By Pedro Ayobami
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Manchester City’s dismal run of form continued as they suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium. This loss marked City’s fifth consecutive defeat, a streak that has left them reeling. The English champions’ 52-game unbeaten home run, which dated back to the eve of the 2022 World Cup, was brought to an abrupt end by a resurgent Tottenham side.
James Maddison was the architect of City’s downfall, scoring twice in seven first-half minutes to leave the hosts reeling. Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson added to the tally in the second half, compounding City’s misery. The defeat leaves City five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who play their game in hand at bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Sunday.
Tottenham’s victory eased the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou, who has been under fire in recent weeks. The win propelled Spurs into the top six, a welcome boost to their flagging season. City boss Pep Guardiola, who extended his contract till 2027 earlier this week, has committed himself to turning around the poorest run of his managerial career.
Despite a strong start, City’s momentum was completely swung by Tottenham’s first serious attack after 13 minutes. Dejan Kulusevski’s teasing cross picked out Maddison, who applied a cool first-time finish to give Spurs the lead. Maddison doubled Spurs’ lead with a dinked finish over the advancing Ederson, leaving City reeling.
The second half brought no respite for City as Porro blasted home from close range after excellent work from Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke. Haaland clipped the bar from an almost impossible angle as City laboured to find a response. Instead, they were hit with one final sucker punch as Timo Werner eased past Kyle Walker and crossed for Johnson to tap home at the far post.
The one glimmer of hope for City may be the return of Kevin De Bruyne after a two-month injury absence as a late substitute. However, Guardiola has to find solutions fast if his side’s title defence is to be maintained into the new year. A daunting trip to face Liverpool at Anfield is next up in the Premier League, where City have not won in front of a crowd since 2003.
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