Manchester City FC

Manchester City’s 35-match unbeaten Premier League home run was brought to an end with a 4-0 defeat to Spurs.

An first half brace from James Maddison handed the visitors a two-goal advantage at the break which the Blues - despite registering 23 shots, couldn’t recover from.

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Pedro Porro’s strike inside ten minutes of the restart from a Dominic Solanke cutback added a third, before Brennan Johnson tapped home in stoppage time to complete the scoring.

It was a tough day at the office for City, but Rodri’s return to the Etihad ahead of kick-off, with his Ballon d’Or award, was a positive addition to an otherwise frustrating afternoon.

Watch immersive highlights from the day, including warm-ups, Rodri’s presentation and match action, via the Pitcam Highlights above on CITY+.

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It was a tough evening for Pep Guardiola’s men who were looking to bounce back on home soil after the November international break.

The Blues had John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake back from injury, the first two starting and the third coming on at the break while Rodri gave everyone a lift before the game after showcasing his Ballon d’Or trophy on the pitch.

And the Blues began the game strongly with Erling Haaland, Savinho and Phil Foden looking for a fast start but it was Tottenham who showed their clinical side with James Maddison’s brace putting the visitors two-up at the break.

There were further goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson in the second half on a difficult night for the champions.

It’s back to the Etihad on Tuesday for a Champions League clash with Feyenoord before we head to Anfield next Sunday for a Premier League encounter with the leaders.

City’s home loss to Spurs was our first in the league since November 2022.

On the back of four losses prior to the international break, it means the Blues have suffered five defeats in a row and the boss says the immediate focus is restoring some confidence with the Champions League game against Feyenoord to come on Tuesday evening.

“When you lose 0-4 there’s nothing to say except to congratulate Tottenham,” said Guardiola.

“We struggled a little bit to get back the balls. We were not able to win it, to give an extra action afterwards.

“We were quite decent; we created a lot. I would say we are quite fragile right now, that is obvious from the fact that we struggle today to score goals and when they arrive, they scored goals.

“We are playing a little bit in our thoughts, but it’s normal. Football is a sense of mood and when you win a lot it gives you the self-awareness that you can do it.

“And when you lose three in a row in the Premier League, that situation it’s always a little bit there.

“There are many things that are going to happen that we need to do to break the results as much as possible to get more positive and confident.

“At the same time, being here for eight years, I knew that sooner or later we would drop.

“Of course we never expect to lose three Premier League games in a row. In that time we always expected a drop, but we were incredibly consistent.

However, we cannot deny the reality that sometimes in football and sometimes in life it’s here.

“We are not used to losing so many games in a row. That’s happened. We have to do everything to change, especially the next one.

“The exception is the reality we lived for eight years is not determined. Sometimes it happens and sometimes you drop a little bit, it’s happened right now.

“In terms of the way we played, we were good in the first minutes and after the first chance they had in 13 minutes we concede a goal, and the chances were there.

“But then we conceded a transition from Spurs. They are so physical we know it, that’s why we thought to bring a game for the physical condition that we have from many players.

“A lot of midfield players, a lot of control, we cannot make up and downs because they are stronger than us.

“But at the end of the day, I would say that what we have done for many years here, it’s my way, the way I like to play, but now we have a period, you cannot run away.

“You have to face it and break the next game.”

It was an evening to forget for the Blues as a brace by James Maddison in the first half and goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson after the break won it for the visitors.

There was plenty of pre-match positivity with Pep Guardiola signing a new two-year deal earlier this week and Rodrigo showcasing his Ballon d’Or trophy just before kick-off.

And when the game started, City looked intent on keeping that feelgood factor going.

But a double by attacking midfielder Maddison on 13 and 20 minutes shocked the Etihad and put us on the back foot.

Porro made it three for Ange Postecoglou’s side on 52 minutes before Johnson fired home from a pinpoint cross by fellow sub Timo Werner just before the final whistle.

City remain second in the Premier League behind Liverpool, who we face next in the top-flight at Anfield a week on Sunday.

City lost 4-0 at home to Tottenham on Saturday after goals from James Maddison (2), Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson, our third consecutive loss in the Premier League and fifth across all competitions.

Guardiola accepts that we are in a ‘bad moment’ but insists it would be wrong to overanalyse matters after a plethora of success over a prolonged period.

“Sometimes the opponent is good and sometimes you are not good enough in some departments and sometimes it happens,” he said.

