City’s long unbeaten run at home ends with shock 4-0 loss to Spurs

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s misery continued with a shock 4-0 Premier League rout by Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, marking the first time in Pep Guardiola’s dazzling managerial career that he has lost five games in a row across all competitions.

James Maddison scored twice in the span of seven first-half minutes, while Pedro Porro netted shortly after the break and Brennan Johnson added a fourth goal deep in added time to end City’s club record run of 52 consecutive home matches unbeaten in all competitions.

City remain second in the table on 23 points but are five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, with the Reds having a game in hand, while Spurs climbed to sixth on 19 points after 12 games.

“In this moment we are fragile defensively,” said Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday. “We started really well as normal but we could not score and then after that we conceded. After that we conceded some more which is difficult for our emotions right now.

“In eight years, we have never lived this kind of situation. Now, we have to live it and break it, winning the next games, especially the next one. Now, we see things in one way; maybe in a few weeks, we see it differently.”

It was City’s most lopsided loss in their history at Etihad, and their three consecutive league losses are also a first during Guardiola’s eight-plus seasons as boss.

“These are rare days, to come to the champions and especially City, considering how they have dominated over the last few years in Europe as well,” Maddison, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday, told Sky Sports. “To come home with four-nil is special, these are the days you remember and I think it’s important we enjoy it.”

Guardiola’s four-time defending champions had 23 shots to Tottenham’s nine and will rue the missed chances, including three in the first half from striker Erling Haaland alone.

But, they were all over the place defensively and paid the price in the 13th minute when Maddison sprinted in to side-foot home a beautiful long cross from Dejan Kulusevksi. Maddison doubled the lead seven minutes later when he chipped the ball over grounded goalkeeper Ederson.

Porro put the match out of reach in the 52nd minute when Dominic Solanke cut back the ball for the Spaniard who unleashed a first-time effort past Ederson, and then substitute Johnson added one more in the 93rd minute.

Timo Werner sprinted down the left past Kyle Walker before sending a low cross across the face of the goal that Johnson slid to knock in, watched by City’s shell-shocked fans.

It was the joint-biggest defeat for Guardiola, who had lost 4-0 three previous times, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and with City, in a 4-0 defeat to Everton in 2017.

City last lost a competitive home game by four-plus goals when Arsenal beat them 5-1 in 2003 at Maine Road.