Pep Guardiola conceded Manchester Metropolis are in uncharted territory after a 4-0 thrashing by Tottenham inflicted a fifth consecutive defeat on the English champions and ended a 52-game unbeaten dwelling run. James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes earlier than Pedro Porro rubbed salt within the wounds of his former membership and Brennan Johnson accomplished the rout.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Welsh striker #22 Brennan Johnson (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his staff fourth objective. (Photograph by Paul ELLIS / AFP)(AFP)
Metropolis’s first defeat on dwelling soil from open play for the reason that eve of the 2022 World Cup leaves them nonetheless 5 factors adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who play their sport in hand at bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Sunday.
Guardiola has dedicated himself to turning across the poorest run of his managerial profession after extending his contract till 2027 this week.
However hopes his new deal may revitalise a Metropolis facet, which have gained an unprecedented 4 consecutive Premier League titles, proved short-lived.
“In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation,” stated Guardiola, who joined the membership in 2016.
“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.”
Rodri paraded his Ballon d’Or trophy to the house followers earlier than kick-off as his identify was lit up throughout the Etihad pitch by firelight in an ostentatious present of assist for the Spanish midfielder.
The 28-year-old is just not anticipated to play once more this season after struggling knee ligament injury in September and his absence has been on the coronary heart of Metropolis’s demise.
Guardiola’s males did begin strongly as Guglielmo Vicario denied Erling Haaland and the Norwegian had one other shot deflected huge.
However the momentum of the match fully swung on Tottenham’s first critical assault after 13 minutes.
Dejan Kulusevski’s teasing cross picked out Maddison who utilized a cool first-time end.
“In this moment we are fragile defensively,” added Guardiola.
“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.”
Spurs inconsistency
Maddison had been frozen out of Postecoglou’s beginning line-up in latest weeks and was eager to show a degree to his supervisor.
Son Heung-min’s creative cross freed the England worldwide contained in the field and he dinked the ball over the advancing Ederson to double Spurs’ lead.
Inconsistency has been the scourge of Tottenham’s season thus far.
A 2-1 dwelling defeat to Ipswich earlier than the worldwide break noticed Postecoglou’s males slip to tenth within the desk.
However they’ve now twice gained comprehensively in Manchester after a 3-0 win over United at Outdated Trafford.
“It is significant because obviously they’ve got an unbelievable record here at home,” stated Postecoglou.
“We’ve reached these standards before. It’s about now not dropping as we have in certain games.”
Spurs quashed any thought of a comeback seven minutes into the second interval.
The superb Kulusevski crossed for Dominic Solanke and he patiently laid the ball again for Porro to blast dwelling from shut vary.
Haaland clipped the bar from an nearly inconceivable angle as Metropolis laboured to discover a response.
As an alternative, they have been hit with one last sucker punch as Timo Werner eased previous Kyle Walker and crossed for Johnson to faucet dwelling on the far submit.
The one glimmer of hope for Metropolis could be the return of Kevin De Bruyne after a two-month damage absence as a late substitute.
Nevertheless, Guardiola has to seek out options quick if his facet’s title defence is to be maintained into the brand new yr.
A frightening journey to face Liverpool at Anfield is subsequent up within the Premier League, the place Metropolis haven’t gained in entrance of a crowd since 2003.