I played for Sir Alex Ferguson when Man Utd burned out – Man City have fallen into the same trap

Gary Neville believes Saturday night marked the beginning of the end for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Tottenham Hotspur stormed past the Premier League champions, waltzing away from the Etihad Stadium 4-0 victors.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Manchester United legend suggested three reasons why Manchester City are in decline. Neville referenced his time at Old Trafford and how the Red Devils suffered a similar blip before Sir Alex Ferguson eventually stepped down as head coach.

"From a City perspective, it feels very different," said the 49-year-old. "I say when you're winning something, something's happening but when you're sort of on the decline – I hate to use the word decline – but it does feel a little bit like (they’re) a group of players who… a number of things.

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"Two or three things that I'm thinking. The idea of growing slightly old together. The idea of playing the volume of games together and the physical and mental sort of demands of that and then the third thing is how many times can you keep going, you know."

Neville added: "I played for a manager and a club that kept going but there were times whereby you just know, you just fall over in a certain season. You know you've won the league three times on the bounce.

"You've won it twice. You've won doubles. You've won trebles and you just can't go any further and you just need that little bit of a – your shoulders just drop a little bit and it feels like that's that third thing that's happening here.

"So you look at those three things and that's what it feels like right now at this moment