Ruthless Tottenham End Man City’s 52-Game Home Unbeaten Streak

Tottenham deliver a stunning performance, crushing Man City and ending their remarkable 52-game unbeaten home run under Pep Guardiola. 

Manchester City suffered a shocking fifth consecutive defeat, with Tottenham securing a 4-0 victory at the Etihad on Saturday. This result ended the English champions’ impressive 52-game unbeaten streak at home.

James Maddison scored two goals within a seven-minute span in the first half. Then, Pedro Porro added to his former club’s woes, and Brennan Johnson finished off the decisive victory.

City’s initial loss on their home ground from open play since just before the 2022 World Cup keeps them five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Liverpool will play their game in hand against Southampton, who are at the bottom of the table, on Sunday.

Tottenham’s impressive day alleviates the pressure on Ange Postecoglou, propelling them into the top six.

City manager Pep Guardiola has pledged to transform the toughest stretch of his managerial career following his contract extension until 2027 this week.

However, hopes that his new deal could rejuvenate a City team, which has won an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles, were short-lived.

Before kick-off, Rodri showcased his Ballon d’Or trophy to the home fans as his name illuminated the Etihad pitch with firelight in a grand display of support for the Spanish midfielder.

The 28-year-old is unlikely to play for the rest of the season due to knee ligament damage sustained in September, and his absence has been central to City’s decline.

Guardiola’s team began the match with intensity, as Guglielmo Vicario stopped an attempt from Erling Haaland, who also had another shot that was deflected wide.

However, the momentum of the match shifted dramatically during Tottenham’s first significant attack 13 minutes in.

Dejan Kulusevski sent in a tantalizing cross that found Maddison, who calmly slotted it home with a first-time shot.

In recent weeks, Maddison had been excluded from Postecoglou’s starting line-up and was eager to demonstrate his worth to his manager.

Son Heung-min’s creative pass found the England international in the box, who deftly chipped the ball over Ederson, extending Spurs’ lead.

Inconsistency has plagued Tottenham’s season up to this point.

A 2-1 loss at home to Ipswich before the international break caused Postecoglou’s team to drop to 10th place in the standings.

However, they have now secured two comprehensive victories in Manchester following a 3-0 win against United at Old Trafford.

Dominic Solanke had an opportunity to extend the lead to 3-0 before halftime, but Ederson made an excellent save to deny him.

However, seven minutes into the second period, Spurs were unstoppable.

Kulusevski delivered an outstanding cross to Solanke, who calmly set up Porro for a powerful finish from close range.

Haaland struck the crossbar from an incredibly tight angle as City struggled to find a way back.

Instead, they were dealt a final blow when Timo Werner slipped past Kyle Walker and crossed the ball for Johnson to score effortlessly at the far post.

City’s one glimmer of hope might be Kevin De Bruyne, who could return as a late substitute after being sidelined for two months due to injury.

Nonetheless, Guardiola must quickly find solutions to ensure his team’s title defense continues into the new year.

Next up in the Premier League is a challenging match against Liverpool at Anfield, where City hasn’t secured a victory with fans present since 2003.