Premier League

Based on both sides’ playing styles, AFC Bournemouth's match against Tottenham Hotspur should provide plenty of entertainment. Matt Furniss of Opta Analyst looks ahead to Thursday's encounter.

Across 26 Premier League matches involving Bournemouth or Spurs this season, there have been 81 goals scored.

With an average of more than three goals per match when these sides play, entertainment is guaranteed. But some of the underlying data might offer even more insight into why this match will be a must-watch.

Thursday night’s meeting may seem like a run-of-the-mill fixture between two sides separated in the table by just two points, but the high-intensity pressing style of both in 2024/25 means it is one to keep a close eye on.

Spurs and Bournemouth like to win the ball in the final third and have done so effectively this season.

This is nothing new for either side since their respective managers, Ange Postecoglou and Andoni Iraola, took over last year, and this season their pressing strategies have continued to be effective.

Heading into Matchweek 14, Spurs have regained possession close to the opposition goal more often than any other side in the Premier League this season.

Their tally of 133 high turnovers – the number of possessions that start in open play and begin 40 metres or less from the opponent’s goal – is a league high. Their per-game average of 10.2 is just below last season's 10.4, where they only trailed league-winners Manchester City's 11.0.

The metric Passes Allowed Per Defensive Action (PPDA) is useful when trying to gauge the pressing intensity of a team.

It tells us the number of opposition passes the pressing team allow before making a defensive action to win the ball back.

The lower a side’s PPDA, the more aggressively they press.

Spurs lead the PPDA ranking in the Premier League in 2024/25, with a league-low 8.6 – that’s a shade lower than last season, when they also topped the league ranking, with 8.8.

Bournemouth, like last season, are among the top seven sides for this metric in the Premier League, 11.2 this season, 10.7 in 2023/24.

Iraola’s side rank fourth in the league for high turnovers across the opening 13 matches, with 114, but no side has tallied more shots from these situations than them with 25 – level with Liverpool.

Spurs themselves rank third in this metric both this season (21) and since the start of last season (91), while they and Bournemouth are two of only six teams in the league to have reached double figures for goals following a high turnover since the start of 2023/24 (Spurs 12, Bournemouth 10).

In short, Spurs are the most adept Premier League team at winning the ball back from opponents in the middle and attacking thirds of the pitch.

Bournemouth aren’t quite as good as Spurs at doing this overall, but make the most out of these situations by turning their turnovers into shots.

Spurs have applied the most pressures to opponents in the final third in the Premier League this season with 911, while Bournemouth are second on 831. Even when they give the ball away, these two sides work hard to win it back within seconds.

Looking at counter pressures, where the team makes a pressure within two seconds of losing the ball, Spurs (801 total, 378 in final third) and Bournemouth (788 in total, 345 in final third) rank first and second coming into this encounter.

Meanwhile, only Man City (40 per cent) have made a higher proportion of their pressures in the final third this season than Spurs (37 per cent).

Assessing the running data for both sides, it’s again Spurs and Bournemouth that lead the way. No teams have made more sprints than Spurs (2,326) or the Cherries (2,186) across the opening 13 Matchweeks of 2024/25.

Meanwhile, only Brighton & Hove Albion (1,457 km) separate Bournemouth (1,459 km) and Spurs (1,453 km) in the top three positions for total distance covered.

More specifically focusing on their off-the-ball running, Spurs players have made the most intense runs to try and receive a pass or create space than any other team, with 2,258. Bournemouth rank third (1,973), behind only Spurs and Liverpool, with 1,984.

Solanke's pressure

Dominic Solanke was a key component in Bournemouth’s high press last season before he made the summer move to Spurs. Of course, his 19 league goals were a major factor in Spurs spending a reported club-record fee on him.

However, his out-of-possession work was also something that Postecoglou knew would strengthen his side. He’s been proved right.

Solanke ranked higher than every other player in the Premier League last season for pressures made (1,242), pressures in the final third (703) and pressures in the final third resulting in a turnover (142).

Overall, last season Spurs made more pressures in the final third (2,935) and pressures in the final third resulting in a turnover (591) than any other team in the division.

On an individual player level, only Solanke was ahead of Son Heung-min in both of those metrics, with 639 and 130 respectively.

So far this season, Solanke once again leads the Premier League rankings for pressures (489) and pressures in the final third (255) and those in the final third that end in a turnover of possession (60).

Solanke has missed three of Spurs' 13 matches through injury or illness, with the image below comparing his pressures across the last two seasons.

