Half a season is a long time in football.
At the end of the 2021-22 campaign, Liverpool had come within a whisker of becoming the first English team in history to win the EFL Cup, FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League in a single campaign.
Chelsea had reached two domestic finals, losing on penalties to Liverpool on both occasions, and finished third in the Premier League after initially threatening a title charge with their early season form.
As the two prepare to meet at Anfield on Saturday, they do so in very different places from then, sitting ninth and 10th in the league table respectively.
They both managed to win their last games 1-0, but there is a long way to go if they are to get back to where they expect to be, and Stats Perform has taken a look at where it may have gone wrong for the two stumbling giants.
Reds struggling to step up to the challenge
It has been a particularly harsh slide for Liverpool, who for the second time in recent seasons were denied the league title by Manchester City in May despite earning over 90 points, while an inspired performance from Thibaut Courtois stopped them in the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
The inevitable disappointment from those two blows has been suggested as one of the reasons why they have accumulated just 28 points from 18 Premier League games, having already lost three times as many as they did in their entire league campaign last season (6-2), and conceding just one fewer goal in less than half the games (25-26).
A lack of turnover in his previously trusted players has been another factor blamed for what has been a tired looking season from the Reds, and tired performances are understandably a significant problem for a team that thrived by overwhelming the opposition with their energy and high pressing.
Liverpool simply aren't executing as many high turnovers, averaging 9.4 per 90 this season, the fourth-most in the league, down from 11.7 last season when they produced comfortably the most (Man City second with 9.9 per 90).
One of the criticisms Klopp has been willing to make publicly of his team in recent games has been their struggle to win challenges, and he wasn't wrong as Liverpool have the worst record in the Premier League for duel success this season (47.4 per cent).
This could go some way to explaining why the number of big chances against them – defined by Opta as a situation from which a player should reasonably be expected to score – has exploded, having already allowed 54 in just 18 games, one more than the whole of last season, and 13 more than their total from the 2018-19 campaign when the team was entering its peak.
Compounding the problem, their ability to put away their own big chances has also fallen off a cliff, having led the league with a 55.3 per cent conversion rate last season.
Despite only Man City (67) creating more big chances than Liverpool's 60 this season, only Leicester City (25.8 per cent) have a worse conversion rate than their 26.7 per cent, less than half what it was last season.
The sale of Sadio Mane could be a factor given the Senegalese forward scored 14 of his 27 big chances in the league last season (51.8 per cent), while his primary replacement Darwin Nunez has only taken four of his 19 so far (21.1).
Things should settle if Nunez and new arrival Cody Gakpo can get close to their previous numbers. The Uruguayan put away 21 of his 35 in the Primeira Liga for Benfica last season, with his 60 per cent success rate the fourth-highest of players in Europe's top 10 leagues (min. 20 big chances), while Gakpo scored five of his 10 big chances for PSV in the Eredivisie before his move this season.
Blues in limbo after period of change
If the lack of squad replenishment is one of the main issues at Liverpool, it could be argued quite the opposite is true of Chelsea since their ownership change last May.
The £88.5million purchase of Mykhaylo Mudryk took the club's overall spending to £372.7m since then (according to Transfermarkt), with 13 new players coming in.
All that on top of swapping the head coach in September, with Thomas Tuchel replaced by the much-heralded Graham Potter, who had never coached a club of Chelsea's standing before.
While many put this down to same old Chelsea, changing their man in the dugout at the first sign of any trouble, it felt more like a statement of intent from Todd Boehly and co, wanting to put in place a long-term strategy with a progressive coach like Potter at the helm.
Despite a solid enough start, going unbeaten in his first nine games (W6, D3), a 4-1 humbling at former club Brighton and Hove Albion signalled the start of a prolonged wobble that has seen them lose another seven of their 11 games since.
Potter managed to turn the Seagulls into one of the most attractive and fluent teams in the league, with one particular stand-out metric being their high turnovers.
Between the start of the 2021-22 season and leaving for Chelsea last September, only Liverpool (11.4) and Man City (9.9) averaged more high turnovers per game than Brighton (9.8) in the Premier League.
During the same period, Chelsea averaged 8.2 per game, which has gone up to 8.9 under Potter, showing there is still a way to go before his new team will be fully able to implement his style of football.
There has also been a significant struggle to score goals, having only managed 22 at the halfway point of the league campaign – four fewer than Leeds United and Leicester City – after scoring 76 last season.
It is an interesting situation considering Brighton managed just 42 goals last season, with only Wolves and the three relegated teams scoring fewer, and many pointed to the fact Potter never really had an orthodox and accomplished striker to call on.
