Social media lit up with an avalanche of reactions as Tottenham Hotspur inflicted a crushing defeat on Manchester City in their Premier League clash. The defending champions, who entered the match desperate to halt a streak of poor results, found themselves overwhelmed at the Etihad.
Despite starting the game on the front foot, they crumbled under Tottenham’s relentless pressure over the 90 minutes. James Maddison was the architect of City’s misery, bagging two goals within 20 minutes to set Spurs on their way. After halftime, Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson sealed the result with a clinical finish, leaving the home fans stunned. Even the introduction of Kevin De Bruyne, making his long-awaited return from injury, could not reverse the tide.
The champions suffered their fifth consecutive defeat across all competitions, a rare occurrence under Pep Guardiola’s tenure, as noted by Sky Sports. Fans brutally troll Man City Following the final whistle, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their astonishment at City’s struggles.
@_FaridKhan humorously jabbed: “Pep Guardiola is the new Ten Hag!” @mrlamar01 referenced the Ballon d’Or controversy: “Until Rodri willingly returns that rigged Ballon d’Or to Vinicius, they will continue losing.”
@Teesaids expressed disbelief: “This is really unprecedented—Manchester City going down 3 goals to Tottenham. Pep Guardiola is going through some hard times.” @Tyrantwrd highlighted defensive woes: “They’ve conceded more goals than Manchester United.😭” @Creed_printz added with a laugh: “That’s crazy, Man City is moving like United last season 😂😂”
From a tactical lens, City appeared disjointed, lacking the cohesion and fluidity that usually define Guardiola’s teams. The absence of Rodri’s stabilising presence in midfield, combined with defensive lapses, left City vulnerable to Tottenham’s incisive counterattacks.
by Celine Nyambura