Jean Canesse, Media365, published on Saturday November 23, 2024 at 8:51 p.m.
The crisis is very real in Manchester. Saturday evening, the Citizens suffered a fifth defeat in a row (the third in the Premier League), and not just any defeat. At home, Guardiola's players lost 4-0 to Tottenham and Liverpool could fly to the top of the table on Sunday.
It's an evening that will probably go down in the history of Manchester City, and not in the column of great exploits. Saturday evening, Pep Guardiola's team experienced a real ordeal in their stadium, facing a formidable Tottenham team on the counterattack, handicapping (at least a little) their chances of winning the title at the end of the season. After four defeats in a row (two in the league) and a five-point deficit conceded to Liverpool, the Skyblues nevertheless hoped to find some color in the wake of the international break. Pep Guardiola also took the opportunity to announce his extension at the club and Rodri, the big absentee this season, proudly presented his Ballon d'Or to the public present in the North of England just before kick-off. Just before the shipwreck.
Without Rodri, therefore, nor Kovacic, injured with Croatia and absent for several weeks, Guardiola could not count on a professional and experienced number 6 against Spurs, while De Bruyne started on the bench. This did not prevent the Citizens from offering an intense start, but they displayed a staggering lack of realism in their enclosure, quite the opposite of ruthless Londoners. Tottenham already led 2-0 at the break, thanks to a double from Maddison. On a golden serve from Kulusevski (0-1, 13th), then after a good relay with Son (0-2, 20th), the English leader scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season in the Premier League. On his 28th birthday.
Haaland missed everything
Spurs were in fact under attack from the Mancunians throughout the match but they always played counter-attacks boldly and remained a threat until the last second. It is in this register that Porro stunned City a little more after returning from the locker room, well served by Solanke (0-3, 53rd), forty minutes before Johnson also transformed a gift from Werner into a goal (0-4 , 90th+3). Almost insolently efficient, even if Ederson had to work a few times, in front of Son and Solanke in particular, Tottenham benefited at the same time from the collapse of the Skyblues in this sector of play.
If Foden (16th, 43rd), Savinho (36th) or even Bernardo Silva (84th) were unable to find the net despite good situations, it was Haaland who symbolized Mancunian clumsiness this weekend. The Norwegian serial scorer missed five huge chances, coming up against Vicario twice (11th, 79th), missing the target twice (5th, 22nd) and seeing a marvelous shot from the left crash into the bar (60th).
Many failures, which already have a historic consequence: Manchester City lost at home for the first time in two years and 52 matches without defeat. More serious: this halt has an impact on the ranking since Arsenal (3rd) came back a short distance after their victory against Nottingham Forest in the afternoon (3-0). Liverpool could also (and above all) be some eight points ahead by winning at Southampton on Sunday. Enough to say goodbye to a fifth title in a row in the Perfidious Albion?
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