Tottenham Hotspur secured a stunning 4-0 win against champions Manchester City at the Etihad, inflicting yet more pain on boss Pep Guardiola.
The victory was City’s first home defeat in 52 matches, with the three points catapulting Ange Postecoglou’s side back into the Premier League top-four race.
A reaction needed to be seen after the embarrassing 2-1 defeat at home to newly promoted Ipswich Town before the international break, with yesterday’s performance way better than any supporter could have ever envisaged.
A double from James Maddison, followed by two strikes from former City talent Pedro Porro and a late finish from substitute Brennan Johnson secured three vital points for the Lilywhites.
The meeting in Manchester is evidence that Postecoglou and his side are more than capable of producing stellar displays that many teams in the division wouldn’t be able to contain - but it’s crucial that they build on the performance and start to produce it on a consistent basis.
Spurs’ star performers against City
Birthday boy Maddison grabbed his fourth and fifth goals of the league season during the win, starting the campaign with a point to prove after an injury-hit 2023/24.
The Englishman has already bettered his tally from the previous year, currently sitting as the club’s joint-top league scorer in the opening months of 2024/25.
Maddison won nine of the 12 duels that he contested during the encounter, whilst completing 100% of the dribbles that he attempted and scoring with both of his efforts on target.
Captain Heung-min Son has been on the comeback trail after his recent injury, still yet to recapture his excellent form from last season that saw the South Korean notch 17 goals in all competitions last season.
In the win, the 32-year-old only managed a single effort on goal, losing possession 15 times before being replaced by the goalscorer of the fourth, Johnson.
He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles during the triumph at the Etihad, ultimately failing to play any real part in the unlikely victory.
As a result, one other current Spurs first-team member may have potentially overtaken the fan-favourite in terms of importance under Ange, with the star producing yet another sensational performance last night.
The Spurs player who is more important than Son
Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski has often featured in a more central role for Spurs this season, often partnering Maddison at the heart of the wide during the early stages of the campaign.
However, with Pape Matar Sarr earning a recall for the meeting with Guardiola’s men, the 24-year-old shifted to a more natural right-sided role - one in which he excelled once again.
Kulusevski registered the assist for the opener, playing a peach of a pass into Maddison, who managed to fire home past the helpless Ederson.
He also completed all four of his attempted dribbles, making light work of full-back Josko Gvardiol, who has been one of the most impressive defenders in the division in recent months.
Despite not registering the assist for Porro’s superb strike, he played an influential role in finding Dominic Solanke, who subsequently set the ball into the path of the Spaniard before he fired home.
As a result of his stellar display in Manchester, the Swede was handed a 9/10 match rating by The Express’ Alex Turk - the highest of any player apart from his two-goal teammate.
It’s been an impressive start to the season for Kulusevski, registering two goals and six assists in his first 18 outings in all competitions - offering that attacking threat for Postecoglou in the final third.
He’s become a reliable figure for the Lilywhites, often the go-to man for creativity, potentially making him a star for many years to come in North London and one that can replace Son as the club’s golden boy.