After several disappointing results for both Manchester City and Tottenham, the Lilywhites offered up a superb performance at the Etihad, with four goals against the home side and some fantastic saves from keeper Guglielmo Vicario at the other end. With Tottenham’s last two games resulting in defeat (to Ipswich and then to Galatasaray), such an assured victory may give fans confidence for the next few games. The two goals from Maddison, followed by Porro’s and Johnson’s goals in the second half, now place Spurs at 6th place in the table, though still 4 points below City.
Whilst Tottenham were 2-0 up at half time, this was no guarantee for the away side; their possession during the first half was limited, and it had only been 2 seasons since Tottenham saw a 2-0 advantage to a 4-2 defeat at the Etihad. Not only this, goalkeeper Vicario – who made 5 saves that game – played the last sixty minutes of the match with a broken bone in his ankle, for which he has since had surgery. Whilst Tottenham have a good record against City, this performance was especially impressive, as momentum unexpectedly picked up following the first goal from Maddison, who was celebrating his 28th birthday and later awarded man of the match. A superb stoppage time effort from Johnson (assisted by Werner, who scored against City just three weeks before) sealed the victory for the away side, who are hoping to climb their way back to the top four. This is Tottenham’s second victory against City this season, after beating them 2-1 in the EFL Cup.
For City, the score has added to a list of disappointing results. The 4-0 home defeat was the fifth game in a row which City failed to win, with their Champions League game against Feyenoord later that week adding a sixth. Pep Guardiola, having just extended his contract to 2027, has now lost more games to Tottenham than any other team in his managerial career, and will be hoping to recover their Premier and Champions League form. Fans of both clubs will be watching closely as the season progresses, eager to see whether this result sparks a resurgence for Spurs or marks a deeper rut for Guardiola’s side. With the January transfer window approaching, both teams may look to bolster their squads in hopes of achieving their respective goals this season.
“Pep Guardiola 2021” by Steffen Prößdorf, crop by ArsenalGhanaPartey is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.