gvardiol's pocket. That's really poor from the City left-back. What isn't poor is Kulusevski's sumptuous left-footed cross that Maddison volleys home at the back post on his return to the starting line-up.
Kickoff: 1st Half
Tottenham get us underway. Gundogan snaps in to win a challenge in midfield to set Foden running at the Spurs defence. Bissouma chops him down to earn a booking inside a minute. That doesn't feel ideal.
Erling Haaland has certainly felt the weight of De Bruyne's absence. During the first four Premier League games of the season that they started together, Haaland scored a ridiculous nine goals including two hat-tricks. In his 11 games since, the two-time Golden Boot winner has amassed a far more mortal tally of six goals.
James Maddison gets a start in the midfield three, meaning a move to the right wing for Dejan Kulusevski. The Sweden star has a superb record against City, with three goals and four assists in seven appearances.
Confused? Well, Bertie Magoo the Bitter Blue was a character created by a Manchester United fanzine to mock their near neighbours, who were much more of a down-on-their-luck team prior to 2008. The term has since been appropriated by City fans, calling their own "Berts". Any act of petty or derisive — ideally both — humour at United's expense can be referred to as "Bertying".
Man City vs. Tottenham kick off time
This Premier League match kicks off in Manchester, UK at 5:30 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
DateKickoff timeUSASat, Nov 2312:30 p.m. ETCanadaSat, Nov 2312:30 p.m. ETUKSat, Nov 235:30 p.m. GMTAustraliaSun, Nov 244:30 a.m. AEDTIndiaSat, Nov 2311:00 p.m. IST
Man City vs. Tottenham lineups, team news
The international break came at the right time for City, and not just because of their dire run of results. The key factor in their malaise has been an injury list that is particularly weighty in the context of Guardiola's preferred small senior squad size. Mateo Kovacic suffering an injury blow during Croatia's draw with Portugal that will keep him out for a month this therefore less than ideal.
Rodri (ACL) and Oscar Bobb (broken leg) remain sidelined, as does Jeremy Doku. John Stones and Manuel Akanji return to a previously injury-hir defence, while Phil Foden is fit to start after sitting out England duty. Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake are all among the substitutes.
Man City (4-3-3, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Walker, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol — Lewis, Gundogan, Silva — Foden, Haaland, Savinho
Injured: Ake, Rodri, Bobb, Dias, Kovacic, Doku
Suspended: None
MORE: All the latest Tottenham news | Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
Tottenham could be without two key defenders. Micky van de Ven is on the mend from the hamstring issue he suffered during the Carabao Cup win over City. Cristian Romero withdrew from Argentina's 1-0 win over Peru and will be assessed.
The attacking picture is a lot rosier for Postecoglou, although he will be without Wilson Odobert and Richarlison due to hamstring injuries and Mikey Moore is laid low following a virus. Rodrigo Bentancur begins a seven-game ban for racist remarks made about team-mate Son Heung-min.
Tottenham (4-3-3, right to left): Vicario (GK) — Porro, Dragusin, Dav ies Udogie — Maddison, Bissouma, Sarr — Kulusevski, Solanke, Son
Injured: Odobert, Van de Ven, Richarlison, Moore, Romero
Suspended: Bentancur
Man City vs. Tottenham live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions: