MAN CITY 6, TOTTENHAM 0
Manchester City produced the perfect performance to extend their perfect home Premier League record with victory against Tottenham.
They made it six straight home league victories in 2013/14 to move back into the top four, a position they would hold on to providing neighbours United didn’t win later in the day at Cardiff City.
It was another imperious home display from City, a marked contrast to their awful away record, as they tore apart a Spurs side which, remarkably, had conceded only six goals in its first 11 league matches before the visit to the Etihad Stadium.
There were two goals apiece for Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas and one for Alvaro Negredo while Sandro put through his own goal.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini was delighted saying: ”You don’t expect to win 6-0 against a strong side like Tottenham.
“We played really well to score six goals and defended well as Tottenham have important attacking players.”
Pellegrini also remarked on his side’s remarkable goalscoring exploits at the Etihad Stadium.
”We have scored 26 goals in six home league games, but I am more happy with the way we played as a balanced team, both attacking and defending,” he continued.
Pellegrini also addressed the contrast between their impressive home form and poor away record.
He said: “We do not play differently away where we have more chances and possession than our opponents.
“If you review all our away games, you will see we have had bad luck.
“If we continue to play the same way, I am sure we will soon start winning away.”
There was an explosive start as City took the lead after only 14 seconds.
Spurs took the kick off and the ball was played back to keeper Hugo Lloris whose poor clearance found Aguero.
Lloris appeared to redeem himself with a brilliant save to deny the Argentinian only for the rebound to fly to Navas who found the net with an audacious chip.
Spurs had a great chance to equalise when Erik Lamela’s shot was cleared off the goalline by Martin Demichelis.
City could have been 2-0 ahead inside seven minutes when Aguero was put clean through by Alvaro Negredo, but he failed to chip Lloris.
After an opening played at a whirlwind pace, the match finally settled and Spurs had a couple of efforts to get back on level terms as there was no inkling as to what lay ahead for them.
But City took a stronger hold when they score a second goal in the 34th minute and again in stemmed from a poor clearance from Lloris.
Aguero’s shot was blocked by Lloris, but Negredo swept home the loose ball which went in off both Younes Kaboul and Sandro with the latter being debited with an own goal.
And it got even better for City when they added a third goal four minutes before the break.
Navas crossed from the right and Aguero side footed a delightful near-post shot into the far corner of the net for his 14th goal of the season from only 15 appearances.
City added a fourth goal soon after the restart. Yaya Toure broke down the left eluding Kyle Walker before squaring the ball for Aguero to slot home his 15th of a highly productive campaign.
Samir Nasri was then denied by the crossbar before a fifth goal arrived in the 55th minute when Fernandinho played a delightful through ball to release Negredo who fired high to the left of Lloris for his 11th of the season.
Unsurprisingly the game died in the final half hour with the result done and dusted, though they had chances to score a sixth.
And at the opposite end, City keeper Costel Pantilimon pulled off a excellent save to deny former City striker Emmanuel Adebayor and preserve a clean sheet.
Navas had the last word in stoppage time when he scored City’s sixth sprinting on to James Milner’s through ball and coolly slotting the ball low past the hapless Lloris as this was only the tenth time in Spurs’ history that they had lost a league game by a margin of six or more goals.