Manchester City sweep back into EPL top four by humiliating Tottenham 6-0 at Etihad Stadim

MANCHESTER City swept back into the EPL top four after humiliating title rivals Tottenham 6-0 at Etihad Stadium.

MANCHESTER City swept back into the Premier League's top four after humiliating title rivals Tottenham Hotspur 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Beaten 1-0 by Sunderland in their last outing prior to the international break, City took the lead through Jesus Navas after only 14 seconds and did not look back.

The Spanish winger deftly lobbed Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after the Frenchman had gifted the ball to Sergio Aguero with a loose kick, and an own goal from Sandro in the 34th minute made it 2-0.

MANCHESTER UNITED CONCEDE STOPPAGE-TIME EQUALISER AT CARDIFF

News_Image_File: Tottenham's manager Andre Villas Boas slumps next to Manuel Pellegrini.

Aguero claimed a brace either side of half-time, tucking away centres from Navas and Yaya Toure, to take his tally of goals to 14 in his last 11 City appearances.

Alvaro Negredo added a fifth in the 55th minute, flummoxing Michael Dawson with an audacious turn and lashing a left-foot shot past Lloris, before Navas completed the rout in injury time.

"It is impossible to play better than today. We are working to have one style of playing and to continue in the same way," said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.

"We're thinking just about each game. Now we play in the Champions League on Wednesday (against Viktoria Pilsen) and after we see what happens with other teams, how many points they drop, and I'm absolutely sure we will also win matches away." Victory preserved City's 100 per cent home record in the league this season and having annihilated Norwich City 7-0 in their last fixture at the Etihad, they have now scored 13 goals in their last two home games.

Pellegrini's side moved above Southampton into the top four, six points below leaders Arsenal, while Spurs slipped to ninth place.

Andre Villas-Boas's men had only conceded six goals all season prior to their trip to Manchester and although they are only two points below City, they have now gone three games without victory.

News_Image_File: Alvaro Negredo of Manchester City celebrates his team's fifth goal.

News_Rich_Media: All 20 goals from the 7 Saturday EPL matches.

"Everything went wrong for us, every opportunity was a goal and we paid a heavy price - too much for what we deserved," said Villas-Boas.

"City were excellent, and we were extremely poor. We have to be ashamed of ourselves, and react to a defeat like this." City's residence in the top four may prove short lived, however, as derby rivals Manchester United will move above them if they prevail at Cardiff City in the day's late game.

United are bidding to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions, while Cardiff go into the game only two points above the relegation zone.thw/ea