However, at Chelsea he has had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who may not be what he once was but still scored 13 goals in 23 games for Barcelona last season. The Gabon international has found the net just three times in 16 outings for the Blues, and once in 10 games in the Premier League.
There is also the revolving door of players in and out of the side due primarily to injuries and Potter trying to ascertain his best team, making 60 changes to his starting XI already since his arrival, 21 more than any other manager in the league in that time.
With the talent and resources available to both Klopp and Potter, it would be safe to assume that this is probably just a bad patch for them and before long, the familiar figures of the Reds and the Blues will be back challenging the top four.
There are certainly issues to iron out for both though, and what better way to start than by adding further misery to the other at Anfield on Saturday?
World number one Iga Swiatek made an emphatic statement with a 54-minute rout of Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa to seal her progression to the Australian Open fourth round on Friday.
Swiatek dropped only six points in a 22-minute first set, before completing a 6-0 6-1 demolition over her 25-year-old opponent at Margaret Court Arena.
The Pole led 6-0 5-0, prompting a crowd member to shout "open the bakery", before Bucsa held her serve to avoid a dreaded double bagel.
Swiatek's victory sets up a fourth-round clash with 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, as the Pole chases her fourth major triumph, including the French Open and US Open crowns last year.
The 21-year-old completely outclassed her opponent, winning 82 per cent of serve points, along with 65 per cent on return, including 71 per cent on Bucsa's second serve. The Spaniard only won 19 of 71 points for the match.
Despite an unconvincing first-serve percentage of 59 per cent, Swiatek never offered up a break point, hitting 15 winners throughout the lopsided contest.
Swiatek has not dropped a set in her three matches at the tournament, giving up only six games in her past two matches.
Data slam: Swiatek demolition falls short of Barty mark
Swiatek's swift victory coincidentally came on the afternoon after Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis battled until 4am local time in a five-hour-and-50-minute epic in the men's singles.
However, the Pole's 54-minute win was not as brief as last year's champion Ash Barty who disposed of Danka Kovinic 6-0 6-0 in 44 minutes at the 2021 Australian Open.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Swiatek – 15/6
Bucsa – 4/21
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Swiatek – 3/0
Bucsa – 1/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Swiatek – 5/10
Bucsa – 0/0
Seventh seed Coco Gauff cruised safely into the Australian Open fourth round with a straight-sets victory over compatriot Bernarda Pera on Friday.
Gauff, 18, triumphed 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 35 minutes in a competitive contest where Pera, 10 years the teenager's senior, put up a fight with her powerful left-sided forehand a feature in their first-ever meeting.
But Gauff made fewer unforced errors and produced seven aces to help her clinch a fourth-round meeting with 17th seed Jelena Ostapenko.
"Today was a tough match," Gauff said during his on-court post-match interview. "Bernarda hit the ball really hard. I was really just trying to hang in there and take the ground when I could.
"Last season she had a long match streak so I knew she'd be a tough player to beat. But I'm happy to be through to the second week."
The 2022 French Open finalist broke Pera in the fourth game and secured the opening frame inside 48 minutes.
Gauff went two breaks up in the second set, leading 4-1, but Pera offered some resistance with a break back on a double fault from the teenager. But Gauff responded to progress, converting her fourth match point.
Data Slam: Gauff maintains hot start to 2023
Gauff, who knocked off 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round, continued her perfect start to the calendar year, having triumphed at the Auckland Open earlier this month. Gauff won five matches in Auckland, including the final 6-1 6-1 over Rebeka Masarova.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Pera – 1/7
Gauff – 7/3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Pera – 24/40
Gauff – 23/29
BREAK POINTS WON
Pera – 1/5
Gauff – 4/16
Jayson Tatum grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds during the Boston Celtics' 121-118 overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
It was a gritty all-round performance from Tatum as he also finished with 34 points, six assists and three steals, imposing his will on the game despite shooting an inefficient nine-of-27 from the field and committing seven turnovers.
Like Tatum, his All-Star team-mate Jaylen Brown also shot just 33 per cent from the field (six-of-18), but veteran center Al Horford picked up the slack, scoring 20 points on eight-of-13 shooting while adding 10 rebounds and three blocks.
As was a theme on the night, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry struggled from the field, shooting nine-of-25 for his 29 points, supplementing his outing with seven assists, four steals, four rebounds and two blocks. Klay Thompson (eight-of-16) and Jordan Poole (10-of-25) chipped in 24 points each.
With the win, the Celtics improved their league-leading record to 34-12, while the Warriors fell under .500 at 22-23, including a horrific 5-17 record on the road.
