Manchester City are paying the price for climbing the mountain many times over | OneFootball

Towards the latter stages of Manchester City’s 4-nil thumping at the hands of Tottenham at the Etihad, you got the impression that City’s player’s minds were willing, but their bodies were not.  Ange Postecoglou’s side looked to have the younger and hungrier players while City’s players did look their age. Come the final whistle it did look like the Manchester City squad are now paying the price for climbing the mountain several times over.

That isn’t the sole reason for Manchester City’s hammering at the hands of Tottenham at the Etihad. Tottenham were far too clinical for Pep Guardiola’s side. A brace from James Maddison and goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson gave Spurs a deserved victory. Ange Postecoglou’s side deserves all the credit in the world for how they dismantled the world champions. But you did get the sense yesterday that perhaps last season was the final epic battle this Manchester City squad had in them.

READ MORE: City player ratings from Manchester City’s 4-nil thumping at the hands of Tottenham.

Watching Manchester City’s new documentary Together: Four-In-A-Row you could see the toll of last season’s title success took on Pep Guardiola’s squad. It required all of the world champions mental resolve and physical energy to fend off Arsenal and Liverpool’s challenge last season. It was a super human effort to create history last season. But efforts like that come at a price. Manchester City look to be paying that price right now.

There are other factors in City’s current slump. Injuries have played a part. Players losing confidence and playing well below their best is another. But Manchester City’s warriors like Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan and even Kevin De Bruyne to name a few look to be struggling with the demands placed on them. Their minds look willing but their bodies do not. That does appear to be a sign of age and battles past catching up to Pep Guardiola’s squad. It does happen in football all the time. Eras end and when it happens it can happen abruptly. We may be seeing that with this Manchester City squad.

To win all they have over the past seven seasons has taken a super human effort from Pep Guardiola’s side. But eventually there would be a toll to pay for their unparalleled success. They may be paying that now as young and hungry challengers rise up. Tottenham are just one side with the legs and hunger to take full advantage of City’s frailties. There are and will be others.

But if City’s 5-game losing run is a sign of the toll of Manchester City’s heroics catching up to them City’s warriors have done all they can to secure their place in history. But that doesn’t mean much right now but that may be the reality of what we are watching from Pep Guardiola’s side at the moment.