Make no mistake – five defeats in a row for the Premier League champions constitutes a mini crisis. Even in an era of sensationalism, there is no getting away from that.
Because this was different. This was not a reserve side losing in the League Cup (at Spurs), or being caught out by a relentless Bournemouth, or missing chances galore at Sporting Lisbon and Brighton which came back to haunt them.
This was a much stronger line-up with a number of key players returning. That they started on fire at home to Spurs and conceded the first time they were attacked said it all.
Manchester City look vulnerable, fragile and lacking in confidence right now.
For the history makers amongst you, to save you scrabbling through the record books, the last time City lost five consecutive games in all competitions was April 2006 under Stuart Pearce.
Now let’s put it in perspective. Until the start of this month, City had not lost a Premier League game for 11 months – they’ve now lost three in as many weeks.
They remain the country’s top side and will bounce back from this. But I doubt they will retain the title.
Spurs, meanwhile, deserve the plaudits for a display which combined clinical attacking with dogged defensiveness as they preyed on the hosts’ uncertainty.
Not only did this result upset the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds but shocked me – I pondered it but never felt they could inflict a further wound on Pep Guardiola’s men while they are down.
Yet I doubt they can finish above City or, realistically, in the top four.
One of the reasons I believe that is best summed up by this statistic: Spurs, who lost 2-1 to Ipswich before the international break, have become only the second team in Premier League history to lose at home to a promoted side in one match, then beat the reigning champions away in the next.
The other was Liverpool in December 2000 – against, also, Ipswich and Manchester United.
If the Etihad Stadium witnessed the standout result of the Premier League weekend, others were also notable.
Fresh from beating City, Brighton showed their mettle once more with a 2-1 triumph at Bournemouth. It was particularly impressive given they played most of the second half with 10 men following Carlos Baleba’s second yellow card just before the hour mark.
By that point they were in cruise control after João Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma struck at the start of each half.
With the away following repeatedly chanting about qualifying for European football, amid wet and windy conditions, young boss Fabian Hürzeler was in no mood to dampen expectations.
If the Seagulls manage that, despite constantly losing their best talent, it will be an even better achievement than Roberto De Zerbi managed two seasons ago.
For now though, they can enjoy bragging rights and south coast supremacy.
A word also for Aston Villa who may not have got the result they craved but showed real character to twice fight back at home to Crystal Palace.
The Eagles took an early lead when Ismaila Sarr raced on to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s pass and slotted past Emiliano Martinez.
Villa began to grow into the game and equalised through Ollie Watkins, who rounded Dean Henderson and passed into an empty net to end his five-game goal drought.
Unai Emery’s side were buoyed by the goal and were soon awarded a penalty when Will Hughes fouled Leon Bailey, but Youri Tielemans’ spot-kick was superbly saved by Henderson.
Palace retook the lead 57 seconds later when 21 year-old Justin Devenny, making his second senior appearance for the club, converted a Sarr cross to finish a swift counter-attack.
Henderson and Maxence Lacroix produced several key interventions to maintain the visitors’ advantage, but neither could do anything to stop Ross Barkley heading in from a corner with just over 10 minutes left.
They may not have the squad depth of some of their counterparts competing at home and abroad, but Villa remain a side which will give everything until the end.
Onto Sunday and, despite a spirited showing from bottom Southampton, Liverpool extended their lead to eight points at the summit which, even in November, seems a gap which will be hard to bridge.
It was a contest which also showed how vital Mohamed Salah is to the Merseysiders as his second half double won the game just as City and Arsenal were getting hopeful.
It also emerged on Sunday afternoon that Leicester, defeated 2-1 at home by Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime, had parted ways with Steve Cooper.
In 16th place and two points above the drop zone, it appears the club owners are getting twitchy – Cooper only took over from Enzo Maresca in the summer after the Italian, who Leicester to the Championship title, headed to Chelsea.
Even though Premier League highlights have been few and far between thus far, it is a decision which seems harsh.
Has the club not learned the lesson of acting so rashly – in April last year FA Cup winning boss Brendan Rodgers was surprisingly fired (albeit the Foxes were in the drop zone at the time) and promptly went down.
Cooper has a weaker squad than Rodgers possessed and is keeping them afloat.
And so, onto the final game of the weekend and all eyes were on the Manchester United dugout at Portman Road and a first game for the man who has succeeded Erik ten Hag.
Ruben Amorim enjoyed a dream start as Marcus Rashford opened the scoring inside two minutes only for his new charges to be pegged back just before the break, through an Omari Hutchinson stunner.
That’s how it stayed to confirm the new boss will need some time to implement his ideas, all the while former United man Kieron McKenna continues to shine at the newly promoted ‘Tractor Boys’.
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