In some ways, it was Manchester City’s worst defensive display of the Premier League season to date.

Kyle Walker was trying too hard to make a point against his former club. John Stones allowed Harry Kane to have an early attempt at goal when Ederson was poorly positioned. Aymeric Laporte’s mistimed header later sent Kane though on a one-on-one. The less said about Benjamin Mendy’s performance, the better.

And yet, as Pep Guardiola’s side left Wembley with their sixth consecutive league clean sheet and their third away from home against a ‘top six’ rival, the public and punditry are gradually waking up to just what an excellent defensive outfit they have become.

Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Hugo Lloris: 6/10 Made a couple of crucial saves but was once again put under lots of pressure and didn’t always look super confident in front of goal. Nowhere to be seen for City’s goal. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Kieran Trippier: 5/10 He was okay in an attacking sense and put in some dangerous crosses but he was the most susceptible for City’s goal and looked uncomfortable in defending for a lot of the evening. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Davinson Sanchez: 6/10 Been really impressive this season but today wasn’t his finest day. I don’t think it’ll be a fine day for most centre backs taking on City, mind you. AP Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Toby Alderweireld: 6/10 Was fine but less composed when not alongside Vertonghen. EPA Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Ben Davies: 5/10 Lost Mahrez for City’s opening goal and didn’t offer too much going forward. Danny Rose to come back in. EPA Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Eric Dier: 5/10 Made some unnecessary fouls as per usual and was bettered by City’s midfielders on the whole during the game. Subbed off after an hour. REUTERS Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Moussa Dembele: 6/10 Was better than his midfield partner and showed his strength at certain times but it’s still hard to play against this relentless City side. EPA Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Moussa Sissoko: 6/10 Has a few positive moments but lacks the composure on the ball in the key areas. AP Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Erik Lamela: 6/10 Like Lucas, looked good in sparks, but lost the ball just far too often, giving it back to Manchester City all too often. Provided the best chance for Spurs with a clever pass, though. AP Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Lucas Moura: 5/10 Showed some decent bursts of pace and looked a threat, like he has for a lot of this season so far, but his dive was rather appalling and he couldn’t find as much space as he has done this year. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Harry Kane: 5/10 Another off night for the English centre forward. Just hasn’t quite got back to his best yet and a really heavy touch in the first half set the tone for his evening. EPA Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Ederson: 8/10 Another fantastic display from the Brazilian as it was his long ball that set Raheem Sterling on his way early in the first half to set up Riyah Mahrez but he also made crucial blocks to stop Harry Kane. PA Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Kyle Walker: 7/10 A good performance for the returning full back. Caught out of position on a few occasions but a generally good showing. AP Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings John Stones: 7/10 Strong performance from a player who has had his critics. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Aymeric Laporte: 8/10 Continues to impress at the heart of the City defence, having played every minute so far this season. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Benjamin Mendy: 6/10 Definitely the most susceptible player in City’s backline. Made a couple of errors but got away with them as Spurs failed to capitalise. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Bernardo Silva: 7/10 Neat and tidy performance again, creating plenty of good moments for City. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Fernandinho: 8/10 Such a composed and impressive midfielder who allows the fluid attacking to happen in front of him. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings David Silva: 7/10 Wasn’t at his majestic best this evening and missed a fantastic opportunity to make it 2-0 in the second half but despite that, still the master at keeping the ball. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Riyad Mahrez - 8/10 Really improving in the blue (or purple) of City, and has put that Liverpool penalty miss behind him. Scored City’s only goal this evening and dedicated to the Leicester chairman, who sadly died in the Saturday night helicopter crash outside the King Power stadium. Getty Images Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Sergio Aguero: 6/10 Aguero missed countless opportunities to put the game to bed but he still led the line efficiently and despite the lack of goals, can be reasonably happy with his performance. EPA Tottenham vs Manchester City - player ratings Raheem Sterling: 8/10 Caused all sorts of problems for Kieran Trippier and set up City’s early goal. Just another good performance from the English winger. PA

“I think the impressive thing is the defending now,” said Gary Neville regarding City on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, moments after the final whistle. “You wondered whether Stones could step in, Laporte had just settled from Bilbao, and you thought: ‘Can they emerge as a top-class pair?’

“If they can stay together, stay fit and grow in that team they could be something special together,” he added. “They’re brilliant defensively. There’s a lot to be said for their possession, they’re attacking play, but the defending is fantastic.”

Granted, on another night, Erik Lamela equalises in the 80th-minute. But last night Lamela had to equalise. It was the one clear-cut opportunity Tottenham had. While not playing particularly well, City’s defence limited Mauricio Pochettino’s side to four shots, only one of which was on target. Such meanness is in-keeping with City’s season so far.

Guardiola's side have conceded just three goals so far (Getty)

After 10 games, City have let in a mere three goals. Since the start of the Premier League era, this record is only matched by Carlo Ancelotti’s 2010-11 Chelsea and, curiously, John Gregory’s 1998-99 Aston Villa. Only Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea champions in 2004-05 had conceded fewer goals at this stage of the season.

City have also now travelled to Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur – completing three of their five most difficult trips this year – and have not conceded in any of them. It makes ominous reading for those pretenders to City’s throne.

It should not, however, come as much of a surprise. The champions had the league’s best defensive record last season, of course, conceding one goal fewer than Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.

Their 27 goals against last term equalled the seventh-best defensive record in Premier League history. It could and perhaps should have been better, too. Jamie Carragher revealed on Monday Night Football that City’s ‘expected goals against’ figure last year was 24 – three goals fewer than their actual total.

What’s more, as noted in an excellent analysis of his career defences published by Sky Sports before the Tottenham victory, Guardiola has taken charge of the team with the best defensive record in the league in eight of his nine seasons in management. This is solidity is no accident, but a product of his dominant style.

Perhaps the only surprise in all of this is that, when numerous records were tumbling before this team at the end of last season, few of them related to the defence. Why?

Manchester City 2018/19 Premier League profile

Despite conceding one goal fewer than United, City lost out to their rivals in terms of clean sheets, with 18 to United’s 19. This would not have been the case had City not picked up an annoying habit of conceding cheap consolation goals when already on their way to victory.

3-0 up against Stoke City last October, City allowed their lead to be cut to one goal before ultimately winning 7-2. West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal, Tottenham, Watford, Everton and West Ham would all peg City back from a dominant position before the season was out.

In total, 11 of the 27 goals City conceded last year came when they were ahead by two goals or more. Few of them carried consequences. Only United – in their 3-2 comeback win at the Etihad – ever managed to turn a game around.

If you subtract these consolation goals from City’s total, you realise how close Guardiola would have been to rivalling the 15 goals conceded by Chelsea’s class of 2005.

Whether City have fixed this remains to be seen, though conceding cheaply at home to Huddersfield and Newcastle suggests not. It is in truth a very minor issue and surely not a priority for Guardiola.

Still, it explains why City's defensive excellence has often been overlooked, with clean sheets spoiled by inconsequential goals. It also demonstrates how dominant this team was last year. On the relatively few occasions City conceded, they were often already in a comfortable position.