Russell leads late Timberwolves comeback
Minnesota Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell nearly scored as many points as the entire Toronto Raptors team in the fourth quarter of a 128-126 comeback win.
Russell had 16 in the last period – including 14 in a row for the Timberwolves – while the Raptors could only muster 17 points, allowing the home side to claw back from what was a 14-point margin with 10 minutes remaining.
The former All-Star finished with 25 points on eight-of-15 shooting, adding six assists and two steals, while role-player Kyle Anderson continued to flourish in his expanded minutes with 20 points (eight-of-nine), 10 rebounds and six assists.
Suns snap losing run with Nets win
In the battle of two short-handed teams, the Phoenix Suns ended their three-game losing streak in a nail-biting 117-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Suns were up by 24 at one point, but Kyrie Irving got hot in the fourth quarter to finish with 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, for the Nets who were without Kevin Durant.
Deandre Ayton stepped up for Phoenix, missing Devin Booker and Chris Paul, with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 28. Cam Johnson added 19 points on his return from injury.
Two-time grand slam runner-up Ons Jabeur says it is "time to recover and get healthier" after her shock second-round elimination from the Australian Open on Thursday.
The Tunisian second seed committed 50 unforced errors as she was bundled out of the opening major of the 2023 season, losing 6-1 5-7 6-1 loss to Marketa Vondrousova.
The defeat comes after the 28-year-old's outstanding 2022 season where she reached the finals of both the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open.
Cameras spotted Jabeur dropping to her knees in apparent despair in the halls of Rod Laver Arena after leaving the court following her loss to Vondrousova.
The Tunisian skipped the mandatory post-match press conference, but opened up on her emotion and condition on Instagram on Friday.
"Despite the health issues, I will keep fighting and come back stronger and stronger," Jabeur posted on Instagram. "Time to recover and get healthier."
Four NFL franchises have made offensive or defensive coordinator changes following their Wild Card Game exits.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich after four seasons, as part of an overhaul by head coach Todd Bowles, with eight other coaches departing.
The Bucs finished the 2022 regular season with an 8-9 record, but ranked 25th in offense, averaging 18.4 points per game despite the presence of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
Brady is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is weighing up his future, but Leftwich's departure is unlikely to significantly impact his decision.
The Miami Dolphins have dismissed defensive coordinator Josh Boyer after four seasons with the franchise, despite having the league's fourth-best run defense.
The Dolphins also were ranked 21st in defensive expected points added, 22nd in sacks per pass attempt and 24th in points allowed per game and third-down percentage.
The Minnesota Vikings fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, which came as no surprise after finishing the season ranked 28th in points allowed (25.1) and 31st in yards allowed (388.7).
Greg Roman announced he would step down as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator despite having one year remaining on his deal following pressure from fans and players.
Four NFL franchises have made offensive or defensive coordinator changes following their Wild Card Game exits.
The Miami Dolphins have dismissed defensive coordinator Josh Boyer after four seasons with the franchise, despite having the league's fourth-best run defense.
The Dolphins also were ranked 21st in defensive expected points added, 22nd in sacks per pass attempt and 24th in points allowed per game and third-down percentage.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich after four seasons, as part of an overhaul by head coach Todd Bowles, with eight other coaches departing.
The Bucs finished the 2022 regular season with an 8-9 record, but ranked 25th in offense, averaging 18.4 points per game despite the presence of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
Brady is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is weighing up his future, but Leftwich's departure is unlikely to significantly impact his decision.
The Minnesota Vikings fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, which came as no surprise after finishing the season ranked 28th in points allowed (25.1) and 31st in yards allowed (388.7).
Greg Roman announced he would step down as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator despite having one year remaining on his deal following pressure from fans and players.
Davis Thompson produced back-to-back eagles on his way to a two-stroke lead after opening with a 10-under 62 at the American Express in California on Thursday.
The unheralded 23-year-old American leads the way from a stacked field that includes 10 of the top 20 in the world.
Thompson set up his career-low round by shooting an eight-under-par 28 on his front nine, including eagles on both the fifth and sixth holes at the La Quinta Country Club, which is one of three courses being used as players also spread across the PGA West's Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course.
The American's performance tied the lowest front-nine score on the course, having made six of seven fairways and eight of nine greens.
Behind Thompson is a group of five players, including former world number one Jon Rahm who carded nine birdies and a bogey in his round of 64 on La Quinta. Rahm is tied with Sam Burns, Tyler Duncan, Matti Schmid and Taylor Montgomery at eight under.
