EPL 2017/18: Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur - 5 Talking Points

Final Score: Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Goals: ?lkay Gündo?an 14' (Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne 70' (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling 80' (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling 93' (Manchester City), Christian Eriksen 90+3' (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Citizens extended their winning run to 16 games as they continue to exceed expectations and emphasise the gulf in quality between them and the rest of the Premier League.

City finished the first half 1-0 up but could have had a much bigger lead due to limiting Tottenham and keeping a lot of the play in the final third. They didn't make the most out of a few big chances with Sterling and Gündo?an being guilty of that.

Tottenham started the second half with a lot more intensity which was noticeable in their passing and pressing off the opposition. City weathered the storm, though, and restricted them to a few half-chances. The rest of the match just showed the difference between them as City started to control the game and create clear-cut chances which they converted.

Here are the five main talking points of the match:

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#5 Tottenham's injuries affect the team's balance

Tottenham Hotspur missed Toby Alderweireld

Spurs were without Victor Wanyama, Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sánchez for this match. The first two are injured while the Colombian defender was still suspended. This affected the team significantly because it limited how Mauricio Pochettino could set up the team as well as impacting their midfield strength.

Wanyama would have been ideal for this match because of his ability to break up opposition attacks, and this would have freed up Harry Winks to be more ambitious. Alderweireld's absence was clear because he is their best defender and the unavailability of Sanchez meant Eric Dier has to start as a centre-back.

Dier is significantly better as a defensive midfielder and Mousa Dembélé took his place in midfield. The Belgian thrives on carrying the ball upfield rather than acting as a defensive screen. Therefore, these three absences had a major impact on Tottenham's starting eleven because of the chain reaction they caused.

#4 Man City overcome key absences

Manchester City coped without David Silva

City came into this match without John Stones or David Silva who have been instrumental in their success. Stones offers the ability to break the opposition lines from deep positions with his passing. This enables the team to play through the press or break down deep defences depending on how the opposition set up.

None of the other centre-backs offers the same kind of vision, but Nicolás Otamendi acted as a capable backup in this match. There were multiple times when he found Sergio Aguero or an attacking midfielder with a ground pass from deep.

The main difference for this match was the absence of Silva because Stones had been absent for a few matches prior to this so City have been able to adjust for that. ?lkay Gündo?an came in for the creative Spaniard. This didn't affect their build-up play and actually allowed them to be stronger in the midfield area because of Gündo?an's defensive positional intelligence and tackling ability. De Bruyne took on more creative responsibility in his absence and thrived at it as he unpicked Tottenham's defence multiple times.

#3 Leroy Sané dominates the left flank

Leroy Sané was a major threat

The German winger was a constant nuisance as he repeatedly got past Kieran Trippier. City focussed their attacks down this side due to the danger that Sané offered and the fact that he was repeatedly winning 1v1s. The benefits of this showed in the second half, possibly due to Tottenham starting to tire, because De Bruyne and Sané were both able to get in behind Trippier. De Bruyne was direct while Sané was unselfish as he assisted Sterling.

This reflects the danger that City possesses because they have threats all across the forward lines as well as two talented creators behind them, although Silva wasn't playing in this match. Pep Guardiola can pinpoint an opposition weakness and City have the tools to adapt and utilise that. They don't rely on one player, so their success and form is sustainable. That's not taking into the account the fact that they have options on the bench that can come on alter games.

Sané is an immensely talented individual as well because he is only 21-years-old but already looks like a world-beater. Buying him for £46.5 million looks like an absolute bargain; he and Sterling can terrorise opposition defences from either flank for many years to come.

#2 Intense midfield pressing battle

Harry Winks as pushed to his limits by the relentless opposition

Much of the match devolved into a struggle for dominance between the two midfielders with City winning the majority of the duels. This allowed them to build up the pressure in the final third and eventually score. Pochettino opted to have Harry Kane and Son Heung-min stay in front of the City defence rather than come back and aid the team defensively. This disrupted the connection between City's defence and midfield.

Guardiola's team were able to play around this as they were able to play directly through Ederson's precision over long distances. Otamendi also occasionally missed out the midfield with direct balls to the forwards. The midfield was also able to retain possession with Fabian Delph moving up to provide another option and help outnumber the Spurs midfield.

Having Kane and Son up front also gave them a greater chance of taking advantage of counter-attacks or direct play. However, City were able to restrict these opportunities through the intensity of their pressing and counter-pressing which limited the time on the ball for Spurs.

Tottenham were effective at disrupting City for periods with their organised pressing in the midfield, which limited the service to the forwards. The issue for them was that they couldn't keep it up consistently and City started to play around it with deadly results.

#1 Variety of goals for City

?lkay Gündo?an opened the scoring with a bullet header

This match showcased the multiple ways that the Citizens can hurt the opposition. They opened the scoring with another set-piece goal to add to their two against Manchester United. The second came from a quick transition and the third was a sharp attacking move which was more reminiscent of their usual style. Sterling's second and City's fourth was a ball in behind the defence which the English winger was able to take around Hugo Lloris.

They aren't limited to one style or method of scoring; the goals are shared across the team and they are clinical. This ability to take advantage of any opportunity means that the opposition has to be fully focused for the entire match as City gradually up the tempo. Spurs were more ambitious than most teams, to their credit, as they attempted to keep the game in the midfield third rather than purely setting up a low block. City were just too good, though.

The first goal came about due to poor marking, but not much could be done about the rest. They were quick, decisive attacks which exploited gaps in the Tottenham defence. Guardiola won't be happy about conceding as he sets high standards in his quest for perfection, but it was a brilliant team performance.

This would have been a much closer game if Tottenham had their best starting eleven because of how cohesive, fluid and balanced that team is, but City didn't have all their key players available and still dominated. They are just a level above everyone else currently.