Most lingering worries within the Manchester City fanbase over Saturday’s chaotic 3-2 loss to Tottenham relate to how such a sapping defeat might affect Pep Guardiola’s side at a vital stage of the season.
There was one familiar aspect to the defeat that Blues hoped had long since been put to bed.
As in the Champions League defeat to Lyon and Chelsea in the past two years - arguably the two lowest moments of the Guardiola era - a well-drilled 3-4-3 stifled City and pulled them apart on the break (and in other ways, too - calm down, Antonio!).
