Tottenham handed Manchester City a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the Etihad on Saturday, ending the Premier League champions’ 52-match unbeaten home run. James Maddison’s brace in the first half, followed by Pedro Porro’s strike and a late goal from Brennan Johnson, sealed the emphatic win for Spurs.
This loss marks City’s fifth consecutive defeat, leaving them five points behind league leaders Liverpool, who face Southampton on Sunday. Tottenham’s victory boosts their hopes, lifting them into the top six and easing pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.
City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, had committed to turning around their poor form after extending his contract until 2027 earlier this week, but hopes of a revival were quickly dashed. City’s first defeat on home turf since the eve of the 2022 World Cup was compounded by the absence of key midfielder Rodri, who has been sidelined with knee ligament damage since September. His absence has been a key factor in City’s recent struggles.
Guardiola’s side started brightly with early chances for Erling Haaland, but the game shifted when Maddison opened the scoring for Spurs in the 13th minute. Dejan Kulusevski’s cross found Maddison, who calmly finished. Maddison, who had been out of the starting line-up recently, doubled Spurs’ lead in the 20th minute, after a clever pass from Son Heung-min set him free in the box.
Tottenham had been inconsistent this season, but the win follows a commanding 3-0 victory at Manchester United earlier in the campaign. They continued to dominate in the second half, with Porro adding a third from close range and Johnson finishing the job with a tap-in following a cross from Timo Werner.
City’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Haaland’s shot hit the bar, and the visitors added a fourth in the final stages. Although Kevin De Bruyne made a brief appearance after two months out, it was too little, too late for City.
Guardiola now faces the challenge of turning around City’s fortunes quickly, starting with a difficult trip to Anfield next, where they haven’t won in front of a crowd since 2003.
