Guardiola’s worst home defeat: What has gone wrong for Manchester City?
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Reigning champions Manchester City, have seen their amazing two-year, 52-game, undefeated streak snapped by Tottenham Hotspur, who stunned them with a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium on a night that will go down in Premier League history owing to a great performance by James Maddison.
Although City's lack of confidence and ideas saw Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson add insult to injury late on in the contest, Maddison's two brilliantly struck goals set the tone for the game. City thus experienced their worst home loss in more than 20 years and bagged an ugly record of a fifth consecutive loss.
A record-breaking collapse
Now in his eighth season as Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola is facing a different reality as his team collapsed in a fashion that revealed both his own clear shortcomings and Spurs' tactical ability under Ange Postecoglou's direction.
With this devastating setback—also Tottenham's most resounding away victory at City—Guardiola experienced the biggest home league loss of his remarkable managerial career. Guardiola had also never lost three consecutive Premier League games ahead of the clash.
The travelling Tottenham supporters made the most of the situation, challenging Guardiola's apparently unquenchable dominance with their gleeful chants of "You'll be sacked in the morning" reverberating around the stadium.
This result not only underlined City's ongoing issues but also Tottenham's amazing comeback under Postecoglou.
The Australian has rallied a club afflicted by injury, inconsistency, and a humiliating home loss to Ipswich Town a fortnight ago.
A James Maddison masterclass
James Maddison performed rather brilliantly. Capitalizing on City's defensive shortcomings, he scored two goals, exhibiting extraordinary football sense and skill. The first was a quick and vital goal, converted following a sublime assist by Dejan Kulusevski, who shrugged off the unfortunate Josko Gvardiol before mustering a perfect cross.
Finished by Maddison following outstanding service from captain Son Heung-min, the second goal doubled Tottenham's first-half lead as City’s defense kept up with its clumsiness.
Considering Guardiola's sides are renowned for their rock-solid defense, this startling performance called into question City's ability to recover from errors.
Tactical brilliance and clinical finishing
Though they were without some key players—including their starting centerbacks—Tottenham displayed tactical discipline and attacking precision.
Early in the second half, Pedro Porro struck with great aplomb; thus, Postecoglou's strategy to exploit City's defensive flaws through quick counterattacks proved a great success.
Brennan Johnson's last-minute tap-in—the outcome of yet another swift counter—capped off the terrific display of opportunistic football.
On the other hand, despite being their most dependable weapon, Manchester City's attack proved consistently lacking. Erling Haaland squandered several excellent opportunities, including the one in which Tottenham's defenses recovered to block his first-time effort, despite his goal-scoring ability having terrified defenses all across Europe.
With Kevin De Bruyne and Savinho both having chances thwarted, Spurs goalie Guglielmo Vicario played with composure and confidence, denying City any hope of a comeback.
The Rodri effect
City's woes revolve around the obvious absence of Rodri, the current Ballon d'Or winner and a key component of Guardiola's lineup. Rodri's absence has been disastrous for City's midfield, which was imbalanced and susceptible to Tottenham's continuous counterattacks without his protection of the the defense and regulation of match tempo.
City have won 78% of their Premier League games since the start of the season with Rodri on the pitch. That figure plummets to 50% when he isn't.
The Sky Blues have lost in 43% of Rodri's absence yet have never lost when the Ballon d'Or winner has been on the pitch over that period.
Losing Mateo Kovacic has also worsened City's defensive issues and increased their vulnerability to attack from rivals who can exploit the available space when on the counter.
A fragile empire
Underlining their lack of collective defense and game management, Guardiola acknowledged in his post-match reflections that his team is "fragile right now." Injuries and significant depth issues have further aggravated these issues.
City's defensive statistics reflect this weakness since the team let in 1.17 counter shots per game on average this season, almost double their previous best under Guardiola.
Their expected goals conceded (xGC) has gone from 0.8 the previous season to 1.26 this term, meaning their capacity to prevent attacks from the opponent has dropped dramatically.
This statistical downturn reflects the more general issues Guardiola's team is dealing with, including an aging roster and an over-reliance on a limited number of players whose absence renders the team vulnerable.
Defensive errors and inefficiency in front of goal have caused City's average number of goals scored to decrease from 2.3 in the first 14 games to only 0.8 in their last five losses. Simultaneously, the quantity of goals conceded has almost doubled.
Tottenham’s triumph and City’s troubles
Under Postecoglou, Tottenham's incredible rise has been self-explanatory; their success has stemmed from their persistence, tactical awareness, and clinical finishing. Thanks in great part to Maddison, Son, and defensive stalwart Radu Dragusin, the club was able to execute their game plan with precision despite facing arguably the toughest opponents in the Premier League.
Manchester City's nonperformance was a painful lesson, a sobering reminder of their shortcomings, and a clear signal of the issues ahead. Notwithstanding Tottenham's defensive resiliency, Guardiola's team's offensive sloppiness was on show in the game as they couldn't find the back of the net despite 23 shots.
Guardiola’s reflections
In his post-match comments, Guardiola maintained a philosophical tone, stressing the inevitable "dip" following years of continuous success despite the embarrassing nature of this particular loss.
He admitted the need for addressing his team's struggles while still believing in his players, as Liverpool looks to be expanding their advantage at the top of the league ahead of a fear-inspiring trip to Anfield.
Guardiola must now concentrate on rebuilding a squad that has set terrific standards since the current side is struggling to recreate the degree of control, togetherness, and aggression that defined their dominance.
Regarding their title aspirations as well as recovering the self-assurance and attacking impetus they have been lacking over the past few weeks, the outcome of their forthcoming Premier League game against Liverpool could be significant.
The bigger picture
Beyond the direct consequences for both sides, this match was a microcosm of the shifting dynamics in the Premier League this season. While City's issues highlight how challenging it is to maintain success at the highest level, Tottenham's rebound demonstrates how they have developed into a squad capable of challenging the top in the league.
Based on Opta's data, which suggest a general performance drop, the City side—who were formerly unmatched—are now facing an identity crisis. From fundamental inefficiencies to defensive shortcomings, Guardiola's team have a lot of moving components in their struggles that need to be refocused and their tactics changed.
What next?
Manchester City's next game is a Champions League tie against Feyenoord, where they still have title aspirations. Still, the Premier League takes first priority, as a protracted downturn in form might jeopardize their championship defense.
Their domestic ambitions are currently dangling on a thread as they still have to navigate a home encounter against Liverpool, where their deficit in the league could rise to 11 points. If his squad is to keep their domestic title aspirations alive, Guardiola understands they must rapidly get back on track.
Under Postecoglou's direction, Tottenham's fortunes have undergone a sea change with this triumph. With consistent performance like this, the club now feels they could fight for the top spots in English football.
Now sitting sixth in the Premier League rankings, they are barely four points behind City. Given the challenges they have encountered this season, their dreams of a top-four finish have been boosted by an identity built on tenacity, discipline, and tactical sense.
Thanks to this victory, the club may at last look ahead to the future with expectations after years of despair and mediocrity.
It's important to understand that slumps from are periodically experienced even by the most dominant football teams. Guardiola has always preached that a capacity to keep total control over the game and his players' emotions determines the performance of his squad. Hence, the coming weeks will prove crucial for both the club, the manager, and the league.