“Sometimes you have a bad moment. I would say the mistake would be to think too much about the analysis because all the managers try to analyse what happens. That would be a mistake.

“And the other mistake, after eight years going in that way, change a lot would be a huge mistake. Because it works.

“We didn’t change much. We won four in a row, Premier Leagues, the Champions League, being all the time there and now we’re going to change for one or two defeats?

“You have to go to the simple things, our patterns that we know and I think we believe completely.

“Yes step by step the players will be back and try to get back to winning games. At the end, it doesn’t happen, okay it doesn’t happen.

“Hopefully because I am hugely optimistic in my life, hopefully they can follow me.”

The visitors secured the points after James Maddison’s first-half brace, added to by second-half goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson.

The result means we have now lost five consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since April 2006 and lost a Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium for the first time since November 2022.

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Walker, who captained the team under the floodlights, was disappointed with the heavy defeat and is expecting the team to go back to the basics in an attempt to get back to winning ways.

“I’ve stood here when we won titles so I’ll stand here for defeats too,” said Walker after the game. “This is the most frustrating thing as a defender. I don’t care about scoring goals, I’m not bothered about scoring goals, I’m bothered about clean sheets, and we’re not doing that at the minute. It’s something we need to change.

“You have to go back to the basics and get a clean sheet. Then you have a chance of winning the game. If we concede four goals at home, what do you want our strikers to do? Go and score five?

“As defenders, we need to do a little bit more. We defend as a team and attack as a team. We score goals together and we’ll defend together. It’s not just the back four, five or six, it’s all 11 players on the pitch.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve lost confidence together. I’ve spent eight years with this fantastic group of players and people. We’ve lost confidence as a team because we’ve not won for a long time. We have to remember what we’ve achieved together.

“But what we’ve achieved in the past means nothing, it’s history. What matters is winning the Premier League now. We’re making it harder and harder for ourselves. We have one team above us doing really well. We’ll keep fighting to the end as we always do.

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

The Englishman is looking for a swift response from the team, with Feyenoord upcoming in the Champions League on Tuesday night, before next Sunday’s crunch league clash at Anfield against league-leaders Liverpool, who could be eight points clear by the end of the weekend.

“The best way to turn this round is on Tuesday,” he declared. “We’ll try, we’ll come out and try to get three points.

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“It’s a great game [Liverpool] to turn it around and take three points from the team who sit above you. But we can’t put in a performance like that or we’ll get walked over there.

“We have a Champions League game to prepare for that massive game on Sunday and make sure we can keep within touching distance of Liverpool.”

Little went the Blues’ way with the visitors clinical with their opportunities, while only five of City’s 23 attempts were on target.

James Maddison scored two first-half goals, Pedro Porro added a third early in the second period and Brennan Johnson bagged a fourth in added time as the North London side became the first side to win a league game the Etihad since Brentford two years ago.

What happened

There was plenty of optimism before kick-off with the Club and fans paying tribute to Rodri as the Spaniard was presented to the Etihad.

With Pep Guardiola‘s new two-year contract extension also providing a much-needed fillip, there was almost an air of expectancy as the game began.

Indeed, City started brightly and pinned Spurs back in the opening exchanges.

Savinho coasted past his marker before setting up Erling Haaland who saw his shot deflected wide.

On 11 minutes, Haaland went even closer when he fired a shot that Vicario did well to save with his feet.

Withing two minutes, however, Spurs were ahead with their first attack of the game.

Dejan Kulusevski – so often a thorn in City’s side – won possession on the right and curled in a low cross that found James Maddison in the six-yard box and the former Leicester midfielder lifted the ball over Ederson to give his team the lead.

The Blues were still licking their wounds when Tottenham doubled their advantage on 20 minutes as a combination of Son and Maddison saw the latter score his second of the game with a deft finish from close range.

City hadn’t played badly, but Spurs had been clinical with their finishing, while the Blues had not.

There were more half-chances for City to find a way back into the game but either Vicario or wayward finishing ensured the visitors went in at the break with a two-goal advantage.

Nathan Ake replaced John Stones for the start of the second-half, but within seven minutes of the restart, a sweeping move from Tottenham saw Pedro Porro make it 3-0.

As hard as it was to take, the City fans rallied behind the team. knowing just one goal could spark something special.

