PEP GUARDIOLA was celebrating sweet sixteen with Manchester City as they took another giant stride towards the title.
This team of his has now equalled Pep’s famous Barcelona outfit for league wins on the bounce.
That may be three behind Pep’s best of 19 straight league wins with Bayern Munich. But it feels like he has a special team on his hands like at the Nou Camp.
Kevin De Bruyne pulled all the strings again yesterday and slammed home the goal that sealed victory after Ilkay Gundogan had opened the scoring.
Raheem Sterling bagged two and there was even time for Gabriel Jesus to miss a penalty.
It all added up to a hugely convincing victory against one of the teams who thought they could compete for the title, or maybe even lay a glove on City. Last week City made all the noise at Old Trafford, this week their 16th consecutive Prem win sent out a clear message.
Spurs ended Pep’s perfect start to last season when they swept City aside 2-0 at White Hart Lane in early October.
That was a match that opened Guardiola’s eyes to just how tough English football can be.
City, though, are now a different prospect. There have been tricky matches and late winners but they look the real deal this season. This win means they have now beaten ALL of last term’s top-six rivals ahead of the festive period.
They were irresistible yesterday in a first half in which they could have racked up four or five.
Leroy Sane was on a mission after having a rest in midweek, with the ball pinging from flank to flank as City poured forward.
In the middle, De Bruyne had his Belgium team-mates nibbling at his heels but Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen struggled to get near him. Spurs were left defending attacks from all angles as De Bruyne passed them to death.
But for all their beautiful football, it was a straightforward goal from a corner that broke the deadlock.
Gundogan’s goal was simple, a product of basic defending errors. As Sane fizzed the ball in, nobody was close to the Germany midfielder who had a free run at goal.
Son Heung-Min made a lame attempt to track the run but Gundogan was totally free as he nodded into the bottom corner. Mauricio Pochettino shaking his head on the sidelines said it all.
Gundogan wheeled away in delight to celebrate his first goal since returning from his knee injury almost exactly a year ago.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund star has endured a long road to recovery.
And he would not have been in the team but for David Silva’s absence for personal reasons. Even without their Spanish maestro, City cruised through the gears and were always threatening.
Hugo Lloris needed to be at his best to beat away Sergio Aguero’s drive after De Bruyne split Spurs open again.
The Tottenham keeper also saved from Gundogan again as he was regularly kept busy.
The home side also had penalty shouts when Danny Rose blocked Aguero’s shot with his arm and nudged Eliaquim Mangala in the back. But for all of City’s domination, Spurs were still in the game at half-time and only 1-0 down.
In fact, they were two-down in this fixture last season and pulled it back to earn a draw.
And with Harry Kane in their team, they always had a chance of snatching one on the counter.
He curled an effort just wide from the edge of the box as Spurs looked to find some foothold in the match. They were on the front foot after the break and Son should have been strong at the far post when a dangerous cross flew in.
He was not and it left Poch throwing his arms in frustration at a chance missed.
Ederson then pulled off a spectacular save when Kane tried his luck from long distance.
But City dabbed on the accelerator and were soon home and dry. Gundogan fed De Bruyne to his left, who made space to crash in another masterpiece.
KDB was then felled in the box by Vertonghen only for Jesus’ spot-kick to cannon off a post and Sterling to blaze over an open net.
Sterling, though, soon swept in after another sweet move. Then Bernardo Silva’s ball through was fluffed by Eric Dier, with Lloris taking his eye off it, allowing Sterling to walk it in.
Christian Eriksen did find the bottom corner in stoppage-time but it was really no consolation.
From The Sun
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