Tottenham Thrashes Man City 4-0: Guardiola Faces Unprecedented Crisis with Fifth Consecutive Loss

Tottenham Hotspur stunned Manchester City 4-0 in an amazing Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, therefore marking City's sixth successive loss overall. With two goals in rapid succession (13', 20%), James Maddison showed precision finishing opening the score. Early in the second half Pedro Porro extended the advantage with a powerful shot (52%), and Brennan Johnson rounded off an unforgettable night with a late goal in stoppage time (90+3'). City struggled throughout this season, unable to capitalise even if they controlled possession and efforts. 

Man City routed 4-0 by Tottenham in fifth-straight defeat as crisis deepens for Pep Guardiola

It started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City. It ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion conceding four goals and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions as it faces a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel.

A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more, and with manager Pep Guardiola questioning whether he could get its title challenge back on track.

“I would say when you lose three Premier League (games) in a row, the wrong thing to say is we are going to be champion,” Guardiola said. “But the reality is here, we have to do it guys. We have to break (the run), start to win games.”

Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd, which had been treated to a light show before kickoff to mark midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or award for the best soccer player in the world.

With Guardiola also having signed a two-year contract extension this week, there was double reason to celebrate. But City’s latest loss highlighted onfield problems that he is struggling to stop. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime and substitute Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time.
Defeat extended what was already Guardiola’s worst losing streak in a glittering coaching career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

It also handed Liverpool a perfect opportunity to tighten its grip on the title race when it plays last-place Southampton on Sunday. City plays Liverpool at Anfield next weekend.

Rivals are also closing in on second-place City, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all winning on Saturday to move within a point of Guardiola’s team.

“If in the end we don’t win (the title) it’s because we don’t deserve it,” Guardiola said. “We won it in the past because we deserved it.”

Losing streak

After losses to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton, City was looking to get the season back on track with a win that would have closed the gap to Liverpool to two points.

But a flying start from Spurs soon put the home team on course for another loss as Maddison volleyed in from close range in the 13th minute and produced a delicate finish to lift the ball over Ederson for his second in the 20th.

Porro blasted in a third after a swift counter in the 52nd and Johnson completed City’s misery with Guardiola admitting his players were “fragile” after the latest loss.

(AP)