Premier League joy for Postecoglou as Spurs beat Manchester City 4-0 away from home to go sixth on the table
It was all fun before the game, but only Ange Postecoglou was laughing afterwards as Spurs thrashed Manchester City.
Ange Postecoglou and his Spurs side have 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 by the end of 90 minutes in Manchester, it was Guardiola and his team who were feeling the pressure and Postecoglou and Spurs who were still laughing after the 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 in added time as the Londoners subjected City to a lopsided loss.
City remain second in the table on 23 points but are five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, with the Reds having a game in hand, while Spurs climbed to sixth on 19 points after 12 games.
Earlier in the week, Postecoglou had admitted that if his team — which was then lying 10th in the league — was still mid-table by Christmas, scrutiny would rightly be placed on the team and his management.
James Maddison scored twice in the first 20 minutes to give Spurs a flying start against Manchester City.
The Australian was naturally delighted with his team's performance on Saturday, saying Spurs had stood up to a big Premier League test.
"(I'm) super proud of the lads," Postecoglou told Optus Sport after the game.
"You come to City, at this place (in Manchester), it's a pretty daunting prospect for anybody.
"I've said it before, it challenges every part of your football abilities.
"We had to do a bit of everything today, we had to defend, which I thought we did do really well, we had to be disciplined, work hard and we had to play some decent football, which I think we did."
"(This season) our flat spots have been really flat, and that's something we need 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 don't dismiss today, because it is significant," Postecoglou said.
Misery continues for City, Guardiola
On the other side, City's misery continued with the shock rout marking the first time in Guardiola's dazzling managerial career that he has lost five games in a row across all competitions.
James Maddison scored twice in the span of seven first-half minutes, while Pedro Porro netted shortly after the break and Brennan Johnson added a fourth goal deep in added time to complete a dirty day for the home side.
It was City's biggest loss in their history at the City of Manchester Stadium, and their three consecutive league losses are also a first during Guardiola's eight-plus seasons as boss.
"These are rare days, to come to the champions and especially City considering how they have dominated over the last few years in Europe as well," Maddison, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday, told Sky Sports.
"To come home with four-nil is special, these are the days you remember and I think it's important we enjoy it."
Guardiola's four-time defending champions had 23 shots to 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 match out of reach in the 52nd minute when Dominic Solanke cut back the ball for the Spaniard who unleashed a first-time effort past Ederson, and then substitute Johnson added one more in the 93rd minute.
Timo Werner sprinted down the left past Kyle Walker before sending a low cross across the face of the goal that Johnson slid to knock in, watched by City's shell-shocked fans.
Guardiola had previously lost 4-0 three previous times, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and with City, in a 4-0 defeat to 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.
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