Just before the hour-mark, Haaland won possession on the right of the box and fired a fierce shot that skimmed off the top of the crossbar.

To add to the frustration, Spurs players repeatedly went to ground after being challenged, with no action taken.

Sub Brennan Johnson scored a fourth in added time to rub salt in the wounds.

All in all, a disappointing way to end a magnificent run on home soil.

WATCH: Ballon d’Or winner Rodri given a spectacular welcome home

Teams

CITY: Ederson, Walker (C), Stones, (Ake 46), Akanji, Gvardiol, Lewis (Grealish 74), Gundogan, Bernardo, Savinho (De Bruyne 74), Foden, Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Nunes, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee

TOTTENHAM: Vicario, Udogie (Spence 90), Davies, Drăgușin, Porro, Bissouma, Sarr, (Bergvall 90) Son Heung-Min (Johnson 63), Maddison (Werner 89), Kulusevski, Solanke

Subs: Forster, Gray, Hardy, Lankshear, Olusesi

What it means...

City’ remain in second spot in the Premier League, five points adrift of leaders Liverpool who face Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

What’s next?

City return to Champions League action with a home game against Feyenoord on Tuesday, 26 November with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 (UK).

Then it’s off to face Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, 1 December, with a kick-off of 16:00 (UK).

Pep reaction

“We do not expect opponents to not create chances and score goals. We’re in the moment. We started really well, we had chances and after the first time they arrive we concede. Then it’s a bit more difficult to come back.

“Chances were there. The moment they create the chances the build-up, we couldn’t handle the duels like normally. Now we’re struggling a little bit.

“It cannot happen. When you play top level teams we can concede chances but it’s part of process. In our situation it’s a bit tougher.

“I have to see the situation. The players came back late [from internationals]. There were a few reasons we’re not able to be consistent. Now the balance is not in the right moment. But it happened. We have to do it, talk and on Tuesday against Feyenoord have the chance to try.

“Of course Rodri is important but we knew that for many months. But Stones can only play 45 minutes. Jack has been injured many times. Kevin, two months and five months.

“We have to come back and freshen our minds. The season is so long. Many things can happen.

“Before the game I didn’t know what will happen today. So I don’t know what will happen at Anfield. Everyone knows the situation is new for us. We struggled more without the ball. I don’t know how many chances we created. Our game was there.”

Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Bernardo all return to the starting XI, with Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes all making way.

Nathan Ake, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne are all named on the subs’ bench.

Line-ups

CITY: Ederson, Walker (C), Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol, Lewis, Gundogan, Bernardo, Savinho, Foden, Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Ake, Grealish, De Bruyne, Nunes, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Formation & possible tactics

Who gets the midfield anchor role this afternoon will be interesting.

Ilkay Gundogan looks favourite, but Rico Lewis and Bernardo are other options Pep might consider.

The four defenders in front of Ederson should be Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol as full-backs with Stones and Akanji in the centre.

A midfield trio of Lewis, Gundogan and Bernardo looks likely, with Savinho and Phil Foden supporting Erling Haaland up front.

Stopping Tottenham’s rapid and regular counter-attacks won’t be easy, and with some key Spurs defenders missing, it’s likely their best option will be to attack.

You’d imagine there will be goals in this game...

BLUES LOOK FOR ‘MANAGER BOUNCE’?

In football, often when a new manager comes in, the team in question hit some kind of form.

Players eager to impress lift their levels, results improve and in many cases, a feelgood factor kicks in.

Pep Guardiola has faced questions from the media all season regarding his future and whether he would look to extend his current deal.

Thankfully, the boss has penned a two-year extension during the week and. with any uncertainty removed, could City benefit from this fantastic news?

With four losses in succession going into this evening’s game, the feelgood factor around the Club is likely to give our players an additional fillip against Spurs. - one that could be crucial in such a vital game - and with Rodri celebrating his Ballon d’Or success (albeit in the Manchester rain) on the pitch ahead of kick-off, the atmosphere should be electric.

Injuries clearing up?

Though Mateo Kovacic has been ruled out for up to a month, several of our injured stars have been passed for for today’s game.

It’s been many years since the Blues had a list of missing players as long as we had before the international break, so to see several key stars back is a huge boost in itself.

Grealish, Ake, Akanji and Stones are all back today, with others closing in on potential returns.

With so many big games coming up - not least Liverpool next weekend - it’s crucial City get back to winning ways as quickly as possible and to do that, the strongest team available is a must, as well as the option to rest and rotate certain players as and when needed.