Bournemouth may not have found a direct replacement for Solanke’s out-of-possession work, but they’ve become a better collective pressing team.

Only Spurs (156) have had more final third pressures lead to a turnover of possession than Iraola’s side (139) in the Premier League so far.

With four of their players managing 19+ of these, in Marcus Tavernier (26), Evanilson (23), Justin Kluivert (20) and Antoine Semenyo (19), no club has as many players in the top 30 ranking for this metric as Bournemouth do, with four.

Semenyo has been the biggest beneficiary of Bournemouth’s out-of-possession work, attempting 11 of their shots following a high turnover this season, which is two more than any other player in the league heading into Matchweek 14.

Evanilson has also attempted seven in these situations, which is the fourth-most behind Semenyo, Ollie Watkins (nine) and Matheus Cunha (nine).

Expect to see plenty of overlapping runs at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday, too. No player has made more overlaps than Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez (100) before this midweek round of fixtures, while Spurs’ Destiny Udogie (87) ranks second.

Dejan Kulusevski (79) ranks fifth in this metric but stands alone for players that don’t play full-back – Arsenal’s Kai Havertz (52 – 27 fewer than Kulusevski) ranks the next-highest excluding those players.

Spurs got the better of Bournemouth in both Premier League meetings last season, but the Cherries have already enjoyed impressive home wins over Arsenal and Man City in 2024/25.

After their victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, this match gives Bournemouth the chance to secure back-to-back wins in the league for the first time since April.

Spurs haven’t played out the same result in any of their last eight Premier League matches, flitting between wins and defeats across seven Matchweeks before drawing 1-1 at home to Fulham on Sunday.

With the erratic form of both sides coupled with the high-intensity performances by Spurs and Bournemouth, their meeting should be chaotic… in a good way.

Alex Keble looks at how Pep Guardiola could resolve Manchester City's problems following a fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur marks a turning point in Manchester City’s season.

We are in uncharted waters. Not since 1956 has a reigning top-flight champion lost five matches in a row in all competitions. Pep Guardiola has never lost so many consecutively.

Rodri’s absence is, of course, a huge factor, but the problems run deeper than that and with another nine matches to play before the transfer window opens, Guardiola needs to find tactical solutions if he is to save their season.

"We are a bit fragile at the moment," Guardiola admitted after the Spurs loss.

"We have to accept the reality and break it."

With that in mind, here are five tactical changes Guardiola could consider.

"Our game was about control," Guardiola said after the defeat to Spurs, thinking back to better days. “This is not a team created to do box to box 40 times in a game - we are not good at that.”

All five points made here will be in reference to that fundamental Guardiola principle: control.

The idea has always been to slow the match down, move in a rigidly structured shape up the pitch, and suffocate the opposition.

Of late, City are letting matches become “box to box”, losing their grip on contests by failing to counter-press and stop the fast breaks.

Shots faced per match on counter under Guardiola

Season Total 2020/21 0.3 2021/22 0.4 2022/23 0.7 2023/24 0.5 2024/25 1.2

Rodri’s return would probably fix it but that won’t happen for a long time, so Guardiola needs to rethink the No 6 role.

Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic have both been tried here but neither has the legs, the anticipation, nor the tactical experience to snuff out danger.

Manuel Akanji, on the other hand, has all of these instincts and could offer the power and aggression required to wrest back control, although Guardiola hasn’t trusted him in this position since a wild 3-3 draw against Spurs in December 2023.

But if Guardiola was to start Akanji as a No 6, instead of asking him to step out from centre-back when City have the ball, things might be different.

Man City’s problems defending counters aren’t all about personnel.

City’s pressing game has dropped off, particularly when it comes to counter pressing: the name given to swarming the opposition in the seconds after possession is lost.

Man City are top of the charts for pressed sequences with 178 but are bottom of the Premier League for pressures resulting in a turnover (211) and bottom for counter pressures (512).

Interestingly, they are third for counter pressures in the final third (294) but rock bottom, again, for those in the middle third (183), suggesting – unsurprisingly – the issue is about pressing in central midfield.

Where Man City's press ranks 24/25

Total PL rank Pressed sequences 178 1st Pressures resulting in turnover 211 20th Counter pressures 512 20th Counter pressures in final third 294 3rd Counter pressures in middle third 183 20th

The fix here isn’t easy, especially with an ageing squad (nine of the 14 players used against Spurs were 29 or older), but Man City haven’t been a particularly hard-pressing side for a while now, as their PPDA (passes per defensive action which measures the success of their pressing) data shows and it might be time to change that.

