Ange Postecoglou and his Spurs side stunned the critics and the rest of the Premier League with a thumping 4-0 win over defending champions Manchester City on the road.

Before the game, Postecoglou shared a hug and a hearty laugh with his City counterpart Pep Guardiola.

But at the end of 90 minutes in Manchester, it was Guardiola and his team feeling the pressure and Postecoglou and Spurs still laughing after their team’s best performance of the season.

James Maddison scored twice while Pedro Porro also netted and Brennan Johnson added a fourth for Spurs deep into added time as the Londoners handed City a lopsided defeat.

City remain second in the table with 23 points but are five points behind leaders Liverpool, with the Reds having a game in hand, while Spurs climbed to sixth on 19 points from 12 games.

Earlier this week, Postecoglou had admitted that if his side – then 10th in the league – were still in mid-table by Christmas, the team and his management would rightly be scrutinised.

The Australian was naturally pleased with his side’s performance on Saturday, saying Spurs had risen to a big Premier League test.

“(I’m) super proud of the lads,” Postecoglou told Optus Sport after the game.

“If you come to City, in this place (in Manchester), it’s a pretty scary prospect for anyone.

“I’ve said it before, it challenges every part of your football skills.

“We had to do a little bit of everything today, we had to defend, which I thought we did really well, we had to be disciplined, work hard and we had to play good football, which I think we did.”

“(This season) our flats have been really flat, and that’s something we’ve got to eradicate but I’ve got no doubt we’re progressing as a football team.”

This was the first time in 53 games that Manchester City had been beaten at home in any competition.

“I am not dismissing today, because it is significant,” Postecoglou said.

Misery continues for City, Guardiola

On the other hand, City’s woes continued with the shock rout marking the first time in Guardiola’s dazzling managerial career that he has lost five games in a row in all competitions.

James Maddison scored twice in the space of seven first-half minutes, while Pedro Porro netted shortly after the break and Brennan Johnson added a fourth deep into stoppage time to complete a dirty day for the home side.

It was City’s heaviest defeat in their history at the City of Manchester Stadium, and their three league defeats in a row is also a first in Guardiola’s eight-plus seasons as boss.

“These are rare days to come to the champions and especially City given how they have dominated in recent years in Europe as well,” Maddison, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday, told Sky Sports.

“Coming home with four-nil is special, it’s these days you remember and I think it’s important we enjoy it.”

Guardiola’s four-time defending champions had 23 shots against Tottenham’s nine and will rue the missed chances, including three in the first half from striker Erling Haaland alone.

But they were all over the place defensively and paid the price in the 13th minute when Maddison sprinted in to side-foot home a beautiful long cross from Dejan Kulusevksi.

Maddison doubled the lead seven minutes later when he chipped the ball over grounded goalkeeper Ederson.

Porro put the game out of reach in the 52nd minute when Dominic Solanke cut the ball to the Spaniard who unleashed a first-time effort past Ederson, then substitute Johnson added another in the 93rd minute.

Timo Werner sprinted down the left past Kyle Walker before sending a low cross across goal which Johnson slid in to tap in, watched by City’s shell-shocked fans.

Guardiola had previously lost 4-0 three times before, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and City, in a 4-0 defeat at Everton in 2017.

City last lost a competitive home game by four plus goals when Arsenal beat them 5-1 in 2003 at Maine Road.

ABC/Reuters