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Manchester City and Totttenham clashed in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal fixture, with Spurs drawing first blood courtesy a 1-0 win ahead of their second leg away trip to The Etihad in a week's time.
The Citizens are still in the hunt to become the first ever English club to win a quadruple and entered the game as favourites owing to their superior firepower. However, the Londoners had other plans and would go into the second leg with renewed optimism, while City's lack of an away goal means they would have to be at their optimum if they are to progress.
This was the first of three consecutive clashes between both sides, as they would meet over the weekend in the Premier League before playing the crunch second leg of their UCL clash.
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This loss would come as a heavy blow to City who had been unbeaten for 23 matches in all competitions since January. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at four reasons why Tottenham defeated them in the Champions League.
#4 Absence of creativity in midfield
Manchester City are arguably the most creative side in all of Europe, possessing numerous world class players in the middle of the park, which ensures that creativity is rarely a problem for the Mancunians.
Under Guardiola, the Premier League side have taken their game to even higher levels, with their style of play prioritizing playing through the middle such that chances are always at a plentiful in every match.
However, in the game against Tottenham, Guardiola started without Bernardo Silva who was rested, while Kevin de Bruyne, who has been plagued by numerous injuries throughout the season, was only fit enough for the bench.
These two players are among the most creative in Manchester City, and even though the club has more than adequate replacements, nobody else quite offers what the duo can do This lack of creativity was evident in City's play on the night, as they struggled to impose themselves on the match, and were a far cry from the standards they've set to over the years.
In total, City had 57% of the ball, but this possession did not amount to much, as they rarely troubled Hugo Lloris in goal, fashioning just two shots on target in 90 minutes, one of which was a missed penalty.
Manchester City have made a name for themselves as masters of creativity, but on the night against Tottenham, they were painfully deficient in fashioning chances and this proved fatal in the defeat, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
#3 Aguero uncharacteristically off colour
Sergio Aguero has cemented his legacy as the greatest player in Manchester City's history and indeed one of the greatest to ever grace the Premier League.
His performance levels since arriving Manchester in 2012 have been extraordinary, banging in goals for fun to help City to numerous domestic titles.
The 30-year-old has been Guardiola's chief attacking threat and the Catalan's trust has been rewarded, as Aguero has maintained an unbelievable record of 0.7 goals per game in the league.
To state that he is 'Mr Dependable' for City would be merely stating the obvious, as most of the club's successes in recent years have come through him.
However, in the game against Tottenham, Aguero was uncharacteristically off colour, hitting a tame VAR-awarded penalty at Lloris in the 12th minute. This was a sign of things to come for him, as the Argentine international was virtually a passenger for the rest of the match.
He failed to have another significant moment of note in the match and was hauled off to be replaced by Gabriel Jesus on 71 minutes, having made just a paltry 18 touches for the entirety of his stay on the field.
If City are to progress in this tie, then they must score at least two goals in the second leg and as such, Guardiola would be hoping there would be no repeat of the shambolic performance in North London from Aguero.
#2 Fatigue
Manchester City's emphatic performance till this point this season means they are still in the running for a unique quadruple.
The League Cup has already been wrapped up, while they are also through to the final of the FA Cup and are currently engaged in an intense battle with Liverpool for league glory.
This consequently means that the club has extra pile of fixtures to prosecute, more than most teams, and this hands an edge to their rivals.
To put this in perspective, since the start of January, Manchester City have been involved in 23 matches (which is more than any other club in Europe's top five leagues), while their Champions League opponents Tottenham have prosecuted just 19 matches.
In essence, City have played four matches more - the equivalent of six hours extra of top professional football and this has undoubtedly taken a massive toll on their player's bodies.
It is well established that Guardiola has arguably the largest squad in all of Europe, but there is only so much rotation that can be done without resorting to a core group of trusted players to get the job done at the business end of the campaign.
In last weekend's FA Cup semifinal clash with Brighton, which sealed their passage to the final, City started with the seven of the same 11 which prosecuted the game with Tottenham, hence while City players were toiling and sweating it out on the field for 90 minutes, their Tottenham counterparts were getting rests ahead of their epic showdown.
City entered the clash against Spurs with barely a two-day rest, while the Tottenham players were last in action six days ago and the difference in freshness was obvious from the get go, as the Citizens were lacking in the usual fluidity and slick play associated with them.
Pep Guardiola is attempting to rewrite history with Manchester City and given the gruelling nature of top level professional football, the sad reality is that their quest comes at a cost and unfortunately, that reality played a part in Manchester City losing to Tottenham.
#1 Home advantage
The importance of home advantage in a football match cannot be overemphasized, as the noise and passion generated b fans have been proven over time to give players the extra psychological boost needed to go all the way in a football match.
There is a reason the fans are called the '12th man' in a football game and against Manchester City, the Spurs fans came all out in their full voice to spur Spurs - pun intended - to victory.
The London club recently completed their new 62,000 capacity stadium and the edifice is really a site to behold, as Daniel Levy and the Spurs board left no stone unturned in ensuring that the club gets a new home ground befitting their rising stature.
The stadium played host to its first ever match over the weekend, as Tottenham defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 in a routine Premier League victory.
The clash against Manchester City represented the first opportunity for the stadium to experience European football and the fans came out in their numbers, filling the ground to the rafters, and cheering their team on to victory.
Having been without a permanent home for almost two seasons, Tottenham would be pleased to finally have a place to call their own and the next focus would be on turning the Tottenham Hotspur stadium into a fortress. The club took the first steps towards achieving that with victory over Manchester City.
