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Pep Guardiola said hopes of a fifth successive Premier League title will be over if Manchester City lose at Liverpool next week after his “fragile” side suffered a fifth defeat in a row.

City were comprehensively beaten by Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium, with James Maddison scoring twice before Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson added more goals.

City became the first reigning champions to lose five games in a row since Chelsea in 1956 and Guardiola’s team could fall 11 points behind Liverpool if they are beaten at Anfield next Sunday.

In the event of a defeat, Guardiola insisted the main objective of the season would be securing a Champions League place, rather than looking at the title.

“When you lose 4-0 you can only congratulate Tottenham. We are a bit fragile right now, we struggled to score goals in this game and we are playing a bit in our thoughts with negativity. We lost three games in the row in the Premier League but we have to break these results,” the City manager said.

“We are not used to doing this situation but life is like this. Sometimes it happens and we have to accept it. It is what it is now and we will stand up and do it.”

Walker backs champions to bounce back

When asked whether an 11-point deficit would be too much to make up to win the title, he added: “Yes. In terms of Liverpool winning, winning, winning.

“We have to think about the next game rather than the end of the season. We won it in the past because we deserved it, now we have to step-by-step get better and first of [all] qualification for the Champions League.”

City had John Stones come off at half-time in discomfort, having returned to the team after missing international duty. Kyle Walker, who captained the team, said the players have the ability to return to winning ways.

“It’s hard to stand here and speak about it when I haven’t properly digested it yet. I’ve stood here when we won titles so I’ll stand here for defeats too,” he said.

“Hopefully the mojo comes back and we see the normal City from the past eight seasons. Your powers don’t just go. We know our qualities and weaknesses. You get a win, you get your confidence and we’re back to how we used to feel.”

“I wouldn’t say we’ve lost confidence together. I’ve spent eight years with this group. You lose confidence as a team but we have to remember what we’ve achieved together. What we’ve achieved in the past means nothing, it’s history. We have one team above us doing really well. We’ll keep fighting to the end as we always do.”

Spurs’ win came after questions were asked of manager Ange Postecoglou following the defeat by Ipswich Town before the international break.

Postecoglou: ‘We got back to our core beliefs’

“Look, you don’t come to a place like this expecting it is going to be as convincing as it was for us,” said the Spurs manager. “City test you in every football way possible, you have to do a bit of everything – defend, work hard, be disciplined and play football and in all four areas we got to a really strong level.

“After a really disappointing game last game we got back to our core beliefs. Credit to the lads, they were outstanding. We had to weather a storm and then grew into a game. [I’m] so pleased for the players, trying to play the way we want to. It furthers our progression.

“You have to be [clinical]. They won’t give you too many opportunities. There was a calmness and maturity about how we handled the ball. Against City you can get spooked and don’t want to play against them. But you have to play.

“They test you in every way – mentally, physically, tactically. Our flat spots have been really flat and something we need to eradicate. We’re a much better team this year than last year. We just need to find consistency.”

For a man who likes to be the “main man” at family roast dinners, it has been a quiet time for James Maddison recently. Hooked at half-time last month and on the bench more often than not since, he would have been on it again at the Etihad Stadium were Rodrigo Bentancur not banned for a racial slur aimed at his own captain.

However, like at the Toby Carvery, he cannot be starved of the limelight for too long, such is Maddison’s character. On his 28th birthday, he was centre stage in Tottenham’s stunning win at Manchester City with his two first-half goals; blows which the Premier League champions never recovered from.

It has been a long two weeks for Maddison during an international break when he was not called upon by Lee Carsley. The England interim manager had nine pull-outs when it seemed players were more interested in rest than Nations League promotion, yet Maddison was left waiting for the call.

Perhaps being overlooked for England played a part in his performance against City. He was fired up, energetic to the point of being manic in central midfield, before showing calmness when chances were presented to him in the penalty area. One crisp volley from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross, then a chipped finish when Son Heung-min sent him through.

Spurs fans chanted his name

“That’s a birthday I’ll look back on quite fondly. To come here to the champions and perform like that and get the result. You have to cherish these ones, they don’t come around often,” Maddison said afterwards.

“I thought we were brilliant. It was everything we wanted to show of a top Spurs team. We were clinical, we had cutting edge, we pressed at times. We weathered the storm, had grit and determination and scored four brilliant goals.”

Spurs fans chanted his name when he was subbed off late for a breather. They had been treated to his trademark darts celebration after he hit the bullseye with his first strike. He then joined in with a Mario Kart celebration for his team’s third, by Pedro Porro, in a nod to the computer game that he and team-mates play.