Where Man City's PPDA ranks 24/25

PPDA PL rank 2022/23 11.6 7th 2023/24 12.0 9th 2024/25 11.7 7th

Guardiola's teams of old pressed furiously in every third. Returning to that style would help shut down counter-attacks at source, stopping fast breaks before they even begin.

As a knock-on effect, it would increase Man City’s possession and territorial dominance; in other words, their control of proceedings.

We've covered the defensive side of things so far, but the attack needs arguably just as much work, not least because improving the rhythms of their final third play would again help City pin teams back. This would create the sort of dominance that helps keep the ball away from their goal.

One obvious issue is creativity in the wide areas, which arguably reached a new low in the defeat to Spurs.

Guardiola has developed a habit of instructing his wingers to move very far inside in support of Erling Haaland and on Saturday, that meant leaving Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol (circled below) to hold all the width.

It spoke to Guardiola’s keenness to solve a developing concern around where to place his wingers and who to pick; Man City have used three different pairs of wingers across the five defeats and no combination has worked.

Injuries have played a part but City’s wingers have been ineffective this season for tactical reasons, either looking isolated when out wide or crowded out when instructed to sit behind Haaland.

As a consequence, few City goals this season have been created down the wings.

Circle: shot; star: goal; green line: pass; coloured stars: xA value

A potential fix is to go back in time. Guardiola needs to revert to classic out-and-out wingers – and give them the right support from midfield.

At their peak, Man City would score lots of goals via wingers driving to the byline and exchanging passes to create a cut-back opportunity. These have all but disappeared.

Two of Savinho, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish ought to be playing every match and holding the width, with the No 8s - freed by Akanji playing behind - making underlapping runs in support.

Grealish, in particular, can be helpful here. His ability to slow things right down and draw the foul can help keep City in control – there’s that word again – and give Gundogan time to run beyond him and open up the wings.

Speaking of width, Man City need a major rethink at right-back.

Over the last couple of seasons, Guardiola has sold his most creative full-backs and replaced them with central defenders, but after five consecutive defeats, it is time to backtrack.

Fortunately there is no problem on the left. Gvardiol is the team’s second-highest Premier League scorer (three goals), ranks third among Man City players for chances created (18) and ranks first – by a distance – for progressive passes (113).

How Gvardiol's attacking stats rank in Man City squad

Gvardiol - PL 24/25 Total Man City rank Goals 3 2nd Chances created 18 3rd Progressive passes 113 1st

But at right-back, Kyle Walker struggled to make an attacking impact against Spurs despite finding lots of space in the final third, while Rico Lewis is almost exclusively deployed as a central midfielder when starting in that role.

If Guardiola was to normalise the right-back position by playing Lewis in a traditional role, it could help Man City creatively. It would declutter the middle while also providing an aggressive outlet for diagonal switches and aiding the return of classic Pep wingers.

Then again, perhaps creativity on the right – and left - will return automatically as Kevin De Bruyne reaches full fitness.

Should all else fail, there’s an emergency option worth attention.

Haaland is a goal machine but his style of play goes against the grain and it could be argued his static presence is preventing Man City from retaining possession and moving gracefully through the third. Yes, it's preventing control.

He averages just 19.8 touches per match, something we’ve got used to but a figure that remains an extraordinary counterpoint to Guardiola possession.

Maybe a false nine like Phil Foden would, in the short term, help City remember how to play their aesthetic possession game.

It would also force others to raise their performance level and rediscover the attacking patterns mentioned above, because there is something mildly alarming about Haaland’s 12 Premier League goals accounting for 55 per cent of the team’s total.

That reliance becomes a problem when he stops scoring and indeed since late September, Haaland has scored just two goals from an Expected Goals (xG) of 6.0.

Replacing Haaland, for the time being, could also help City’s counter pressing and out-of-possession problems, given that he ranks 27th among Premier League strikers for pressures per 90 (22.3).

It’s the nuclear option, but one that makes sense in the wider context of Man City stripping the layers away and going back to what they used to do best: press hard, suffocate with possession, and take control.

James Maddison ensured it was a 28th birthday to remember on Saturday by scoring twice in Tottenham Hotspur's incredible 4-0 victory at champions Manchester City.

Back in the starting line-up, Maddison put on a midfield masterclass at the Etihad Stadium as Spurs won in Manchester for the second time this season, having triumphed 3-0 at Old Trafford back in September.

