Pep Guardiola’s large issues as Spurs thrash Man City with Liverpool laughing
Manchester City lost ground in the Premier League title race after Tottenham Hotspur dismantled Pep Guardiola’s side 4-0 at the Etihad.
After 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.
In the second half, the game was effectively ended by Spurs full-back Pedro Porro, who scored on 52 minutes following a flowing Tottenham move to leave City shellshocked. And then in injury-time, Brennan Johnson added a fourth following some excellent work by Timo Werner.
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The 4-0 defeat was City’s fifth consecutive defeats in all competition and it leaves Guardiola and co sitting five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool – who could open up an eight point gap on Sunday if they beat Southampton.
And here are five huge problems City boss Guardiola needs to address if he wants to guide the club to a fifth consecutive Premier League title…
Advantage Liverpool
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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.
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.
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.
Manchester City need to spend in January
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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 title.
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.
Speaking of one of those two summer signings…
What on earth has happened to Ilkay Gundogan?
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Ilkay Gundogan looks a shell of himself. Back in 2023, he departed a treble winning captain after lifting the Champions League following Manchester City’s win over Inter Milan in Istanbul.
He spent a season in Barcelona, where he play 51 games and then played at the European Championships with Germany before returning to City. And all those minutes really look to have taken their toll on the 34-year-old. Gundogan is not an aggressive midfielder, and alongside Rico Lewis, City are not winning any physical battle.
The German is not a bad player and still has a part to play for City this season. But it does seem strange that after a huge season last term in which he played so many minutes that Pep Guardiola decided to bring Gundogan back to the Etihad – and give him such an important role.
Defensive issues continue
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Yet again, Manchester City failed to keep 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? Southampton, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava.
Any time a team counter City, they look vulnerable. Against Spurs, the scoreline could have been much worse. Clearly, they have players of supreme talent capable of getting into any team in the world.
But right now they look easy to play against. City don’t look capable of suffocating teams like they have in previous seasons. They look ponderous on the ball, and weak at the back whenever a team attack them – hardly a recipe for success.
Where are all the goals?
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Cast your minds back to the opening few weeks of the Premier League season. Erling Haaland was on a goalscoring tear and was bound to break more records this season. However, in recent weeks – or rather month – the goals have dried up for City.
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.
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.
