Manchester City are certainly not looking imperious in any way as they were the last few seasons as Pep Guardiola’s side slumped to their fifth defeat in a row as Tottenham Hotspur humiliated the Premier League champions, thrashing them 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium<\/p>\n
Guardiola\u2019s team continued to stutter and lose precious ground in the Premier League\u00a0title race after Tottenham Hotspur\u00a0dismantled the Spaniard\u2019s\u00a0side 4-0 at the Etihad. Within just 20 minutes, City found themselves 2-0 down, with Spurs midfielder James Maddison scoring a brace. City had a chance to take the lead, but striker Erling Haaland had his effort saved by the feet of Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario.<\/p>\n
In the second half, the game was Spurs full-back Pedro Porro, who scored on 52 minutes following a flowing Tottenham\u00a0move to leave City stunned, effectively ended the match and Brennan Johnson sealed City\u2019s fate when he added a fourth in injury-time following some excellent work by Timo Werner.<\/p>\n
The shocking 4-0 defeat was City’s fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions and it leaves them sitting five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool – who could open up an eight point gap on Sunday if they beat Southampton.<\/p>\n
City boss Guardiola needs to address more than a few massive problems if he wants to guide the club to a fifth consecutive Premier League title.<\/p>\n
As things stand after the defeat to Spurs, Manchester City sit five points behind league leaders Liverpool, who face Southampton on Sunday afternoon. A win for Liverpool would see Arne Slot’s side move eight points clear of the reigning Premier League champions, setting up a huge clash next weekend when Guardiola and co travel to Anfield to take on the Reds.<\/p>\n
Lose at Anfield and that could be City’s title defence over. Liverpool would be 11 points clear with a win over City, opening up a gap that could potentially be insurmountable. We’ve seen City win the title when it goes down to the wire and another team are forced to match them stride for stride.<\/p>\n
However, the last time they didn’t win the league was the 2019\/20 season, when Liverpool set off at such a blistering pace City couldn’t catch them – something which could end up being repeated this term if they can’t beat the Reds next weekend.<\/p>\n
In the summer, Manchester City signed Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan. In January, they need to spend more money if they want to win their fifth consecutive Premier League\u00a0title.<\/p>\n
The absence of Rodri for City this season is glaringly obvious. He is the best holding midfielder in the world. But they could also do with another attacker to add some goals to their frontline, so they’re not totally reliant upon Erling Haaland. They need to sign a holding midfielder, and they probably should look to bring in a wide forward too.<\/p>\n
Yet again, City have yet to maintain a clean sheet. In their last 13 games, the defending Premier League champions have kept just three of them. The teams they kept them against were Southampton, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava.<\/p>\n
Any time a team counter City, they look vulnerable. The scoreline could have been much worse against Spurs. Although Guardiola\u2019s side has players of supreme talent capable of getting past any team in the world, yet right now they look far from the marauding conquerors they used to be. City don’t look anywhere capable of squashing teams like they did in previous seasons.<\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola’s side have not scored more than one goal in a game since October 23, when they beat Sparta Prague in the Champions League. This season, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic are their second and third top scorers.<\/p>\n
City look way off the pace right now and they’re not scoring goals – and if you’re not scoring enough goals, you simply can’t win games. With Haaland currently blowing hot and cold, City need the likes of Phil Foden, Savinho, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish to produce, something which they haven’t in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
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