Stats & MilestoneS

City have won just three of their last 10 Premier League games against Tottenham (D2 L5) and are looking to win consecutive meetings with them for the first time since April 2019.

Tottenham have scored at least twice in each of their last three Premier League away games against City, winning 3-2 in 2021-22, losing 4-2 in 2022-23 and drawing 3-3 last season.

No team has ever scored multiple goals in four consecutive Premier League visits to the Citizens.

City have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions. It’s Pep Guardiola’s longest losing run in his entire managerial career, while the Blues last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (6 – the fifth game of which was against Tottenham).

Though they’re the only team to have scored in every Premier League game so far this season, City have lost their last two (1-2 vs Bournemouth and Brighton). They last lost three in a row in the competition in February/March 2016, a run which included a home defeat to Tottenham.

Tottenham have won just two of their last 11 Premier League away games (D2 L7), winning just once in five on the road this term. Since the start of this spell in March, no side have lost more Premier League away games than Spurs (7).

As a team, Tottenham have made more off the ball runs into the box than any other side in the Premier League this season (612), with Dominic Solanke having the most among players (138).

Spurs have also had the most shots inside the box of any Premier League side this term (134).

Tottenham have played more passes/crosses into the opposition box than any other side in the Premier League this season (429). There are 10 players in the division to have made 70+, with Spurs having three of those (Pedro Porro 96, James Maddison 77, Dejan Kulusevski 72).

Under Pep Guardiola (since 2016-17), City have lost more Premier League games (6) and conceded more Premier League goals (22) against Tottenham Hotspur than they have vs any other opponent.

No player has had more shots without scoring in the Premier League this season than Man

City’s Bernardo Silva (17), while teammate Savinho has accumulated the highest xG of any player without a goal so far (1.7).

No player has created more chances either overall (30) or from open play (25) in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski

City go into the game second in the Premier League but on the back of four successive away defeats in three competitions.

The striker says we need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible, starting with the visit of Spurs to the Etihad Stadium at 17:30 (UK).

“It’s an important game,” Haaland said. “It’s a tough game – they always are against Tottenham but it’s also always nice games against them and I’m looking forward to it.

“We have to be ready and perform at our best – better than we have been doing in our last games.

“We have to start winning games – it’s what Manchester City is about. Let’s attack.”

Before the international break, Pep Guardiola was without many of his key players through injury.

While Rodri and Oscar Bobb are long-term absentees, the boss hopes to potentially have some players returning against Tottenham.

Despite the recent run of results, Haaland said the players are still very positive with so much left to play for.

“It’s been okay [this season] – it hasn’t been perfect, and we can always do better,” he said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs.

“We started really well then, we had some problems. It’s been good and it’s been bad – it’s been both.

“We look ahead, focus on what’s next and try to do our best in the next games – we have to attack the games.

“Of course, we’ve been suffering with a lot of injuries but in the end no matter who plays you have to do your best for the team and the club – that’s what matters.

“We try to get through it together. The mood is good – people are happy, I’m happy. I’m trying to enjoy every single day and to spread positivity.”

As well as Rodri visiting the stadium to share his Ballon d’Or success with the fans, it will be the first game since Guardiola signed his new contract.

Haaland says the boss is always finding ways to help him to improve and challenging him to get even better.

“The small details – to be more focused on the pitch and to be even more ready,” the No.9 said about the advice he’s received.

“Pep really cares about the team, and I’ve been learning from him how to be a better team player and perform better as a team.

“He demands at lot, he’s intense but I like it. He’s really direct and honest – he tells you the truth. He wants to develop me more and more and I like his vibes.

“He’s a good person and I’m happy working with him.”

Last season, the sides played out an enthralling 3-3 draw in Manchester as another exciting chapter was written in this colourful fixture.

There was, of course, (ultimately) a heart-breaking 4-3 win for Pep Guardiola’s side in the Champions League in 2019 as we exited the competition on away goals with the score 4-4 on aggregate.

That was made even more painful after Raheem Sterling’s late strike was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.

Since then, though, we’ve only lost one of the following six meetings with the north Londoners at the Etihad – winning three of those assignments.

The Blues next host Ange Postecoglou’s side on Saturday 23 November at 17:30 (UK) – looking to bounce back from our narrow defeat to Brighton before the international break.