Now they have all tried and now they have all failed, those other five heavyweights of the Premier League who purport to chase the title.
We had told ourselves that this league was more competitive than ever; that only England could boast six teams which could genuinely contend for the top spot, unlike those continental European leagues where it was often all over by Christmas.
But Tottenham really were our only hope after Manchester United meekly surrendered last weekend. After all, last season it was Mauricio Pochettino who halted the initial Pep Guardiola bandwagon and such was the jolt in the road that City never really got going again.
Raheem Sterling arrives at the far post to tap home in the closing stages and secure another win for Manchester City
Moments earlier Kevin De Bruyne had won a penalty after going down under the challenge of Jan Vertonghen
But Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus was unable to convert from the spot and saw his effort crash against the post
Pep Guardiola lets the emotion seep out after realising his side are on course for yet another crucial victory
Goalkeeper Ederson celebrates with the supporters behind his goal as City bag their second of the match
Kevin De Bruyne crashes an effort into the roof of the Spurs goal to put City 2-0 up following a slick counter-attack
And with the genius that is David Silva missing this game, hopes stirred of a contest. The more ambitious dreamed of a title race re-opened, though that might have been fanciful. Still, the eerie fog hanging over the Etihad suggested something miraculous and that we might see a team at least expose some weakness in this delightful City side.
By the end, as City stroked the ball around cutting swathes through a Tottenham team which had never truly been allowed a foothold in the game it all seemed a little foolish. City simply cruised towards a new record 16th consecutive win.
The final humiliation for Spurs was a hopeful Bernando Silva ball on 89 minutes which Eric Dier completely missed. and Raheem Sterling chased. Hugo Lloris, spooked by Sterling, allowed the ball through his legs meaning Sterling could simply run it into the net, a little embarrassed at the ease of it all. That made it 4-0. It might have easily been 6-0 by then.
There was a footnote written by Christian Eriksen who in time added on wriggled through City’s defence and struck well to make it 4-1. But it was as irrelevance. Tottenham had been comprehensively beaten. Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane had been superb and Gundogan had made light of Silva’s absence.
You yearned for perhaps the first genuine challenge City have faced in the Premier League this season.
Jose Mourinho threw in the towel; Jurgen Klopp’s attempt was undone by Sadio Mane’s sending off; Ronald Koeman came closest but was then sacked; Antonio Conte had his moments but even so was second best; Arsene Wenger thought the ref rather than his team’s ability had conspired against him.
But with a team coached by Mauricio Pochettino, like Guardiola a disciple of the purist passing and persistent pressing of Marcelo Bielsa, this looked like a clash to relish, even if Tottenham’s form has been unpredictable since that glorious win over Real Madrid.
The mercurial playmaker wheels away in celebration after putting City in the driving seat at the Etihad
An unmarked Ilkay Gundogan dives to make contact with Leroy Sane’s corner and scores his first goal of the season
The Germany international peels away in celebration after breaking the deadlock in the crunch tie at the Etihad
Tottenham players stand around asking questions of one another as Gundogan celebrates with team-mate Fernandinho
Raheem Sterling rues a missed opportunity after blazing an effort over the bar following a save by Hugo Lloris
But Tottenham, who are nothing if not on the front foot harrying opponents, started cautiously. They even appeared to drop off City. Perhaps they just couldn’t get the ball.
But it was more than that. When they did have it, they were uncharacteristically sloppy. Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli, Hugo Lloris and Danny Rose were al responsible for misplaced passes, skewed clearances or over-hit crosses in that opening period. There was none of the crispness and intensity you associate with Spurs.
City, by contrast, were quite themselves, cutting a swathe through Tottenham, with Leroy Sané seemingly too quick and too good for Trippier. What would have been more galling for Pochettino was that when City took the lead, it wasn’t a counter attack which was impossible to defend or a slick passing move which would have left any team bedazzled.
No, a simple corner routine did for Tottenham on 14 minutes, with Sané delivering and Ilkay Giundogan the unmarked midfield runner heading home. Life at the Etihad is difficult enough; conceding in that fashion makes it nigh on impossible.
Harry Kane goes into referee Craig Pawson’s booked following a heavy challenge winger Sterling
The rain and mist swirled down together at the Etihad in what were testing conditions for both sets of players
Kevin De Bruyne battles with Mousa Dembele in the heart of midfield as City look to assert their dominance early on
There should have been more but for Hugo Lloris, who parried Aguero’s strike on 24 minutes after a lovely through ball from Kevin De Bruyne. Sterling hit the rebound over. Lloris had to push away a close-range shot from Gundogan on 27 minutes and then plucked the ball from the feet of Sané as the German raced through on 33 minutes. Aguero shot just wide on 34minutes.
Tottenham simply couldn’t make an impact on the game. Otamendi managed to do so, with a boot to Kane’s head. And Kane did manage a shot just wide on 35minutes. But in reality City’s stars were shining while Kane, Eriksen and Alli saw their abilities dulled.
Tottenham did start the second half with more intent. Otamendi had to clear when Winks, Eriksen and Kane combined on 49 minutes and Son Heung-Min was poorly served by Kane’s over-hit pass on 50 minutes. When Trippier sprinted past Delph on 51 minutes and earned a free kick, it was the first time Tottenham had managed to expose one of the obvious weaknesses in City’s back four. Though City cleared the free kick, fresh hope was growing in Tottenham.
On 54 minutes, Kane struck a shot from 20 yards out which Ederson did well to push wide and Spurs had shown more attacking ambition in the opening ten minutes of the second half than they had in the entire first half.
City were certainly forced to take a step back but it wasn’t as if they ceased to threaten. When Gabriel Jesus replaced Aguero on 55minutes, he almost scored with his first touch, Eric Dier’s lunging tackler and Lloris’s quick move off the line just denying him the touch he required.
Manchester City made their way into the tunnel area first, led by Argentine striker Sergio Aguero and Kyle Walker
Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier stopped to take pictures with waiting fans at pitchside in the hours before kick-off
Father Christmas turned sky blue for the afternoon as one City fan got into the festive spirit for the occasion
A festive scene set outside the Etihad Stadium as fans began to make their way inside for the evening kick-off
And it was City who missed the chance of the half, an opportunity to secure the points on 62 minutes. Sané advanced at bewildering speed and beat Trippier. His shot was superbly parried by Lloris but fell to Sterling, three yards out. Somehow, despite his excellent form, he lifted over the bar.
No matter. On 70minutes, having just been felled by Alli, with a challenge which incensed Guardiola, De Bruyne made sure of the win. This time it was the counter attack which undid Spurs, three touches from their box to Gundogan, who delivered one of those sumptuous passes on which De Bruyne thrives. He sprinted away, clean through, and though Lloris could get a hand to his shot, he couldn’t stop it doubling City’s lead.
They should have gone 3-0 up when Vertonghen felled De Bruyne in the box on 75 minutes but Jesus hit his penalty against the post and Sterling lifted the rebound over.
Sterling would get his goal finally on 80minutes, tapping in from close range after De Bruyne, Gundogan and Sane had picked apart Tottenham’s defence and delivered the ball into his path to steer home for 3-0.
City weren’t done and Sterling would strike again, rolling the ball over the line following a mix-up between Eric Dier and Lloris. Eriksen’s consolation goal soon after, deep into stoppage time, provided little comfort.