“He was outstanding. You have to be against City, and Madders was great,” said Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou. “He’s gone through a lean spell but I never doubted his ability. I thought the kind of game we were expecting would suit him.

“I thought we’d need his ability to keep the ball in tight midfield areas. I take it personally on myself if players aren’t reaching their level, that’s on me to get him back up there. If I’m not getting the maximum out of players it is self-reflection on me to what I can do.”

Maddison’s famous roast-dinner quote actually came while on England duty, at the start of last season after he had forced his way back into Gareth Southgate’s plans having spent four years out of the picture.

Southgate starting him appeared to be a positive sign but he was not included in the final Euro 2024 squad and this season has been inconsistent, which Postecoglou says is a reflection of his team as much as the player.

‘I feel good, I never doubted myself’

It was against West Ham when he was taken off at half-time, which is a blow to the pride of any player. He was on the bench for Spurs’ previous two Premier League games and then watched the likes of Morgan Rogers overtake him in battle for England places. Maddison will be hoping Thomas Tuchel was watching his performance at City.

“He didn’t go away on international duty, the coaches worked really hard with him and I sensed he was ready for a big game,” added Postecoglou. “It wasn’t just his goals, he was really important in the build-up and defensively worked hard. I still think he has had a decent season but we want to be more than that. He hasn’t lowered his ambition or level of the player he wants to be.”

Maddison’s position helped against City. He was fairly deep in midfield, adding support to Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr but also breaking forward. As a child he was brought up on a diet of Paul Gascoigne clips on YouTube, fed to him by his father Gary. In that No 8 role he was involved in all parts of the game.

There is also that Gazza-like showmanship that Maddison embraces, quick to give it back to taunting fans or celebrate as he did at the Etihad.

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Ange Postecoglou has accepted that Tottenham Hotspur are starting a run of games that could make-or-break their season – and his own future as head coach.

Tottenham start a run of nine games in 30 days against Manchester City on Saturday night, a period during which they also play Chelsea, Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and Liverpool before Christmas, as well as Europa League games against Roma and Rangers.

Postecoglou’s team are 10th in the Premier League table and could drop into the bottom half if they lose to City. But they also start the weekend just three points behind third-placed Chelsea.

Tottenham will be missing centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero on Saturday, with Rodrigo Bentancur starting his suspension despite Spurs appealing the length of his seven-game ban for racism.

“Certainly for us I think it’s a significant period because I think you look at those games and we’ve got the league where we’ve got to improve our position and a couple of important European fixtures that can set us up for the back half of the year. Also, a Carabao Cup quarter-final,” said Postecoglou.

“At the end of that period, we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year, so for us it is an important period. You know there’s no more international breaks, so the full focus is here, so you can build some momentum through that, or if things don’t go well you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. So, for us, it’s going to be a really pivotal part of the season.”

Tottenham lost at home to Ipswich Town before the international break and Postecoglou added: “Obviously the table reflects where we’re at. Of course. If we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different wouldn’t it?

“I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result, I’m sorry. I take a wider perspective on these things because I know how fickle it can be. But we need to address our position for sure. And if we’re 10th at Christmas, yeah it won’t be great, for sure. Rightly so, there’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me which is fair enough but that’s not where I plan for us to be.”

‘It could have been a whole lot worse’

Saturday’s trip to City will be Postecoglou’s 50th league game in charge of Tottenham and, asked to assess that period, he said: “You’ve got to look at it in totality of those 50 games, because your question probably would have been framed differently if we’d won the last game – it might have been ‘after 50 games would you expect to be third and still in the Carabao Cup and going well in Europe?’

“So because of one result, we look at it the other way. What I try to do is look at that totality and consider our starting point. And I keep going back to that because I think people forget our starting point. I took over a club that finished eighth. I didn’t take over a club that finished second, third, fourth, fifth. Finished eighth. No European football. Significant player turnover. Significant. Change of playing style.

“Where did I think we’d be after 50 games? God knows. It could have been a whole lot worse. But when you look at it in the current prism of we’re 10th, you’re going ‘it doesn’t look good’ and I understand that, and we have to improve that.

“But over the 50 games I think there’s enough there that shows we are progressing as a team and we are developing into the team we want. The key is the next 50 games, if they can be in totality better than the first 50? First, that means I’m here but second, I think we’ll be in a good space.”