Alan Shearer, the Premier League's record goalscorer and Hall of Fame inductee, names Maddison in his Team of the Week alongside team-mates Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski.

Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs)

“Managed to make several fine saves to keep a clean sheet despite playing 60 minutes with a broken ankle. Remarkable!”

Pedro Porro (Spurs)

“Was outstanding at both ends of the pitch and took his goal superbly.”

Mario Lemina (Wolves)

“Starred in his new role at the back, putting in some great tackles and playing an excellent pass to create Wolves’ equaliser at Fulham.”

Max Kilman (West Ham)

"An assured and error-free display from the centre-back, helping West Ham return to winning ways.”

Dejan Kulusevski (Spurs)

"Was different class. Created the opening goal with a brilliant cross and caused havoc among the champions’ defence.”

Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

“A quality midfield display, creating Arsenal’s first goal against Nottingham Forest. His return to fitness is huge for the Gunners.”

James Maddison (Spurs)

“Tucked away his two goals superbly and ran the show against the champions. Looked back to his best.”

Maddison's second goal v Man City

Matheus Cunha (Wolves)

“Simply magnificent. Scored with two sensational finishes and also provided an assist.”

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

“How many times does he rescue Liverpool with his sheer quality! Another two goals to earn a comeback win at Southampton.”

Joao Pedro (Brighton)

“Scored the first goal and assisted the winner. Brighton look a different side when the Brazilian is fit and firing.”

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

“Once again he delivered for the Gunners, with a goal and an assist. He combined effortlessly with Odegaard throughout.”

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a significant blow with the news that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has injured his right ankle.

"We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario has today (Monday 25 November) undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle," a club statement read.

"The 28-year-old suffered the injury during Saturday’s Premier League victory at Manchester City.

"Guglielmo will be assessed by our medical staff to determine when he can return to training."

How big of a blow is it?

Vicario has been ever-present in the Premier League since joining from Serie A side Empoli in the summer of 2023, keeping 10 clean sheets from 50 matches.

His absence will be a big blow as Spurs enter a busy period, with 10 matches across the Premier League, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League from now until the end of the year.

Matches Vicario could miss

Opponent Competition Date Roma (H) Europa League 28/11/24 Fulham (H) Premier League 01/12/24 AFC Bournemouth (A) Premier League 05/12/24 Chelsea (H) Premier League 08/12/24 Rangers (A) Europa League 12/12/24 Southampton (A) Premier League 15/12/24 Man Utd (H) EFL Cup 19/12/24 Liverpool (H) Premier League 22/12/24 Nottingham Forest (A) Premier League 26/12/24 Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) Premier League 29/12/24

Vicario's impact has been telling, with only five goalkeepers preventing more goals since his debut in 2023/24, six 'keepers keeping more clean sheets and only Manchester City's Ederson producing more accurate passes.

Vicario's stats since his debut

Statistic Total Matches played 50 Clean sheets 10 Saves 139 Save percentage 64.9% Goals conceded (ex. own goals) 71 Expected goals on target conceded 76.5 Goals prevented -5.5 Passes 1,763 Passing accuracy 85.3%

Who could replace Vicario?

Fraser Forster could be Vicario's likeliest replacement.

The 36-year-old has played three times across all competitions this season - a 2-1 win at Coventry City in the EFL Cup, a 1-0 success against AZ Alkmaar and a 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray in the Europe League.

Forster last played in the Premier League on 28 May 2023, a 4-1 win at Leeds United.

Back-up goalkeeper to Forster will be Brandon Austin or Alfie Whiteman.

Austin, 25, joined Spurs in 2015 and has made 79 appearances across various youth sides.

See: Who is Brandon Austin?

Whiteman, 26, also joined the club in 2015 and in addition to his youth appearances, made a senior appearance against Ludogorets in the Europa League on 26 November 2020.

It was meant to be a day of celebration but as Storm Bert made its way through England, Tottenham Hotspur blew away Manchester City's hopes and ambitions by beating them 4-0 - their heaviest Premier League defeat in SEVEN years.

The shock result also ended the champions' 35-match unbeaten run at home in the competition.

Ahead of kick-off, the Etihad Stadium celebrated the Ballon d’Or being awarded to Rodri, with fireworks and the floodlights dimmed as their injured Spanish midfielder and his trophy were paraded.

The pre-match mood of optimism was further enhanced by this week's announcement of Pep Guardiola's new contract, ending speculation that he might leave in the summer, something he admitted he had considered.

