THIS was supposed to be the day Manchester City were celebrating.
Celebrating the news that their all-conquering boss, Pep Guardiola was staying for another two seasons after agreeing to a new deal.
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And celebrating Rodri being crowned the winner of the Ballon d’Or as the best player on the planet.
A spectacular light show greeted him before kick-off, and his teammates gave him a guard of honour.
The familiar refrain of ‘we’ve got Guardiola’ to the tune of Glad All Over’ went round the ground as the boss made his way from the dressing room.
Then it was over to the Tottenham Hotspur fans as James Maddison enjoyed the biggest and best Birthday party he has ever had.
He turned 28 on this day and, with two goals inside the first 20 minutes, put Tottenham on their way to a famous victory.
What a way too for Ange Postecoglou to celebrate his 50th game in charge of the club.
Questions about the Aussie had started to be asked after three defeats in five league games.
But this was a ‘g’day’ for him as Spurs bounced into the top six.
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For City, well Guardiola had joked as his new contract was announced that if results did not pick up in the next month he could be on his way anyway.
How everyone chuckled, but this fifth defeat on the spin was no laughing matter.
Their worst home defeat since moving to this ground 21 years ago.
Man City has not been on a run like this since 2006, when then boss Stuart Pearce lost six in a row.
If Liverpool were to win at Southampton on Sunday the gap will stretch to eight points with just shy of a third of the season gone.
The two meet next weekend at Anfield.
Lose that, and City’s quest for a fifth consecutive title will be over before Christmas.
They just don’t look the same City right now.
We were putting that down to the uncertainty over the boss and whether the players had taken their foot off the pedal.
The midweek news was supposed to have given them a Pep up but despite having 23 shots they could not find the net.
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They miss Rodri, who is out for the season.
They miss a fully fit Kevin De Bruyne.
Phil Foden has looked tired all season.
There were chances before Spurs broke the deadlock.
They fell to finisher supreme Erling Haaland, who also hit the bar in the second period.
The game was just four minutes old when he was set up by Josko Gvardiol, who would go on to have a half to forget.
The near bottom corner beckoned, but Haaland’s shot deflected off Ben Davis’ heel and went wide.
Savinho was then the provider and this time Guglielmo Vicario’s outstretched leg denied him adding to his 15 goals this season.
Then in the 13th minute against the run of play Spurs struck.
Dejan Kulusevski likes it here. He has scored on his last three visits, including a last-minute equaliser last season.
On this occasion, he was the provider and what a provider he is.
Before this game he had created 30 chances, the most of any player in the Premier League this season and added another for the opener.
He made mincemeat of Gvardiol down the right flank to give himself space to cross and then delivered a ball to the far post which Maddison volleyed home with his instep.
A setback became a major problem for the home side when Spurs extended their lead on 20 minutes.
Gvardiol’s loose pass was leapt on by Maddison, who fed Son and then did an overlapping run behind his teammate.
The ball was fed back to him and he dinked it past Ederson.
It could have been more before the break as Son’s curler to the far top corner was well saved by Ederson who also used his fingertips to deny Dominic Solanke’s shot.
The last time City were two goals down at the break was in January of 2023 to, guess who, Tottenham.
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On that occasion, they roared back to win 4-2.
Not this time.
Spurs were further ahead just seven minutes into the second-half with City all over the place again.
Their attack broke down thanks to Spurs hounding the ball down.
They do that at their best and break with great efficiency.
Kulusevski was involved again, playing a deep ball to the far side of the boss for Solanke to pull back for Pedro Porro to side foot home with a powerful shot that curled away from the goalkeeper.
Porro spent three years at City after an £11million move from Girona but bizarrely never got a game as he was farmed out on loan.
So this will have been special for him.
In injury time two subs combined as Timo Werner sent a ball to the far post for Brennan Johnson to slide home.
For Guardiola this was a seventh defeat at the hands of Spurs in the Premier League more than any other opponent.
It is Feyenoord at home in the Champions League on Tuesday next then that trip to Liverpool.
They have roared back before and they really need to find their voice now.
