Tottenham thrashed Manchester City 4-0 to leave Pep Guardiola at risk | Premier League

“Sacked in the morning” was the ecstatic taunt from Tottenham fans aimed at Pep Guardiola as Pedro Porro’s third was tapped in under a classic Mancunian downpour that had subsided by the end of Manchester City’s fifth straight defeat.

The right-back thrived, as Ange Postecoglu’s men did all evening: probing the champions, who, despite Guardiola’s insistence that he is ready to arrest the slide, were oblivious, as illustrated by Brennan Johnson’s added fourth when, for countless times, City fell for quick break.

You have to go back to 2006 for the last time City suffered five reverses in a row. That dreadful run ended after six defeats and don’t bet against Guardiola’s iteration matching this – Feyenoord are here on Tuesday – as his famous tactical brain is running out and he admits to a “fragility”.

Before kick-off, Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph was honoured, the Spaniard presented in front of a large neon sign that spelled out his name in white bulbs. When he was injured against Arsenal in September, his manager vowed to address the key absence from the No.6 role. At the moment, Guardiola is failing.

City had been careless in the previous four defeats and lacked the ruthlessness that cuff foes aside, and they were again. Three of the reverses were 2-1, the others 4-1, so of their total of 41 goals in 17 games in all competitions – 22 in 11 league games – four came in defeats.

This showed how the offense had fallen while being broken 10 times told the story of the defense. To try to make up for the latter, Guardiola brought on John Stones and Manuel Akanji from the loss at Brighton last time out, with Bernardo Silva coming into midfield for Matheus Nunes, who was a replacement alongside the also dropped Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Mateo Kovacic absent. through injury.

But within 13 minutes, Spurs raided this swapped City pack. Dejan Kulusevski, after ambushing Josko Gvardiol down the right, burst onto the pitch and dropped the ball perfectly to James Maddison, whose run capped off with a volley past Ederson.

What followed from Guardiol and for City was just as bad. This time the left-back’s loose pass was collected by Maddison, who found Son Heung-min. The No 10 arched behind his captain to take a rebound for a one-two as sweet as the tank over the diving Ederson, another on his 28th birthday. “I’ll remember this one,” Maddison said.

Guardiol scrunched his face in despair and Guardiola discarded his jacket. Before and after the goals, Erling Haaland’s normal flawless aim was off, no. 9 missed completely or crashed the ball where Guglielmo Vicario or Ben Davies’ legs could deflect it.

City, as in recent form, could not seize the midfield and throttle the visitors. Instead, Tottenham were a flowing white wave, as when the unmarked Dominic Solanke tingled Ederson’s fingertips from midfield, as Son did earlier from the left.

Spurs’ 4-2-1-3 posed City’s tight (and rare) 4-3-3 questions which they struggled to answer, and Guardiola’s midfield trident of Rico Lewis, Ilkay Gündogan and Silva his solution to Kovacic and Rodri was inaccessible.

During a 40-minute team pow-wow while Vicario received treatment, Guardiola was a whirlwind of thigh-slapping and semaphore instructions, but Son was soon back in and only his indecisiveness saved City.

Nathan Aké jogged on for the injured Stones in the second half and Guardiola switched Silva and Savinho to the right, yet he was left scratching his head when Savinho conceded. Next, the 53-year-old looked lost as the rampaging Spurs registered the third. City again broke deep into the opposition half and from here they were skated through as Kulusevski passed to Son down the left, who returned to the Swede.

His cut ball to Solanke had no. 9 behind on the opposite wing, he teed Porro and the defender made no mistake.

The rain that fell all day became a deluge that drenched the devastated Guardiola. The municipality’s response was to investigate. Haaland skimmed the crossbar to turn and Guardiol’s shot was blocked and a later volley skied, and one wondered about Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness when, despite being a substitute, he was not called upon. Once again the counter almost pierced City, only for Ederson’s reflexes to palm away Kulusvski’s effort. Guardiola sent on 74 minutes for De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, who replaced Lewis and Savinho.

But despite rallying, City remained toothless and Spurs deserved a win on the whole to follow up their Carabao Cup triumph. After signing a new two-year deal last week, this was a sour day for Guardiola.