He said the club’s four-match losing run was a spur for him to stay on and turn around their fortunes. But that job just became bigger, as Spurs stunned the home crowd.

Ange Postecoglou's side went 2-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes, through James Maddison's brilliant brace, before doubling their advantage in the second half with goals from Pedro Porro and finally, in stoppage time, Brennan Johnson.

The result means that Liverpool can extend their lead over City to eight points if they beat 20th-placed Southampton tomorrow.

And it could then get even worse for Guardiola's men - if they lose their next Premier League match, at Anfield on 1 December, the champions could be 11 points behind their opponents.

Man City's next five fixtures

What Guardiola said

"In this moment we are fragile defensively. We started really well as normal but we could not score and then after that we conceded. After that, we conceded some more which is difficult for our emotions right now.

"In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation. Now we have to live it and break it by winning the next games, especially the next one. Now we see things in one way, maybe in a few weeks we will see it differently.

"Of course [the players are struggling]. We are happy when we win and concerned when we don't win. It's normal. There would be a problem if they were not worried or I am not worried.

"We are not used to 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.

"The fire is when you win a lot of games, which is better than when you are losing, but we accept this. We have to move forward and break it and try.

"Yeah, in terms of Liverpool winning and winning, it’s true [that defeat at Anfield would end Man City's title hopes]. We’re not thinking about winning or losing [the title]. We are not in the situation to think about what is going to happen at the end of the season."

Stats behind Saturday's shock scoreline

Man City are the first reigning English top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956.

City have lost five consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since April 2006 under Stuart Pearce, and three in a row in the Premier League for the first time since March 2016 when Manuel Pellegrini was their manager.

This was City’s heaviest home defeat in any competition since February 2003 (1-5 v Arsenal at Maine Road).

City were three games away from achieving the third-longest unbeaten home run in Premier League history, behind only Chelsea's 86 matches between March 2004 and October 2008, and Liverpool's 68 from May 2017 to January 2021.

It was City's first defeat at the Etihad Stadium since they lost to Brentford in the Premier League in November 2022, ending their longest ever unbeaten run at home in all competitions (52 games).

City had 23 shots in this game to no avail, their most in a Premier League game they failed to score in since a 2-0 loss to Man Utd in March 2021 (also 23 shots).

This was just the third time a team has won away against the reigning Premier League champions by 4+ goals, with Spurs responsible for two of those (also Man Utd 1-6 Man City in 2011, Leicester City 1-6 Spurs in 2017).

Spurs are Guardiola's nemesis. Including seven in the Premier League, they have inflicted nine defeats on Pep in all competitions, more than any other opponent. Liverpool, who City face next, have beaten him eight times so far.

Guardiola lost a home game by four goals for just the second time in his managerial career - at Bayern Munich, he lost 0-4 against Real Madrid in April 2014.

It is Guardiola's joint-biggest loss as a manager, his fourth defeat by four goals.

Guardiola has conceded 2+ goals in five straight games for the first time as a manager; this 4-0 defeat follows 2-1 losses to Spurs (EFL Cup), Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion, and the 4-1 reverse to Sporting (UEFA Champions League).

When Porro scored for Spurs in the 52nd minute, it was the first time City had been 3-0 down at home in a Premier League game since February 2016 v Leicester, under Pellegrini.

Alex Keble analyses Tottenham Hotspur's sensational 4-0 win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

An extraordinary performance from Tottenham Hotspur condemned Manchester City to their fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions and spoiled the atmosphere on what was supposed to be a celebratory day at the Etihad.

The news of Pep Guardiola’s new two-year contract extension was expected to lift spirits, but by full-time Spurs had become just the latest team to show Man City have taken a step backwards in Rodri’s absence.

It was in central midfield that again City fell short. James Maddison ran the show, and although Erling Haaland had enough chances to change the narrative – seven shots in total for an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 2.15 – the visitors thoroughly deserved their win.

“Since the first season Guardiola arrived I’ve not seen them as bad as this,” was Gary Neville’s take on Sky Sports. It’s hard to argue with that assessment.

Here, Alex Keble analyses how Spurs tactically outclassed Man City.

Maddison takes charge in two different phases

Spurs were brave and aggressive in their attempts to pierce through midfield while Man City were passive in typical Rodri-less fashion: that is the broad overview of how and why Spurs dominated this game.

Nobody exemplified the difference between the two sides more than Maddison, who was magnificent on his return to first-team action - in two different phases of play.

