Maddison and Spurs end City’s 52-game unbeaten home run in style

Manchester City's formidable 52-match unbeaten streak at the Etihad Stadium came to an emphatic on Saturday as Tottenham Hotspur secured a commanding 4-0 victory.

The North London side were ruthless in front of goal, converting their chances clinically, while City were left to rue wasteful finishing despite dominating possession and creating 23 attempts.

James Maddison struck twice in the first half, Pedro Porro added another early in the second, and substitute Timo Werner completed the rout in stoppage time. It marked the first time City had lost at home since November 2022, when Brentford claimed a shock victory at the same venue.

The match began amid a celebratory atmosphere, with Rodri being honoured on the pitch before kick-off and the announcement of Pep Guardiola's two-year contract extension further energising the home crowd. City started brightly, pinning Spurs back in the opening minutes.

Savinho's early burst down the flank created an opening for Erling Haaland, whose effort was deflected wide. Moments later, Haaland forced a smart save from Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, but City's promising start quickly unravelled.

In the 13th minute, Spurs took the lead with their first attack of the game. Dejan Kulusevski dispossessed Savinho on the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for James Maddison, who calmly lifted the ball over Ederson from close range.

City barely had time to regroup before Maddison doubled the visitors' lead in the 20th minute. A clever combination with Son Heung-min left the City defence exposed, and Maddison's composed finish punished the hosts once again.

Though City enjoyed plenty of possession and created several half-chances, poor finishing and Vicario's sharp reflexes ensured Tottenham went into the break with a two-goal cushion.

Nathan Aké replaced John Stones at half-time in a bid to solidify City's defence, but Spurs extended their advantage just seven minutes into the second period. A fluid counter-attack culminated in Pedro Porro finishing from inside the box to make it 3-0.

City's frustrations grew as they pushed to find a way back into the game. Haaland came closest when his powerful effort skimmed the crossbar on 58 minutes, but that was as near as the hosts got to scoring.

Tottenham's game management frustrated City further, with Spurs players frequently going to ground and slowing the tempo. To compound City's misery, substitute Timo Werner added a fourth goal in stoppage time, sweeping home a low cross to cap a dominant performance for the visitors.

Despite their dominance in possession, City managed just five shots on target from 23 attempts. In contrast, Tottenham demonstrated ruthless efficiency, making the most of their limited chances to claim a historic victory.