**Premier League**
**MANCHESTER CITY 0**
**TOTTENHAM 4 (Maddison 13, 20, Porro 52, Johnson 90+3)**
ANGE Postecoglou has had the international break to flush out the 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town.
His players did not disappoint.
The back in favour James Maddison scored a first half brace, with second half efforts from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson finishing the rout against a stunned Manchester City.
Speaking afterwards, Postecoglou said: “I was proud of the football we played and resilience we showed, they tried every aspect of our game and we handled it well.
“We knew they’d come out pretty hot, to be fair. They are a proud club and losing four games, first game back home, I thought we’d weather a storm. The first ten, they had chances but we grew, played great football and scored great goals and defended when we needed to.”
Tottenham are furiously inconsistent. Without their first-choice centre-backs, they’ve gone to an admittedly weakened City and thrashed them. This column said two games ago this was a Jekyll and Hyde side – and today the good version appeared in all its glory.
City set off at a lick. The fans wanted cannon fodder as opponents, an easy-touch Tottenham to appear, to help shake off the winless streak that started four matches previously – at the hands of Spurs in the Carabao Cup.
And surely, having not been beaten at the Etihad in 52 league games, Spurs weren’t going to make it five, were they?
With Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin standing in as centre-backs, Erling Haaland started hungrily. He had two chances in the opening period that could have been an early knockout.
Instead, it was the visitors first touch in the City box on 13 minutes that altered the next 80. Dejan Kulusevski battled for the ball before crossing superbly for Maddison to apply the first-time finish.
Postecoglou added: “Maddison was outstanding. You have to be, every aspect of the game. Maddison has had a little bit of a lean spell, but never doubt his ability.
“I take it personally when a player isn’t playing to his levels and that’s on me. We have done a lot of work over the past two weeks and that gave him the platform.”
The first goal shook City. Heung-Min Son had enjoyed running in from the left and on 17 he sent a curler from outside the box. It was like a strike from the old Son playbook. Ederson leapt and his fingertips did just enough.
But the big City goalkeeper could do nothing three minutes later when Son and Maddison combined to double the lead. The number 10 began things central and went for the return with Son, who sprung City’s defence with a deft little ball. Maddison’s calm take down and finish was excellent.
A half-time switch saw City replace the struggling John Stones with Nathan Ake, but the plan to get straight at Tottenham was disjointed and Spurs offered an immediate riposte when they increased their lead on 52.
It was again made by Kulusevski. The midfielder rampaged a path through the centre of the park, scattering challenges. His ball across to Dominic Solanke was a little deep, but the cut back for Porro was perfect.
An increasingly forlorn City were little changed by the introduction of Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish on 73. Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario made two saves from hefty shots, but they felt more desperate in execution than measured.
At 3-0, Spurs concentrated, kept the mistakes to a minimum, and threatened when they could. The fourth came at the end, when substitute Timo Werner shot past Kyle Walker and laid it on a plate for a back post tap in by Johnson.
Maddison has been a problem to solve. His Spurs career has had moments, but at times his performances have been all pomp and no product. Dropping the playmaker was brave, eased by Kulusevski stepping up.
But City away, you need your best XI, and missing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero was an enforced burden to bear. Finding a way to ensure Kulusevski’s recent effectiveness wasn’t diluted while shoehorning Maddison in was the ambition.
It worked, with bells on.
**Manchester City:** Ederson, Walker, Stones (Ake, 46), Akanji, Gvardiol, Lewis (Grealish, 73), Gundogan, Bernardo, Savinho (De Bruyne, 73), Foden, Haaland
**Substitutes not used:** Ortega, Nunes, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee
**Tottenham:** Vicario, Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie (Spence, 89), Sarr (Bergvall, 89), Bissouma, Maddison (Werner, 89), Kulusevski, Son (Johnson, 65), Solanke
**Substitutes not used:** Fraser, Hardy, Gray, Lankshear