First, his runs from deep challenged the City defence and led to the opening goal, a superb cross from Dejan Kulusevski that rewarded Ange Postecoglou’s decision to move the Swede back out to the right and accommodate Maddison centrally.

Maddison revealed to Sky Sports after the game that he’d told Kulusevski to look for him in those moments, knowing that the City midfielders would not know whether to track his “left half-space” runs.

From a City perspective, it’s hard to imagine Rodri letting Maddison go as Ilkay Gundogan did.

Picking Maddison, a player always likely to make those runs, was an attacking risk from Postecoglou that quickly – and persistently - paid off.

After the opener, before which City had raced out of the blocks and put Spurs under pressure, City began to wane in energy and dropped a little deeper.

This is when Maddison took charge in a second way, coming short to dictate the tempo brilliantly.

It was his crisp passing through the lines that pinned Man City; that caused the hesitation that led to City giving the ball away in their own third and Maddison – again running from deep – scoring the second.

Maddison had 64 touches of the ball and made 45 passes, dictating the tempo centrally and in the final third until City were chasing shadows.

City again lose midfield battle and struggle with Guardiola’s system

The main reason Spurs overwhelmed City for the first hour and stormed into a 3-0 lead was a numerical advantage in the middle of the park.

The sharp (and, again, brave) interplay between Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr, Maddison, and a dropping Dominic Solanke was just too much for Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, two midfielders who lack the defensive clout of a Rodri.

But the difference was also the result of Guardiola’s unusual starting formation.

Rico Lewis began on the right wing in front of Kyle Walker and these two players couldn’t handle Son Heung-min and Destiny Udogie, with Lewis in particular caught between his right-wing responsibilities and the expectation he would slip into central midfield.

Meanwhile Silva and Gundogan pressed sporadically in the middle and, half relying on Lewis, seemed a little unsure of how to play.

But the biggest issue was fielding Phil Foden and Savinho as inside forwards behind Haaland, crowding the middle and leaving Walker and Gvardiol (circled) to hold all the width.

In the first half Walker, with 38 touches, and Gvardiol (39) had the fourth and third-most touches of any player on the pitch, frequently in the final third, frequently unmarked, and frequently harmless.

Guardiola had created a system that meant the only players with space to create were two full-backs.

Worse still, it was this narrow attacking system that led to Spurs’ first goal, when Kulusevski had room to cross because the inverting winger Savinho couldn’t get back in time.

Guardiola’s half-time swap too late

Noticing the above issues, Guardiola made big changes at the break.

Lewis was moved into central midfield, to help shore up the holes that had been appearing and create a more “normal” midfield box, while Savinho was moved into a wide-right position to do more with the space Walker had been finding.

Unfortunately for City, Spurs broke to score a third goal within seven minutes of the second half (thanks, in no small part, to Kulusevski dancing through a Rodri-less midfield) and the new plan fell apart.

The third goal was the signal for Spurs’ change of approach, which meant Guardiola’s tactical switches were counteracting a state of play that no longer existed.

In other words, he reacted too late.

Following the third goal Spurs held 30 per cent possession and had four shots to Man City’s 13: they sat deep, blocked the middle, dug in brilliantly in a compressed 4-5-1 formation, and even countered to add a fourth.

For that, Postecoglou deserves huge credit. His team have been criticised in the past for failing to shut games down and for playing emotionally when calm heads are needed.

That is not what happened here, and again Maddison led by example.

He made two tackles and two blocks in the second period, working tirelessly to help his side keep an unlikely clean sheet.

So, by full-time it wasn’t two phases that Maddison had dominated but three.

He was the standout performer on a perfect night for Spurs, playing in a way that typifies the joyful philosophy behind “Ange-ball”.

“It’s special,” Maddison told Sky Sports after the game. “These are the days you remember. It’s important you enjoy it”.

Tim Sherwood says the stunning 4-0 away win at Man City can be a platform for Spurs winning a trophy under Ange Postecoglou

Manchester City's losing streak stretched to five games as Tottenham Hotspur stunned the Premier League champions with a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

On his 28th birthday, James Maddison scored twice in the first 20 minutes as Ange Postecoglou's visitors caught out their hosts on the counter-attack.

City dominated possession but struggled to find a killer pass, and their hopes of a second-half fightback were dashed when Pedro Porro – who spent three years as a City player between 2019 and 2022 – capped another lightning break.

