DANNY MURPHY: Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is lost without Fernandinho

The easy reaction to Saturday’s big game is to say that Spurs are great title challengers and City is out of the race. It is too simplistic.

The margins were small, the Spurs game plan worked, but the details worked in their favor. If Ederson had stayed on his line they may not have scored at all.

However, there are some conclusions can be drawn. First of all, Harry Kane is in the best shape of his life and you can see the work that José Mourinho has done. Every time Kane sank deep, there were runners willing to find. He looks so strong and physically correct.

Manchester City’s stuttering start to the season continued after their 2-0 loss to Tottenham.

Other big clubs like Manchester United could have had the opportunity to sign him a year ago, I don’t know, but I don’t see that he wants to leave now.

He looks like the best center forward on the planet, he may end up as his club’s record scorer and I think now he must believe that he will win trophies at Spurs.

I don’t think it’s the league this season, they still rely too much on him, but he looks happy that real progress is being made. He ran the City’s two center halves unevenly on Saturday, it was an incredible individual performance.

On the other hand, Pep Guardiola has work to do because the backbone of City is not as strong as when he dominated. Rodri is a good player, but this game showed that he is not Fernandinho, who was lost through injury and is in the twilight of his career.

Fernandinho’s absence has affected City, and title chasers need the midfielder to return

People who see the Brazilian as a mere midfielder don’t understand his offensive qualities, the ability to make progressive passes, to shoot the ball at Kevin De Bruyne.

I saw De Bruyne having to go wide to look for the ball too. It’s part of his game, but without Fernandinho and David Silva, it’s harder for him to get serve in those central spaces.

It helps explain why the City’s goals have dried up. I didn’t think they would miss Silva as much as they have, but City’s form has shown which boots they had to fill.

Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are very good players, but Silva always found a way to create that magic when opponents were sitting deep and City needed to open them up in pressure situations.

Kevin De Bruyne was forced to go astray to search too much for the ball with City goals drying up

They are not as fluid or fast this season without Silva or Fernandinho, and you can add Sergio Agüero to that.

Fernandinho is underrated and the city needs him back. If he had played against the Spurs, there is no way Kane gets the time and space that he got.

You can’t exactly replace Silva, but Foden is the right fit and I’d like to see him given a chance now.

Of course, Lionel Messi would improve City, improve any team and make things happen, but even if he signed for them, Pep would need Fernandinho to return or replace him properly.