Ange Postecoglou will know that in many of the critical metrics caught by data analysis in the Premier League, his Tottenham Hotspur side are second only to Manchester City – although that may be little consolation ahead of Saturday’s big game.

The pressure is back on Spurs and their manager just over three weeks since they eliminated City from the League Cup. Pep Guardiola’s team might feel it too having lost four in a row, although none of those have been at the Etihad where they remain undefeated in the league for more than two years. By contrast, Spurs went into the international break having lost at home to Ipswich Town, the first Premier League win for that club in more than 22 years.

Yet, if there is a team who could win at the Etihad, form suggests it might just be the volatile Spurs. It would be unusual for Guardiola’s team to lose to a side who play in such a similar fashion, with a high line and an intense determination to go forward, but it would also be in keeping with Spurs’ season. Managing that club is eternally precarious, as Postecoglou’s predecessors discovered, and this feels like another significant evening for the current incumbent.

Had they beaten Ipswich, Spurs would have been in third place – rather than 10th. That they lost says much about the extremes in form and outcome of a team who have outscored every other in the Premier League. They inflicted City’s first defeat of the season, demolished Aston Villa, and yet they also handed Crystal Palace and Ipswich their first league wins of 2024/25.

The data tells a story of a team built very much in the image of City. In many of the metrics that Guardiola would consider important, Spurs are second only to City. The issue for Postecoglou, 59, is that Spurs are already 12 points behind leaders Liverpool and extremely vulnerable to defeat when some of their key figures are off-colour. The seven-game Football Association ban for Rodrigo Bentancur, appeal pending, is one more body-blow.

Absolute commitment to attack

Spurs’ goal difference of +10 is second only to Liverpool. In terms of expected goals difference, excluding penalties, Spurs are on a balance of 0.7, second only to City. Unconvinced? The pattern repeats itself. Spurs are second only to City in terms of pure possession. The same is the case in possession progression-forward from the defensive third: Spurs 69.5 per cent plays City’s 75 per cent. More assist-zone entries for Spurs (12.8 per 90 minutes) than any other team other than City (15.4).

Spurs have scored 23 goals, one more than the nearest contenders City and Brentford, for their relatively meagre return of 16 points. No team aside from City complete more passes in the opposition box or make more attacking passes than Spurs. Even City get passed through more often in their midfield than Spurs.

According to the model devised to measure such things, Spurs press more intensely than anyone, including Guardiola’s champions. They score more goals, and – City aside – they have as much of the ball in the most dangerous areas. They also seem to go to pieces more regularly as they have against Ipswich and Brighton, when they threw away a two-goal lead in the space of 18 minutes.

Those numbers tell one story about the kind of team Spurs are trying to be. Inside the club Postecoglou is a different kind of manager. The coaching is done chiefly by Matt Wells, 36, the club’s former academy coach who previously left to serve as an assistant to Scott Parker at three different clubs before returning to Spurs.

Postecoglou rates Wells highly and gives him some autonomy. Postecoglou leads meetings, makes the big decisions on game plans, and tells his coaches what he wants from sessions. Then he generally observes training, led by Wells.

A distant observer

The Australian’s own interventions are relatively rare although the players might hear more from the manager as the final tactical preparations are made before match day. Postecoglou has a debrief post-session with his coaches. Many others have done the same: from Sir Alex Ferguson to Jurgen Klopp in his later years at Liverpool.

Postecoglou is unusual in the modern era in that he does not go in for a lot of the cosy personal conversations with players that some of his peers favour. He prefers to keep those interactions direct and brief when they do happen. It is certainly not the way of Mauricio Pochettino, for instance, but it has served Postecoglou well and he sees no reason to change.

Postecoglou arrived at Celtic in 2021 without a single fellow traveller on his staff, and the same was the case when he joined Spurs two years later – although that was more a consequence of Celtic’s refusal to release anyone else. At Spurs, Postecoglou’s coaching team includes Nick Montgomery, a Sheffield United stalwart who also played in Australia. Chris Davies was a key figure before he left in the summer to take over Birmingham City.

They have had their triumphs. Moving Dejan Kulusevski into a central position has been a step forward, and he is Spurs’ best player this season. The change at half-time against West Ham on October 19, the introduction of Pape Sarr for James Maddison, gave Spurs the greater impact in midfield and they went on to win 4-1.

Maddison has started just one of the last four games, the defeat by Galatasaray, and Postecoglou and his coaches seem to be managing him into an understudy role – at least before Bentancur’s suspension was announced.

