Man City dealt reality check but idea Guardiola has failed his first test is wrong

t will be argued that the Blues have had it easy up until now but they did to their other opponents what Spurs did to them: made them look average through their own brilliance

---

COMMENT

---

Pep Guardiola has said a few times he knows what will happen when his Manchester City finally lose, and we are about to find out if he is right.
With three Fernandinhos we’d win the league - Guardiola
The Catalan intimated his high-intensity approach will be scrutinised, that he himself will be looked at differently. He says he has a novelty factor and that it will wear off someday and, no doubt, there are many waiting for any excuse to write him off.
Before we get into the inquest, however, it must be pointed out that Tottenham were excellent in their 2-0 victory. In fact, their excellence is central to the point. The Spurs players did not give City an inch. They knew their gameplan and executed it to perfection - working their socks off and passing with precision. Heung-Min Son continued his fine form, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen were majestic, and Vincent Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko shut down what has so often been a perfectly functioning City midfield.
So what went wrong for Guardiola's side? Without the injured Kevin De Bruyne and the quietly impressive Nolito, who is suspended, Guardiola looked for extra legs in his midfield and pushed Fernandinho further forward in place of Ilkay Gundogan, and brought Fernando and Jesus Navas into the side.
RUMOURS: Nasri to snub China for MLS move
It is the first time Fernandinho has not sat at the back of the midfield, and the first Premier League game that De Bruyne has missed. Those alterations are sure to harm City, but it is hard to imagine they would have been able to stop this relentless Spurs side.
The Londoners' gameplan also exploited some areas of City's squad that many would have strengthened over the summer. Nicolas Otamendi was isolated and looked as ragged as he did for much of his debut season; Pablo Zabaleta was again overwhelmed, and Aleksandar Kolarov had his second poor game of the week.