Frequent failures: Tottenham yet to learn from mistakes against top 6
As frequently as it's used when considering the qualities of a title challenger, the adage "you have to beat the best to be the best" certainly applies when considering Tottenham's Premier League ambitions.
Since Mauricio Pochettino took the Spurs' reins in May 2014, Tottenham has won just one league match away from home against the rest of the division's top six. For all the talk of the north London lot's emergence as a title challenger, it appears no nearer to a Premier League title than when it buckled against Chelsea in an ill-tempered clash at Stamford Bridge in 2016.
A squandered two-goal advantage that day gifted Leicester City a shocking league triumph, but as disappointing as Tottenham's display was, the squad's discipline and composure when it mattered most was the prevailing takeaway from a catastrophic evening in west London. A record nine yellow cards courtesy of horror tackles and eye gouges were doled out as Spurs capitulated its best league campaign since 1960-61, and Pochettino's lot would go on to finish third in a two-horse race behind hated nemesis Arsenal.
History repeating itself
On Saturday at the Etihad, Tottenham was again undisciplined when countering the opponent's countless virtues required the utmost focus. Both Harry Kane and Dele Alli were shown yellows and were fortunate not to be sent off for bone-shaking tackles that could have sent Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne to the infirmary. After breaking Jack Wilshere's leg last season with a similarly daft challenge - and getting away with it - it appears as if Kane hasn't learned. Similarly, Alli has made a habit of daft challenges that continue to put his side at risk. When they work, he's praised for playing with an edge, but when they don't, it shows a protracted maturation as a footballer.
Big-game brain farts weren't limited to the tackles, either. Ilkay Gundogan was unmarked on the opener, and Eric Dier appeared out of position on numerous occasions, most noticeably when the Englishman's limp effort at a clearance handed City a fourth, minutes from time. Same goes for Mousa Dembele, who was clearly off the pace and lacking fitness but was no more tuned into the match than his teammate. First, the defensive midfielder displayed a Sunday league touch in losing possession to countryman De Bruyne, then Dembele ran alongside that fair-haired playmaker before seemingly giving up on the play. Sterling would cap the attack with a goal in the blink of an eye.
The 4-1 result was Tottenham's fourth defeat in five tries against top-six sides this season, with losses against City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea highlighting a failure to perform when it matters most. The outlier, a three-goal victory over Liverpool at Wembley, was the prototype of the Reds' porous backline, with calamitous centre-half Dejan Lovren being taken off after 30 minutes as Jurgen Klopp waved a flag the same shade as Roberto Firmino's luminous grill.
Failures in punching up
Spurs have fared slightly better against the top six at home since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, winning nine times. Those 27 points, paired with a trio from the sole away win in 2015-16, amount to 30 points out of a possible 60 against fellow title challengers, begging the question: Is Tottenham really a title challenger?
Results would suggest otherwise, and with Saturday's defeat giving City a 21-point advantage on sixth-placed Spurs, it appears as if it may get worse before it gets better. If Tottenham really is growing under Pochettino's tutelage, it didn't show at the Etihad. Several instances showed that the squad hasn't matured since the capitulation at Stamford Bridge in 2016, and it's arguable that besides the goal-scoring exploits of Harry Kane and the well-rounded advancement of Christian Eriksen, the club is stagnating.
If displays against the top six are any indication, Tottenham's title claims are devoid of merit, and for supporters, it's not too early to become concerned. Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose are likely to walk, and with increasingly ballooning stadium costs looming large, the club continues to pay wages that are a pittance compared to the likes of the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. For fear of losing its best players to big-money rivals, Tottenham will have to significantly alter its wage structure, and that's not the only change Spurs will require: They'll need to start beating Premier League sides that share the same title ambitions.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)