Erling Haaland clipped the crossbar but that was as close as City came to making it competitive, with Brennan Johnson completing the rout as the worst run of Pep Guardiola's managerial career continued.

Second-placed City could now find themselves eight points adrift of the summit after Liverpool’s trip to Southampton on Sunday, while Spurs climbed to sixth, four points further back.

How the match unfolded

Guglielmo Vicario denied Haaland early on before Maddison stunned the Etihad Stadium in the 13th minute, arriving unmarked at the far post to prod Dejan Kulusevski's cross home.

The birthday boy had his second seven minutes later, intercepting Josko Gvardiol's wayward ball before exchanging passes with Son Heung-min and dinking his finish over Ederson.

Ederson tipped Dominic Solanke's shot over at full stretch as the visitors threatened a third, while Vicario dashed from his line to smother Savinho's lob shortly before half-time.

Seven minutes after the interval, the visitors had further daylight thanks to Porro, who lashed into the top-left corner after being teed up by Solanke on the break.

Haaland then rattled the crossbar after latching upon an error in the Spurs backline, but City were sliced open again in stoppage time.

Timo Werner drove beyond Kyle Walker before teeing up fellow substitute Brennan Johnson for an easy finish.

Rodri-less City struggle once again

Ahead of kick-off, the Etihad Stadium paid tribute to stricken star Rodri with an elaborate ceremony to mark his Ballon d'Or win.

Never has his influence over City's midfield been more obvious. With the Spaniard sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament injury, City have lost five successive matches across all competitions, with their title defence threatening to unravel before the festive season is in full swing.

It is the longest losing run of Guardiola's managerial career, and not been the way he would have wanted to celebrate the contract extension he agreed earlier in the week.

Rodri's ability to snuff out opposition attacks at source and maintain control of the midfield has been central to City's game since he arrived in Manchester five years ago. Without him, the champions struggled to deal with Spurs’ counter.

Porro's goal in particular will have been tough to take. Kulusevski had plenty of space on the left-hand side as he latched onto Son's pass before sweeping the ball out to Solanke. Porro was then unmarked as he stepped onto the striker's cutback to fire home.

City's lack of a like-for-like Rodri replacement will be a point of concern for them ahead of a blockbuster clash with Liverpool at Anfield next.

Scintillating Spurs bounce back

Spurs’ performance here was night and day compared to that of their failed approach in their 2-1 defeat at home to Ipswich Town before the international break.

When allowed space to play on the counter-attack at the Etihad Stadium, they produced some of their most dazzling football under Postecoglou to date.

The individual skills of Spurs' attackers were on full display, from Kulusevski's wonderful delivery for Maddison's opener, to the blistering pace shown by Werner in the build-up to the fourth.

Spurs have earned a reputation as a thorn in City's side in recent years, winning three of four matches against them across 2021/22 and 2022/23, then fighting back to secure a memorable 3-3 draw in this exact fixture last season.

This was surely the most convincing they have ever looked against City, though.

Saturday's result will have provided a much-needed boost for fans, players and the manager alike ahead of tricky fixtures against Fulham, Bournemouth and Chelsea in December.

Club reports

Man City report | Spurs report

Next five PL fixtures

Key facts

Pep Guardiola lost a home game by four goals for just the second time in his managerial career (also 0-4 v Real Madrid in April 2014 with Bayern) with this Manchester City’s heaviest home defeat in any competition since February 2003 (1-5 v Arsenal at Maine Road).

Tottenham Hotspur (1-2 v Ipswich, 3-0 today) are the second team in Premier League history to lose at home to a promoted side in one match, then beat the reigning champions away in the next after Liverpool in December 2000 (0-1 v Ipswich, 1-0 v Man Utd).

Only Wayne Rooney (6) and Jamie Vardy (5) have scored more Premier League goals at the Etihad Stadium as a visiting player than Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison (4), who scored the earliest-ever brace away from home against the reigning Premier League champions (20th minute).

Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol created eight chances from open play today against Tottenham, the most ever on record in a Premier League game by a defender (since 2003-04).

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches by The Football Association (FA) and fined £100,000 for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

The 27-year-old’s domestic suspension will begin on Saturday 23 November when Spurs visit Manchester City, and he will miss six Premier League matches, plus the EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on Thursday 19 December.

An FA statement said: "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."

Spurs' next six PL fixtures

Bentancur will next be available in the Premier League on Boxing Day, when Spurs visit Nottingham Forest.

However, Bentancur will be available in play in the UEFA Europa League, so he can face Roma at home on Thursday 28 November and make the trip to take on Rangers on Thursday 12 December.

