Spurs Stun Man City 4-0 as Birthday Boy Maddison Stars in Etihad Rout
Guardiola suffers worst-ever losing run as champions crumble without injured Rodri
Tottenham Hotspur delivered a masterclass in counter-attacking football as James Maddison celebrated his 28th birthday with a first-half double in a stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Maddison struck twice in the opening 20 minutes, first arriving unmarked to convert Dejan Kulusevski’s cross before intercepting Josko Gvardiol’s wayward pass and combining with Son Heung-min to chip delicately over Ederson.
Pedro Porro, a former City player, extended the lead seven minutes after the interval with a clinical finish following another swift counter-attack. Substitute Brennan Johnson completed the rout in stoppage time after Timo Werner’s blistering run past Kyle Walker.
The defeat marks the first time in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career that he has lost five consecutive matches across all competitions. City, who remain second in the table, could find themselves eight points behind leaders Liverpool should the Merseysiders win at Southampton on Sunday.
“In this moment we are fragile defensively,” Guardiola admitted post-match. “In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation. Now we have to live it and break it by winning the next games.”
The absence of injured midfielder Rodri was keenly felt by the champions, who dominated possession but struggled to contain Spurs’ rapid transitions. For Ange Postecoglou’s side, the victory lifts them to sixth place and marks their most convincing performance yet against City.
“It’s significant, when you understand the context of who we were playing,” said Postecoglou. “I’m proud of the lads, the football we played, the resilience and discipline we showed. When you play City they test every aspect of your game and we handled that well.”
