Manchester City 0-4 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 talking points as reigning champions get mauled at home in continued five-game slump
Manchester City's poor run of form became a five-game slump following a 4-0 thumping on their turf at Tottenham Hotspur's hands. The reigning champions have not looked so easy to face in the Pep Guardiola era at the club, and the result is sure to raise talking points across the football world.
Spurs opened the scoring in the 13th minute through James Maddison. Seven minutes later, he doubled his side's lead to signal a bad day for the hosts. Pedro Porro scored the third goal in the 52nd minute before Brennan Johnson wrapped up the scoring in added time.
The reigning champions have lost five consecutive games. The talking points and opinions from the game and situation will vary. So, here are five talking points we noticed from the game.
#5. Rodri silenced the critics with his absence
Manchester City midfielder Rodri received the 2024 Ballon d'Or for his performances last season. While the Spaniard is a worthy winner, many had reservations about him claiming the award.
However, in his absence, the reigning English champions have gone from looking like one of the three best teams in Europe at the worst of times to strugglers. While this is not how he would have preferred to underline his importance and quality, he was missed, particularly today.
#4. Kyle Walker was poor
Kyle Walker has been a stalwart for Manchester City since joining the English champions for a reported €52.7 million in 2017. He has often been vital to the team's defense and offense plans. However, he did not have a good game today.
Walker was disappointing against his former side and looked like a shadow of the defender who helped Pep Guardiola's side to the treble in the 2022-23 campaign. He did not complete a cross or dribble and was destroyed by Tottenham on his side of the pitch in a performance he would hope to forget.
#3. Pep Guardiola's system does not look good
Under different circumstances, suggesting that the Manchester City boss is anything but infallible tactically is akin to heresy. However, the game against Tottenham can genuinely raise questions about the viability of the tactical system deployed.
The English champions still kept most of the ball and completed over 100 more passes than their opponents today. However, they were gutted with surgical precision and regularity that has been familiar given their four other losses. Guardiola must consider heading back to the drawing board and at least tweaking how his team approaches opponents who are willing to let them have possession.
#2. James Maddison is on fire; your defense is terrified!!
While Manchester City's collapse will be the core of many arguments and discussions worldwide, Tottenham's James Maddison must not be ignored. The English playmaker was glorious to behold in the game and delivered the first blows in the mauling at Etihad Stadium.
Maddison scored two brilliant goals, completed 89% of his passes, won the most fouls (5) and won the most duels (9) in a performance that will rightfully live in the annals of Spurs folklore. Take a bow, James Maddison. It was a glorious performance from a gem of a player on the big stage.
#1. Ange Postecoglou is one of the stars of the Premier League
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has had one of the most remarkable journeys in football. He started his managerial career with Brisbane Roar in 2009 when his opponent in the Manchester City dugout was getting his bow at Barcelona with Lionel Messi on the books.
The Australian played brave, intelligent and incisive football to deliver a result that reflected his journey in the game. Postecoglou stands as a reminder that managerial excellence is not exclusive to European football, and his performance today will hopefully open doors for managers from other parts of the world in English football.