NEW DELHI: Tottenham delivered a crushing 4-0 victory at the Etihad, ending Manchester City‘s impressive 52-game unbeaten home streak on Sunday.
The first half saw James Maddison score twice within seven minutes, followed by Pedro Porro’s goal against his previous club and Brennan Johnson’s finishing touch to complete the victory.
This defeat, City’s first at home from open play since before the 2022 World Cup, leaves them trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by five points. Liverpool have a game remaining against bottom-placed Southampton on Sunday.
The victory provides relief for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou as they advance into the top six positions.
Despite recently extending his contract until 2027, Pep Guardiola faces the challenge of addressing the worst performance streak in his managerial career.
The anticipated revival of the four-time consecutive Premier League champions following Guardiola’s new contract failed to materialise.
Before the match, Rodri displayed his Ballon d’Or trophy to supporters, with his name illuminated across the Etihad pitch.
The Spanish midfielder, aged 28, is sidelined for the remainder of the season due to knee ligament damage sustained in September, and his absence has significantly affected City’s performance.
City began positively with Guglielmo Vicario stopping Erling Haaland’s attempt, followed by another deflected shot from the Norwegian.
The match’s direction shifted dramatically with Tottenham’s first serious offensive move after 13 minutes.
Dejan Kulusevski provided an excellent cross to Maddison, who finished with precision.
Recently excluded from Postecoglou’s starting lineup, Maddison was determined to demonstrate his worth.
Son Heung-min’s creative pass enabled the England player to score his second goal, lifting the ball over the advancing Ederson.
Tottenham’s season has been marked by fluctuating performances.
Following a 2-1 home loss to Ipswich before the international break, which dropped them to 10th position, they have now secured two significant victories in Manchester, including a 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
Ederson made an excellent save to prevent Dominic Solanke from scoring before halftime.
Seven minutes into the second half, Kulusevski’s cross found Solanke, who assisted Porro’s powerful close-range finish.
Haaland nearly scored from an acute angle, hitting the crossbar as City struggled to respond.
The final blow came when Timo Werner outpaced Kyle Walker and crossed for Johnson to score at the far post.
Kevin De Bruyne‘s return as a late substitute after two months offers City some optimism.
However, Guardiola must find quick solutions to maintain their title defence, with a challenging visit to Anfield next, where City haven’t won before spectators since 2003.