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Manchester City’s poor run got worse on Saturday when a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur extended their losing streak and exposed a series of underlying issues that have plagued them all season.
Pep Guardiola’s side were dominant throughout, having almost 60% of the ball and placing fourteen more shots than the opposition. However, Spurs took the lead just 13 minutes after James Maddison’s goal and doubled their lead when he completed a brace just seven minutes later. While City’s attacking prowess was on display, they were rarely able to translate it into meaningful chances, nor were they able to keep Spurs’ deliberate attack at bay. Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson scored in the second half to ensure Spurs left Manchester with all three points.
Saturday’s loss is perhaps the worst in a string of poor results for City, raising questions about the longevity of their years of dominance – even if Guardiola sticks around for another year or two.
Here’s a look at some fascinating stats from City’s loss.
1: First defeat by more than four goals
Saturday’s defeat was the first time a Guardiola side had lost by more than four goals in his entire managerial career. Spurs’ attack also came in impressive fashion, taking just nine shots but putting seven on frame and scoring 2.51 expected goals, beating City in that category as well.
2: Number of teams achieving big away wins in Manchester
Spurs became only the second team in Premier League history to win by more than three goals against Manchester City and Manchester United in the same season, recording a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in September. The only other team to do so was Everton during the 1992-93 season.
5: Length of City’s losing streak
City extended their losing streak to five games on Saturday, the longest streak of consecutive defeats in Guardiola’s managerial career. City are also the first reigning champions to lose five in a row since Chelsea in March 1956. The run actually started in October with a defeat to Spurs in the EFL Cup last 16, but also includes a UEFA Champions League defeat to Sporting. Lisbon takes the lead in one of Ruben Amorim’s last matches. City are also currently five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, although the gap could increase to eight points if the Reds beat Southampton on Sunday.
9: Number of defeats against Spurs
Guardiola suffered his ninth defeat against Tottenham, more defeats than against any other team. He still has ten wins in 22 games against North London teams, but the list of losses includes some notable ones, including the first leg of the 2018/19 Champions League quarter-finals. Spurs eventually defeated City in that tie and later played in the final.
23: Number of shots City made
City scored 23 shots on Saturday despite not scoring a single goal, although their attacking efforts were more about quantity than quality. They put up just five shots and scored just 2.15 expected goals along the way, demonstrating a waste that has been a defining feature of their inconsistent play all season. Although they have had at least 15 shots in each of their last nine games, they have only managed double-digit shots on goal once in that stretch.