Postecoglou certainly has a sense of humour when it comes to his media obligations – one that only occasionally deserts him. His remarks after the defeat by Brighton, when he said that the performance was so poor his team did not deserve anything from the game, were telling for another reason. Can his sides fight to win games when they are not playing at their very best?

There are the more prosaic issues of managing Spurs. In the summer of last year they sold Harry Kane, their greatest player of the Premier League era, perhaps of all-time, and have shown nothing like the ambition others might have done to replace him.

That was typical of a club run by chairman Daniel Levy, and the trust of the family of absentee former owner Joe Lewis, forced after his recent fraud case in the US to divest himself of the direct control of the parent company, Enic. The same problems seem to repeat themselves.

The greatest burden of all is Spurs’ extraordinary habit of not winning trophies. Even the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United have managed to do so in seasons when they have been a long way from title challengers. Postecoglou certainly made himself a hostage to fortune when he said that he would deliver in his second season, and perhaps he felt it needed that kind of brinkmanship. The League Cup quarter-final against United next month is another great turning point.

Many others with bigger reputations have come away from Spurs cursing the place. While the careers of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and, to a lesser extent, Pochettino, are often the most regularly cited in that respect, another name has crept on to the list. Three years ago Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked after four months at Spurs. It was near-fatal for his career. Yet look at him now. Fifth in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest. Was Nuno the problem? Or might it have been Spurs?

Postecoglou will be well aware of the scale of his task. Not many survive long at Spurs, and it could go either way on Saturday. The numbers say that this rather retiring man, with an absolutism about his style and a tendency to keep his distance from his players, could well be on the right track. But coaxing any modicum of trophy success from Spurs requires rather more than that. So far it has proved elusive in this century to all but one who has tried.

Tottenham plan to appeal the Football Association’s decision to ban Rodrigo Bentancur for seven matches over a racist remark he made about team-mate Son Heung-min.

While Spurs are not appealing the guilty verdict, it is understood that the club will challenge the length of the ban, which exceeded the minimum six games applied by the FA for racist abuse.

Telegraph Sport revealed that the severity of the ban and the process behind the decision shocked Spurs’ rivals, who felt they had been made an example of.

The FA introduced a minimum six-game ban for racist abuse five years ago, but Bentancur was handed an extra match after it was deemed that his comments constituted an “aggravated breach”.

Tottenham’s appeal will be aimed at reducing Bentancur’s ban, although it is unlikely to be reduced below the minimum six-game threshold, despite perceived inconsistencies regarding other cases.

Enzo Fernandez and Rodri escaped FA investigations over comments made while on international duty this summer. Bernardo Silva was given a one-game ban in 2019 for a tweet involving his former Manchester City team-mate Benjamin Mendy. Edison Cavani was banned for three games in 2021 over a social media post in which he used the term “negrito”.

Under FA rules published in 2020, sanctioning guidelines allow regulatory commissions to apply a ban below the minimum six games where an offence is “in writing only or via any communication device” and another specific mitigating factor is present.

The fact Bentancur’s offence came via a spoken interview on YouTube meant that he could not receive a punishment under the six-game ban. But it has been pointed out to Telegraph Sport that the interview was seen by most people after being widely shared on social media, which has prompted questions over whether or not it should be treated differently to the offences of Bernardo and Cavani.

Punishable offence

Bentancur was banned for seven games and fined £100,000 for suggesting in a YouTube interview in Uruguay that Son was indistinguishable in looks from other South Koreans.

Bentancur was being interviewed during a tour of his home when Uruguayan journalist Rafa Cotelo asked: “Well, what about the Korean’s shirt?”

After questioning whether the journalist was asking about “Sonny”, Bentancur then added: “Or one of Sonny’s cousins as they all look more or less the same.”

Following charges in September, a panel found that he had shown “genuine remorse” but he should have “foreseen substantial publicity” in making the abusive joke.

It was further found proven that his comments constituted an “aggravated breach”, as they included a reference to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

There is a belief that Tottenham and Bentancur have been made an example of and that the player’s own apology, together with Son’s backing, has been used against him.

In the written reasons for Bentancur’s ban, it is stated that: “His first apology, drafted without consultation with THFC or any other adviser and posted the day after the film had been brought to his attention, explained it as “just a very bad joke” (although in his statement, he said that “sarcastic” would have been a better word than “joke”). That suggests that the player himself realised what he had said was offensive, and was anxious to correct it as soon as possible. His second apology equally appears to have acknowledged that his remarks had been objectively offensive, which is why he apologised for offence caused.”

