The champions have not only lost five consecutive games, but they are also lacking the mental fortitude that served as the foundation for their entire success. Ruben Amorim, the manager of
Manchester United, stated that Pep Guardiola’s decision to extend his contract with Manchester City was “a problem for everybody here.” However, the most recent evidence suggests that the Catalan’s decision to extend his stay should be celebrated by all other teams in the Premier League.
The City manager may have been tempted to retrieve the contract to determine whether it contained any break clauses as he examined the aftermath of Tottenham’s 4-0 humiliation.
This was a catastrophic defeat for City that was genuinely unexpected, but it was far from a freak outcome. It was the most recent instance of a team’s declining performance, which appears to have lost both its stamina and its appetite.
It is not an exaggeration to assert that Guardiola is confronted with an equally daunting challenge in resolving this debacle as Amorim is in his attempt to revitalize United, given the manner in which City surrendered so humbly to Tottenham as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss.
This was a day that statistics enthusiasts would relish. It was the first occasion in history that a reigning English league champion had lost five consecutive games since Chelsea in 1956.
It was the first occasion since 2006 that City had lost five games in all competitions, when Stuart Pearce was in charge. The same Stuart Pearce who positioned goalkeeper David James in the attacking position in an effort to qualify for Europe.
It was City’s most severe home loss since their 5-1 loss to Arsenal in February 2003, when they were still playing at Maine Road.
Guardiola also achieved numerous firsts: it was the first time in his 17-year coaching career that he had lost three consecutive Premier League games and five consecutive games in all competitions.
It was also the sole occasion in which he had ever suffered a home loss by four goals. Not a singular event Ignore the magnitude of this defeat.
It was a significant disappointment that City had suffered any losses at home. In November 2022, Brentford defeated them at the Etihad Stadium, marking the last time they experienced defeat in any competition.
However, that defeat could have been dismissed as unfortunate due to a goal scored by Ivan Toney in the 98th minute. However, there was nothing regrettable about this defeat. This was a massacre.
In the first half, City’s Ederson was instrumental in maintaining a respectable scoreline by preventing Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min from scoring, while Tottenham consistently passed through their benevolent hosts.
James Maddison, who scored twice, expressed his satisfaction with Tottenham’s victory by stating, “These are rare days.” However, City’s recent performance did not predict this outcome.
The champions have conceded 14 goals in their most recent five games, with four goals conceded in two of their most recent three. Guardiola was able to and did identify the players who were unavailable due to injury, including Rodri, Ruben Dias, Mateo Kovacic, and Jeremy Doku.
However, his starting lineup was highly experienced. The 2023 Champions League final was contested by eleven players who were on the pitch on Saturday.
Tottenham, on the other hand, was without their first-choice center-backs, Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven, and had five teenagers on their substitutes.
The primary concern is the inability to score against the two centre-backs, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies, as Gary Neville stated on Sky Sports: “They lacked that clinical edge.” This is not merely about Rodri; it is significantly more.
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