Manchester City’s struggles deepened on a dismal evening at the Etihad Stadium, as they suffered a staggering 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, extending their losing streak to five matches. Star of the show was James Maddison, who celebrated his 28th birthday with a remarkable double within the opening 20 minutes, leaving City searching for answers.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, City failed to break down a resolute Spurs defence, and the visitors punished them ruthlessly on the counter-attack. Their hopes of a second-half revival were further frustrated when Pedro Porro, a former City player, struck to compound their woes.
Erling Haaland came close to igniting a City comeback by rattling the crossbar, but it was too little too late as Brennan Johnson put the final nail in the coffin to seal a resounding defeat, marking Pep Guardiola’s heaviest home loss on record.
City now find themselves at risk of falling eight points behind the Premier League leaders, pending Liverpool’s fixture against Southampton on Sunday. Meanwhile, Tottenham climbed to sixth place, just four points behind their rivals.
Spurs took the lead in just the 13th minute with Maddison sneaking in unmarked to tap home a pinpoint cross from Dejan Kulusevski. Maddison struck again in the 20th minute, intercepting a loose pass from City’s Josko Gvardiol before linking up with Son Heung-min and delicately lifting the ball over Ederson.
Before half-time, Ederson was forced into action once more, tipping a Dominic Solanke effort over the bar, while Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal was at his best, denying Savinho just before the break.
City’s misery deepened shortly after the interval when Porro lashed home after a rapid counter, superbly set up by Solanke. Haaland’s close effort that struck the crossbar was a fleeting glimpse of hope that soon evaporated as Spurs struck again in stoppage time, with Timo Werner setting up Johnson for a simple finish.
An emotional tribute was held pre-match for Rodri, who has been a key figure in City’s midfield and was sorely missed due to injury. His absence has been keenly felt, with City now staring down the barrel of their worst start to a season under Guardiola’s reign.
The lack of a reliable replacement for Rodri was glaringly obvious, as Spurs capitalised on the spaces left behind, showcasing their attacking flair that had previously been absent during domestic struggles.
This emphatic victory further cements Spurs’ status as a thorn in City’s side, having now won three of their last four clashes in all competitions. It was the second time in Guardiola’s managerial career that he has suffered a four-goal defeat at home, the previous occasion being a similar fate against Real Madrid in April 2014.
In a shocking statistic, the loss represents City’s heaviest home defeat in any competition since they fell 5-1 to Arsenal back in February 2003.
Moreover, Maddison has solidified himself in the record books, becoming the third-highest scorer at the Etihad Stadium among visiting players, with only Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy surpassing him.