Manchester City’s start to the season is beginning to feel suspiciously like it may have been a deception. Plenty were reeled in but five straight wins in the Premier League have been followed by two consecutive defeats and, having begun the new campaign so exhilaratingly, their supporters must be startled about the speed at which everything has started to unravel and the shortcomings from last season have resurfaced.


It is certainly difficult to recall too many occasions since the Abu Dhabi money started to flood in that the modern-day City have defended so chaotically or looked so vulnerable. Tottenham gratefully took advantage once they had shaken their heads clear from going behind to Kevin De Bruyne’s breakaway goal. They levelled just before half-time courtesy of Eric Dier’s 25-yard strike and City simply dissolved after the interval,
capitulating in a way that does not say a great deal for the character of this team.


In the process, Harry Kane returned to the business of scoring goals for Tottenham, breaking a run that had gone over 12 hours.
Toby Alderweireld had given Tottenham the lead four minutes into the second half with a header from Erik Lamela’s free-kick. Kane scored Tottenham’s third with the follow-up effort after Christian Eriksen had curled another free-kick against the crossbar and Lamela added the fourth with City’s defence in a state of disarray.


Manuel Pellegrini is entitled to be aggrieved about some of the key decisions on a day when three of the goals – two for Tottenham and one for City – could have been disallowed for offside. Yet the City manager must be alarmed about the vulnerabilities of his team without the sturdy presence of Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart. City also lost Yaya Touré to a injury during the match and, missing key men, they were overwhelmed during the second half by a Spurs side who could also reflect on Son Heung-min’s disallowed goal.