Manchester City’s poor run worsened on Saturday when a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur extended their losing streak and pointed to a number of underlying problems that have plagued them all season.
Pep Guardiola’s team dominated the entire match, having almost 60% of the ball and taking 14 more shots than the rival. Spurs, however, took the lead just 13 minutes after James Maddison’s goal and doubled their lead when he completed a brace just seven minutes later. Although City’s offensive power was on display, they were rarely able to translate it into meaningful opportunities and were also unable to keep Spurs’ intentional offense at bay. Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson scored in the second half to ensure Spurs left Manchester with all three points.
Saturday’s defeat is possibly the worst result in a series of poor results for City, renewing doubts about the longevity of their years-long dominance even if Guardiola stays for another year or two.
Here’s a look at some fascinating statistics from City’s defeat.
1: First defeat by more than four goals
Saturday’s defeat was the first time a Guardiola team lost by more than four goals in his entire coaching career. Spurs’ attack also came in impressively: they took just nine shots, but scored seven on frame and scored 2.51 expected goals, surpassing City in that category as well.
2: Number of teams that achieved big away wins in Manchester
Spurs became the second team in Premier League history to beat Manchester City and Manchester United by more than three goals in the same season, claiming a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in September. The only other team to do that 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 defending champions to lose five games in a row since Chelsea in March 1956. The run actually began in October with a loss to Spurs in the round of 16 of the EFL Cup, but also includes a defeat in the UEFA Champions League against Sporting. Lisbon in one of Rubén Amorim’s last games in charge. City are also five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool as things stand, although the gap could extend to eight points if the Reds beat Southampton on Sunday.
9: Number of losses against the Spurs
Guardiola suffered his ninth defeat against Tottenham, more defeats than against any other team. They still have 10 wins in 22 games against north London sides, but the list of losses includes some notable ones, including the first leg of the 2018-19 Champions League quarter-finals. Spurs eventually beat City in that tie and then played in the final.
23: Number of shots fired by the city
City fired 23 shots on Saturday despite not scoring a single goal, although their attacking effort relied more on quantity than quality. They took just five shots on target and managed just 2.15 expected goals along the way, displaying a wastefulness that has been a defining characteristic of their inconsistent play all season. Although they have taken at least 15 shots in each of their last nine games, only once during that streak have they managed double-digit shots on goal.