The Uruguayan will certainly be missed, having started seven of Spurs' 11 Premier League matches this season and made three appearances as a substitute. He has played 14 times in all competitions.

He also scored their last goal, heading in against Ipswich Town in the 2-1 home defeat on 10 November.

Ipswich Town claimed a shock 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur to end their wait for a first Premier League win of the season.

Sam Szmodics opened the scoring for the visitors with an acrobatic finish just past the half-hour mark before Liam Delap doubled Ipswich’s advantage prior to the interval.

Spurs, who saw a Dominic Solanke goal disallowed for handball early in the second half, were handed a lifeline when Rodrigo Bentancur headed in from a corner to cut the deficit in the 69th minute.

Solanke had a great chance to restore parity in stoppage time, but Arijanet Muric made a fantastic stop as Ipswich held on for a memorable triumph, securing their first win in the Premier League since April 2002.

It is a victory that takes Kieran McKenna’s side up to 17th, while Spurs are 10th, with 16 points from their 11 matches.

How the match unfolded

Ipswich set the tone early on as Szmodics forced a save out of Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario inside two minutes before Cameron Burgess rattled the crossbar from a corner.

And the visitors took a deserved lead in the 31st minute when Jens Cajuste’s cross hit Delap and hung in the air for an unmarked Szmodics to finish with a well-timed overhead kick.

Szmodics played a part in Ipswich’s second as his cross was parried by Vicario and the ball rebounded off Radu Dragusin, and Delap was on hand to prod in his sixth league goal of the season.

Solanke thought he had dragged Spurs back into it in the 49th minute, but his goal was overturned following a VAR review because he had kicked the ball on to his hand while shooting.

Bentancur thumped in a header from Pedro Porro’s corner, but with Muric in sharp form between the sticks, Ipswich held firm to finally get their season up and running.

Tractor Boys get that long overdue win

The pressure was on for Ipswich after fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton all got their first wins of the season in recent weeks.

But Ipswich pulled off one of the shock results of the season so far and will now hope to build on the momentum after the international break, as McKenna enjoyed a happy return to the club where he came through the academy and began his coaching career (below, left) almost a decade ago.

The Ipswich boss was without the services of suspended Kalvin Phillips and brought Axel Tuanzebe and Cajuste into the line-up and he was rewarded when the latter's cross led to his side's opener.

McKenna’s side have now shipped 22 goals following Bentancur’s header, but they defended in numbers late on and restricted their opponents to very few clear chances.

They will next host Manchester United at Portman Road in Ruben Amorim's first match in charge of the Red Devils and will fancy their chances of giving the Portuguese a tough welcome to the Premier League.

Spurs falter, again

Spurs delivered an impressive performance in beating Aston Villa last week, but questions about their consistency have lingered this season.

Indeed, they had fallen behind in their last two home league outings, but fought back to claim 4-1 wins over West Ham United and Villa respectively.

And there was to be no such comeback this time around, as Spurs’ faltering form continued.

They have now lost three fixtures when coming off the back of midweek outings in the UEFA Europa League and Ange Postecoglou’s team just could not get going after defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul on Thursday.

The Spurs head coach had kept his trust in the same 11 that fought back against Villa, but this is a worrying patch of form for Postecoglou, and his team will need to rediscover some consistency if he is to deliver UEFA Champions League football this season.

Club reports

Spurs report | Ipswich report

What the managers said

Kieran Mckenna: "It's a massive, significant moment. A day to cherish in the recent history,” McKenna told Sky Sports.

"The journey the club has been on - the highs and the depths. For the fans to see their club in the Premier League and win in a stadium like this is a massive day. Where the club was two years ago to now competing in the Premier League. A significant landmark."

Next Premier League fixtures

Key facts

Guglielmo Vicario made his 25th home start for Tottenham Hotspur today in the Premier League. Across those 25 starts, Vicario has kept just three clean sheets, the joint-fewest by any Spurs keeper across their first 25 home starts in the competition, along with Ian Walker.

Today’s victory was Ipswich’s first in the Premier League since a 1-0 win vs Middlesborough in April 2002, as well as their first away win in the competition since beating Everton at Goodison Park in February 2002, ending a run of 12 away matches in the competition without a win (D3 L9).

Since the start of last season, Sam Szmodics has scored 31 league goals across his spells with Blackburn Rovers and now Ipswich Town, with only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (39) scoring more than him across England's top four tiers.