Manchester City’s poor run worsened on Saturday when a 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur extended their losing streak and pointed out a string of underlying problems that have plagued them all season long.
Pep Guardiola’s side were dominant throughout, having nearly 60% of the ball and posting 14 more shots than the opposition. Spurs, however, took the lead just 13 minutes in after James Maddison’s strike and doubled their lead when he completed a brace just seven minutes later. Though City’s attacking might was on display, they were rarely able to translate it into meaningful chances and were also unable to keep Spurs’ intentional offense at bay. Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson scored in the second half to ensure Spurs would leave Manchester with all three points.
Saturday’s loss is arguably the worst result in a string of bad ones for City, renewing questions about the longevity of their years-long dominance — even if Guardiola is sticking around for another year or two.
Here’s a look at some fascinating statistics from City’s loss.
1: First loss by four-plus goals
Saturday’s loss was the first time a Guardiola team lost by four-plus goals in his entire managerial career. Spurs’ onslaught came in impressive fashion, too – they took just nine shots but put seven on frame and mustered 2.51 expected goals, beating City in that category also.
2: Number of teams to collect big away wins in Manchester
Spurs became only the second team in the history of the Premier League to win by three-plus goals at Manchester City and Manchester United in the same season, collecting 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 increased their losing streak to five games on Saturday, the longest string of successive 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 began in October with a loss at Spurs in the round of 16 of the EFL Cup, but also includes a UEFA Champions League defeat to Sporting Lisbon in one of Ruben Amorim’s final games in charge. City are also five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool as things stand, though the gap could extend to eight points if the Reds beat Southampton on Sunday.
9: Number of defeats against Spurs
Guardiola collected his ninth loss against Tottenham, more defeats than against any other team. He still has 10 wins in 22 games against the north London-based teams, but the list of losses includes some notable ones, including the first leg of the 2018-19 Champions League quarterfinals. Spurs eventually went on to beat City in that tie and later went on to play in the final.
23: Number of shots City took
City posted 23 shots on Saturday despite not scoring a single goal, though their attacking effort was more about quantity than quality. They put just five shots on frame and mustered only 2.15 expected goals along the way, demonstrating a wastefulness that’s been a defining feature of their inconsistent play all season long. Though they have posted at least 15 shots in each of their last nine games, only once during that streak did they manage double-digit shots on goal.
