Match ends, Manchester City 6, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
Man CityManchester City6TottenhamTottenham Hotspur0
A rampant Manchester City thrashed Tottenham to reassert their title credentials and move six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The hosts went ahead after 14 seconds when a poor Hugo Lloris clearance led to Jesus Navas brilliantly chipping in.
Alvaro Negredo's shot went in off Sandro and Sergio Aguero turned in a cross to put City 3-0 up at half-time.
Aguero again slotted in before Negredo's 18-yard strike and a side-footed Navas shot completed the rout.
City have struggled on their travels this season but at home they have been an irresistible force and they were once again in sublime form at Etihad Stadium, where they have a 100% record in the present campaign with six wins from as many games.
The movement and ruthlessness of Aguero, the invention of Samir Nasri, the midfield power of Yaya Toure and pace of Navas was too much for a shell-shocked Spurs as they suffered their biggest league defeat since losing 7-1 to Newcastle in December 1996.
The defeat left Tottenham with just one point from their last three top-flight outings and the drop in form has put them ninth in the Premier League.
Spurs had only conceded one league goal on the road this season - and six in total - but any hope they may have had before the game evaporated after just 14 seconds.
Lloris sent a clearance straight to Aguero and, even though the Tottenham keeper parried the Argentine's resulting 22-yard shot, he was beaten when Navas got to the loose ball ahead of Younes Kaboul and brilliantly scored with a first-time chip.
The visitors tried to respond and City centre-back Martin Demichelis cleared an Erik Lamela shot off his goal-line after keeper Costel Pantilimon had missed a low Kyle Walker cross.
However, that was as good as it got for Tottenham as City stunned their rivals.
Aguero latched on to a Nasri cross and, despite Lloris getting a hand to the striker's chipped shot, the ball fell to Negredo, whose shot rebounded off Kaboul and Sandro on the way into the net.
City right-back Pablo Zabaleta then released Navas on the right flank and the Spaniard's inviting low cross was expertly turned in from Aguero as the hosts all-but wrapped up the game before half-time.
Pellegrini's side continued to dominate after the break and Toure played a one-two with Negredo before surging into the Tottenham box and squaring for Aguero to slot in his 14th goal in 11 games for the club this season.
A Nasri effort came back off the crossbar before the quality of Negredo's finish for City's fifth then epitomised the home side's confidence.
The Spain forward produced a drag back from Fernandinho's through ball to leave defender Michael Dawson trailing before rifling a shot past Lloris from the edge of the box.
Pantilimon had to save an angled shot from recalled Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor but it was a rare chance for the visitors, whose misery was compounded when Navas raced clear and slotted in a sixth for City.
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Line-ups
Man City
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 30Pantilimon
- 5Zabaleta
- 26Demichelis
- 33NastasicSubstituted forLescottat 45'minutes
- 22Clichy
- 15Navas
- 25Fernandinho
- 42Y TouréBooked at 44mins
- 8NasriSubstituted forMilnerat 77'minutes
- 16AgüeroSubstituted forGarcía Fernándezat 69'minutes
- 9Negredo
Substitutes
- 1Hart
- 2Richards
- 6Lescott
- 7Milner
- 10Dzeko
- 14García Fernández
- 60Guidetti
Tottenham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 25Lloris
- 2WalkerBooked at 45mins
- 20Dawson
- 4Kaboul
- 5VertonghenBooked at 38mins
- 30Guimaraes CordeiroBooked at 20mins
- 8PaulinhoSubstituted forDembéléat 61'minutes
- 7Lennon
- 14HoltbySubstituted forAdebayorat 45'minutes
- 11Lamela
- 9SoldadoSubstituted forG Sigurdssonat 61'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Chiriches
- 10Adebayor
- 17Townsend
- 18Defoe
- 19Dembélé
- 22G Sigurdsson
- 24Friedel
- Referee:
- Howard Webb
- Attendance:
- 47,228
Match Stats
Home TeamMan CityAway TeamTottenham
- Possession
- Home47%
- Away53%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home10
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester City 6, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
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Foul by Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).
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James Milner (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!
Goal! Manchester City 6, Tottenham Hotspur 0. Jesús Navas (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Milner with a through ball.
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Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Costel Pantilimon.
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Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Jan Vertonghen tries a through ball, but Emmanuel Adebayor is caught offside.
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Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Pablo Zabaleta.
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Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Erik Lamela.
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Hand ball by Jesús Navas (Manchester City).
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Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Aaron Lennon tries a through ball, but Erik Lamela is caught offside.
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Attempt saved. Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mousa Dembélé.
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Attempt missed. Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Aaron Lennon.
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Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Pablo Zabaleta.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. James Milner replaces Samir Nasri.
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Attempt saved. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Attempt missed. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jesús Navas.
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Foul by Yaya Touré (Manchester City).
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Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt missed. Álvaro Negredo (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Jesús Navas with a cross.
