Gvardiol atrocious as Savinho shines – Man City player ratings vs Tottenham
Tottenham stunned Man City with a clinical 4-0 victory at the Etihad as James Maddison’s two brilliant goals sent them on the way to a memorable win.
It’s now five straight defeats for Pep Guardiola’s Man City, a worrying run that comes just after he signed a new one-year contract extension with the Citizens.
City are now up against it to retain their league crown, with Liverpool handed the chance to go eight points clear against Southampton on 24 November.
Maddison marked his 28th birthday with a brilliant brace in Spurs’ 4-0 win over Manchester City. The first goal came in the 13th minute, when Dejan Kulusevski outpaced Josko Gvardiol down the right and delivered a perfect cross for the Englishman to sidefoot home, then intercepted a poor pass from Gvardiol seven minutes later to finish with a dink over Ederson.
The third goal came courtesy of Pedro Porro, who delivered the ultimate blow against his former club. The move again was initiated by Kulusevski, who danced past three City players in the middle of the park to launch a swift counter-attack before finding Dominic Solanke, who cut it back for Porro to sweep home. Though Porro refrained from celebrating, the away end erupted in wild celebrations.
The London club’s dominance was sealed in the final minutes when Timo Werner burned the struggling Kyle Walker and crossed for Brennan Johnson to seal a dismal night for Guardiola’s men.
Here, Football Insider rates the City side out of 10 for their performances at The Etihad.
Ederson – 4
Ederson had a difficult game, despite a couple of decent moments. He made a crucial save to deny Son’s long-range strike in the first half, showing his shot-stopping ability. However, he was unable to prevent four goals from going in and was generally let down by his defenders. Conceding four goals, especially in a match with so little defensive protection, was a tough day for the Brazilian keeper, and he’ll be disappointed with the team’s overall defensive display.
Kyle Walker – 3
Frequently dragged out of position by Son Heung-min. Gary Neville summed it up on the Sky Sports commentary when he said the right-back was being “torn to shreds”. The England international was also done for pace by Werner for the last goal.
John Stones (off for Ake ’46) – 5
Allowed Maddison to slip in behind him for the first goal and was substituted at halftime. It was unclear whether the change was due to injury or tactical reasons. He did his best to manage the defensive pressure from Tottenham but was caught out on occasion by Spurs’ quick counters.
Manuel Akanji – 5
The defender gave Kulusevski too much space to deliver the cross for the first goal and struggled to track Tottenham’s runners throughout the game.
Kyle Walker exposed badly down Man City right
Joško Gvardiol- 2
The centre-back had an atrocius outing, with several critical errors contributing to City’s downfall. For the first goal, he was outmuscled by Kulusevski, then his blind pass was intercepted by Maddison, leading directly to Tottenham’s second goal. His performance lacked focus, and he failed to provide the solid defensive presence that City expected from him.
Rico Lewis (off for Grealish ’74) – 5
Like Walker, Lewis was badly exposed on the right-hand side whenever Spurs broke forward, struggling to deal with their pace and movement. He often found himself out of position, leaving City vulnerable in wide areas. Offensively, Lewis offered very little, failing to impose himself or provide meaningful support in attack. It was a challenging game for the young player.
Ilkay Gundogan – 2
The Germany international’s performance was well below par. Gundogan failed to track Maddison for Tottenham’s first goal, which was a costly error. The veteran midfielder’s inability to control the game and offer a creative spark was evident, and his contributions in both defensive and offensive phases were lacking. Gundogan simply didn’t step up when City needed him most.
Bernado Silva – 5
Bernardo was his usual energetic self, constantly moving and looking for opportunities to influence the game, but his performance lacked the quality and sharpness City rely on.
Ilkay Gundogan no Rodri replacement in the middle
Phil Foden – 5
Volleyed over from close range in the first half and followed it up with a weak effort in the second. A shadow of the player who dazzled last season, Foden struggled to make any meaningful impact and lacked the precision that usually define his game.
Savinho (off for De Bruyne ’74) – 8 – Man of the Match
One of the few City players to emerge with credit. His superb turn and run in the first half created a golden opportunity for Erling Haaland, while his precise late ball to Gvardiol deserved a better finish. Savinho was a rare bright spark in an otherwise lacklustre team performance and can hold his head high after a confident and creative display. Taken off anyway.
Erling Haaland – 3
The Norwegian had a game to forget, struggling to make an impact in front of goal. In the first half, he missed three clear-cut opportunities that he would normally bury with ease. His frustrations only grew in the second half, as Guglielmo Vicario denied him twice with excellent saves. Despite being City’s go-to scorer, Haaland looked isolated and out of rhythm, with his missed chances proving costly in a match where the Citizens desperately needed a spark. His visible frustration mirrored the team’s struggles on a tough afternoon.
Jack Grealish fails to spark after Pep Guardiola introduction
Substitutions
Nathan Ake (on for Stones ’46) – 5
The damage had already been done by the time Ake was introduced at half-time for Stones. However, his presence didn’t provide the necessary defensive solidity, and City continued to struggle defensively as Spurs tore through them. His performance offered little to suggest he could have turned the tide.
Kevin de Bruyne (on for Savinho ’74) – 7
The Belgian midfielder entered with the game mostly out of reach and showed glimpses of his brilliance. A delightful slipped pass to Haaland almost led to a goal, and his quality was evident despite the team’s overall struggles. City desperately need him to stay fit and find his best form if they are to turn things around in their campaign.
Jack Grealish (on for Lewis ’74) – 3
Came on late but had little impact on the game. Grealish failed to inject any creativity into City’s play and, in fact, contributed to Tottenham’s fourth goal by gifting possession to Werner, which led directly to the counterattack. A frustrating cameo that didn’t help reverse City’s fortunes.
In other news, Man City have responded to West Ham’s midfielder interest.
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