LONDON: Rampant Manchester City shredded the Premier League’s meanest defense with a 6-0 home thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to roar into the title race.
Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas both scored twice for City who have now scored 13 goals in their last two home games while hapless Tottenham conceded as many in one match as they had in their previous 11 league outings.
A sixth home win in six put City in fourth place on 22 points, ahead of Southampton on goal difference.
Cross-town rivals Manchester United are in sixth place, only having earned one point at Cardiff.
Wayne Rooney put United into the lead in the 15th minute, but Fraizer Campbell equalised in the 33rd.
Patrice Evra put the Red Devils ahead again in the 45th minute, but a slim lead was all United could create for themselves until Kim Bo-Kyung scored the equaliser in the 90th minute to see the game end 2-2.
Tottenham actually controlled periods of the first half but were always playing catch-up after falling behind after 15 seconds following a mistake from their goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
From the kickoff, Tottenham played the ball back to the French international whose clearance went straight to Aguero.
Lloris saved from the Argentine striker but the ball rolled to Navas whose chip curled over the out-of-position keeper to give City the lead.
It was the second-fastest goal of the season after the wind-assisted one scored by Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic against Southampton in 13 seconds.
“It was a difficult start, conceding after 15 seconds. That puts your plans in doubts and everything you’ve been preparing,” stunned Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said.
“There’s not a lot to look for; everything went bad for us from being one of the best defenses in the country to suffering six goals. There’s not a lot we can say. City were excellent, we were extremely poor today and paid a heavy price.”
Another poor clearance by Lloris led to City doubling their lead after 34 minutes when Younes Kaboul’s clearance from Aguero’s shot cannoned in off of Tottenham midfielder Sandro.
Aguero’s deft finish just before halftime effectively killed off Spurs and when he and Alvaro Negredo both produced superb finishes early in the second half Tottenham were in danger of suffering their worst Premier League defeat.
Villas-Boas gave striker Emmanuel Adebayor his first action of the season after the break but Tottenham’s goal-shy attack rarely threatened City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, again selected in place of England’s Joe Hart.
Navas ran through alone to complete the rout in stoppage-time as City’s goal tally for the season rose to 34.
While City appear to be on the up despite some poor away results, Tottenham, who have managed a meager nine goals in 12 league games, have slipped down to ninth with 20 points.
In the late game on Friday, Chelsea beat West Ham 3-0. (Reuters)