It then added: “In these apologies (particularly the first), the player appears to realise and accept that his remarks were objectively insulting and/or abusive and this offensive, and apologise for the offence he has caused to Heung-min Son and those who share his characteristics of nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”

Sources outside Tottenham have expressed surprise to Telegraph Sport that Bentancur’s own attempt at an apology would be effectively used against him, particularly when English is not the first language of the Uruguay international.

Similarly, the fact the written reasons refer to support from Son as further evidence that Bentancur accepted his remarks were insulting has been noted with an element of astonishment.

In the written reasons, it is stated that: “The statements made by Heung-Min Son (see paragraphs13 and 15 above). These again appear to be premised on the player’s remarks having been objectively offensive, and regarded by both Heung-Min Son and the player himself as such.

“For example, Heung-Min Son is reported as saying: “I’ve spoken with Lolo. He made a mistake. He knows this and has apologised.” And: “He knew. He apologised straight afterwards when he had holiday.... We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.”

Son had been keen to try to help Bentancur and wanted to speak up in his defence, saying: “Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.

“When we came back for pre-season, he [Bentancur] felt sorry and he almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.”

Rodrigo Bentancur, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, has been banned for seven matches by the Football Association over a racist remark he made about Son Heung-min.

Bentancur, who has also been fined £100,000, had suggested in a YouTube interview in Uruguay that his Spurs team-mate was indistinguishable in looks from other South Koreans.

Following charges in September a panel found that he had shown “genuine remorse” but he should have “foreseen substantial publicity” in making the abusive joke.

Bentancur was being interviewed during a tour of his home when Uruguayan journalist Rafa Cotelo asked: “Well, what about the Korean’s shirt?”

After questioning whether the journalist was asking about “Sonny”, Bentancur then added: “Or one of Sonny’s cousins as they all look more or less the same.”

Sir Gary Hickinbottom, who led an independent regulatory commission panel, acknowledged Bentancur’s subsequent direct apologies and statements on social media after the interview clip was published. However, Hickinbottom said it remained a straightforward case to impose a seven-match suspension plus £100,000 fine on Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 – acting in “an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute”.

It was further found proven that his comments constituted an “aggravated breach”, as they included a reference to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

Bentancur was also instructed to attend an educational course and the panel chair added: “We consider that sanction, when looked at as a whole, is in all the circumstances reasonable and proportionate to the breach we have found proved.”

The ban for Bentancur is likely to prompt scrutiny of the regulations as the FA was powerless to bring sanctions against Enzo Fernandez after the Chelsea midfielder was accused of singing a racist and transphobic chant following Argentina’s Copa America triumph.

Tottenham’s midfielder had been facing a potential 12-game ban, but Fernandez escaped any FA punishment because the alleged breach took place while he was on international duty.

Bentancur was charged by the FA on Sept 12 over the interview with Cotelo, the host of Canal 10. After footage became public, he expressed immediate remorse.

Son, meanwhile, acknowledged his team-mate “made a mistake”. “He knows this and has apologised,” Son said. “Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.”

He later added: “When we came back for pre-season, he [Bentancur] felt sorry and he almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.”

Tottenham had also added that the club have “been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on this matter”.

“This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives,” the club said. “We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead. We are extremely proud of our diverse, global franchise and playing squads.”

However, the independent regulatory commission panel upheld the charge and Bentancur will sit out Tottenham’s next seven domestic fixtures, but will be able to feature for the club in forthcoming Europa League matches against Roma and Rangers.

An FA spokesperson said: “An independent regulatory commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview. It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

“It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin. Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent regulatory commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.”

Analysis: Why did Enzo Fernandez and Rodri escape bans?

After a summer of discrimination cases against the likes of Fernandez and Rodri, only Bentancur faces an FA ban – because of timing.

The FA had been powerless to go after either the Chelsea or Manchester City midfielder because their cases took place while on international duty.

The Bentancur interview emerged within weeks of those other cases but, as it took place officially “on his own time”, the FA was able to pursue a case against him as “a participant in English football”.

Fifa, instead, launched investigations after France complained over a video of Fernandez allegedly singing a racist and transphobic chant following Argentina’s Copa America triumph. First sung by Argentina fans during the 2022 World Cup, the chant claims that France’s players are “all from Angola” and making crude insults and wild accusations about Kylian Mbappe’s sexuality.

Rodri and Alvaro Morata, meanwhile, were each banned for one Spain match by Uefa for chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” during celebrations in Madrid for the victory against England in the Euro 2024 final.