The good news for the neutral was that Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all won at the weekend, but the bad news was so did Manchester City.
Not only did they win, but they handed out a good old-fashioned spanking to Tottenham, thrashing them 4-1 to extend their record winning streak to 16 league matches.
This was the same Spurs side who last month embarrassed Real Madrid 3-1 in the Champions League, but on Saturday they were made to look second-rate as they were ripped apart by goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin de Bruyne and a pair from Raheem Sterling.
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Christian Eriksen got a very late goal for the visitors but it couldn’t even be called a consolation. Not on a day when the Sky Blues underlined just how wide the gap is between themselves and the rest of the Premier League.
They lead United by 14 points and the odds are that chasm will only increase between now and the end of the season.
What else might happen? Considering only Everton have taken a point off City this season (a 1-1 draw in August) Pep Guardiola’s side are a good bet to emulate Preston North End and Arsenal as the only sides to go a season unbeaten in the top-flight, and they are well set to break Chelsea’s record (set last season) of 30 wins in a Premier League campaign; with 17 victories already, they need 14 more wins from their remaining 20 fixtures.
Another Chelsea record in danger is the 95 points they amassed in winning the 2004-05 title. City already have racked up 52 and with sixty still on offer they are on course to become the first club to reach a century of points.
BBC Sport wonders if anyone can beat City, let alone stop them winning the title, and the answer is ‘no’.
“The Premier League’s finest managerial minds have tried different methods in a bid to halt Manchester City’s runaway lead in the Premier League - with equally unsuccessful results,” says the Beeb.
In beating their nearest rivals (BBC Sport notes that City are the first team since Wolves in 1953-54 to defeat Spurs, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in the league before Christmas), City are also knocking their confidence.
The Gunners, beaten 3-1 at the start of the month, haven’t been the same side since, while United, who lost to City last weekend, laboured to a 2-1 win over WBA yesterday.
How Tottenham respond to Saturday’s mauling will be a test of character for Pochettino’s young side. “I think it was a good experience for the team,” reflected Pochettino. “When you win and play well you maybe don’t learn, so you must learn this type of game.”
The worrying news for Tottenham and the rest of City’s rivals, says BBC Sport, is that the club intend “to build a dynasty to rival that of Manchester United”.
Guardiola will be offered a new contract at the end of the season as the Sky Blues look to ensure the Spaniard stays put and turns them into the most dominant club in Europe, as United were for a while under Alex Ferguson.
Premier League results
- Leicester City 0 Crystal Palace 3
- Arsenal 1 Newcastle United 0
- Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Burnley 0
- Chelsea 1 Southampton 0
- Watford 1 Huddersfield Town 4
- Stoke City 0 West Ham United 3
- Manchester City 4 Tottenham Hotspur 1
- West Bromwich Albion 1 Manchester United 2
- AFC Bournemouth 0 Liverpool 4
Tonight’s Premier League fixture
- Everton vs. Swansea City (8pm, live on Sky Sports)
