Man City beats Tottenham 4-2, but Guardiola criticizes team

By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City has cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points after scoring four goals in the second half to beat Tottenham 4-2. The defending champion’s title defense looked in danger of suffering another blow before goals from Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland and two from Riyadh Mahrez settled a thrilling clash at the Etihad Stadium. After the derby loss to Manchester United last weekend City risked losing further ground on Arsenal as Tottenham raced into a first-half lead through goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal. City manager Pep Guardiola criticized his team after the game, saying “if we play in that way Arsenal will destroy us.”