Unforgettable Man City gesture could be the first move in crucial transfer battle

This was supposed to be a celebration, of Pep Guardiola's new contract and Rodri's status as the best player in the world. The Ballon d'Or was paraded pre-match, but the balloon burst within 20 minutes.

Not long before kick-off, Rodri was soaking up the acclaim of a wet Etihad crowd. On a damp day in Manchester, the Spaniard's name was immortalised in fire on the pitch as he hoisted the Ballon d'Or to the sky.

Maybe City should have left those flames flickering. It would have presented more of an obstacle for Tottenham to get through than any of the movable objects that appeared soon after, with the blue shirts lining up to offer their injured teammate a guard of honour.

This was Rodri's first trip back to the Etihad since injuring his cruciate knee ligaments against Arsenal on September 22. A lot has happened in the two months since. City had lost four in a row, and Guardiola had signed that new contract. Neither of those events had been expected when the midfielder went under the knife.

ALSO READ: Manchester City player ratings vs Tottenham with two 3/10s and six 4/10s in

ALSO READ: Man City get embarrassing Leicester reality as frustration spills into crowd

Against Tottenham, the boost from the latter didn't put an end to the former. As City's bright start fizzled out, the Etihad's frustration was noticeable. The Blues have had tough runs before under Guardiola, but rarely have they played as poorly as this as often as this.

Guardiola has put it down to injuries. Three centre-backs returned on Saturday, but the midfield is perhaps the bigger problem, especially with Mateo Kovacic joining Rodri on the sidelines. Of their first 12 games without Rodri this season, City won 10 and drew the other two.

But suddenly, his