Burns might have been outright second if not for a bogey on the 18th on the Stadium Course, having carded seven birdies on his front nine. The American made nine consecutive one-putts.
Nine players are a further stroke back at seven under after the first round, including Tokyo Olympics gold medalist and two-time major runner-up Xander Schauffele, who also shot an eagle on the fifth.
Among the pre-tournament favourites, Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay both shot four under on La Quinta, while Will Zalatoris managed three under on the Nicklaus Tournament Course. Tony Finau and Tom Kim carded rounds of three under at La Quinta.
The Baltimore Ravens are confident they can reach a long-term deal with franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson amid a contract stand-off.
The Ravens' 2022 season ended with Sunday's 24-17 Wild Card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, re-opening discussion on the 2018 NFL MVP's future after shelving talks during the regular season.
There has been an awkward relationship between Jackson and the franchise after the Ravens opted against handing the 26-year-old a new five-year contract in 2022, with the QB playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal this season.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Thursday that they are determined to keep Jackson.
"Lamar Jackson is our quarterback," Harbaugh said. "He's been our quarterback. Everything we've done in terms of building our offense and our team, putting people around him, is based around this young man, his talent, his ability and his competitiveness.
"I'll have my fingers crossed and my toes crossed, I'll be saying prayers, I've every faith it's going to get done. Eric wants him here, I want him here, [owner] Steve [Bisciotti] wants him here and Lamar wants to be here. It's going to work out."
Jackson, who represents himself, wants a guaranteed-money deal while the Ravens are likely to place the franchise tag on him if no deal is completed by March to ensure he does not become an unrestricted free agent.
DeCosta added that he was in constant communication with Jackson and hopeful on completing a new deal.
"It certainly takes two to tango but I think Lamar and I have a great relationship," DeCosta said.
"We communicate quite often. We spent some time together today as a matter of fact. We've spoken throughout the season multiple times. These negotiations, they all happen differently.
"We'll communicate effectively, we'll be as fair as we can be. We'll try to hammer out a deal. Hopefully we can get to that point."
When asked if Jackson would be Baltimore's Week 1 starting QB next season, DeCosta added: "I don’t see any reason why he won't be."
The Ravens fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Thursday, with Jackson to have input in his replacement, in a sign they are moving forward in the assumption he will remain.
Harbaugh added that he had no concerns over Jackson's durability, despite being unable to finish the past two seasons due to injury.
"He's a very durable player," he said. "I know that people might take issue with that. But I don't believe that there's going to be a problem going forward because I know how hard he works."
Jackson started 12 games in the 2022 season, with a completion rate of 62.3 per cent for 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding three rushing TDs and 764 yards on the ground.
Chicago Bulls All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine both described Thursday's 126-108 win against the Detroit Pistons in France as a "beautiful" experience.
Playing at the Accor Arena in Paris, the Bulls were too strong as LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic all put together stylish performances in front of a crowd packed with celebrities, including former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique and future top NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama.
LaVine scored a game-high 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting, DeRozan posted 26 points (nine-of-18) with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Vucevic snatched a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 16 points and six assists from the center position.
It was a disappointing homecoming for Detroit's Killian Hayes, who was drafted out of France, as he shot two-of-13 from the field, but nobody had more than his eight assists.
While it may be a long flight home for the Pistons, the Bulls were left with a great taste in their mouth as they enter the second half of the season.
"It was amazing," DeRozan said. "One of those games I'll look back years down the line and think about how great it was. It was a beautiful atmosphere and a privilege to be here and be part of this whole thing."
LaVine echoed those sentiments, highlighting the team bonding during this kind of trip.
"It was great for us, going into the second half of the season, spending time together, bonding," he said. "Everybody seeing each other's family, who they brought and care about. It was a great experience overall.
"The atmosphere was great, and the Bulls' brand recognition… it was great to see. You see how much the game is growing, and how much people are locked in to see the players.
"It's beautiful – I'm definitely coming back to Paris again, maybe for a wine trip."
With the win, the Bulls are now 21-24 and sit 3.5 games behind the Miami Heat in the race for the Eastern Conference's six seed.
Bournemouth have completed the signing of highly-rated winger Dango Ouattara from Lorient on a five-and-a-half-year contract.
Ouattara, 20, has impressed in Ligue 1 with Lorient, scoring six goals and providing as many assists in 18 appearances this season.
The Burkina Faso international had been linked with the likes of Everton and Leicester City, but the Cherries beat their Premier League rivals to his signature in a deal reported to be worth around £20million (€22.9m).
Bournemouth will be hoping Ouattara can help them pull away from the Premier League relegation zone after an alarming run of form, with eight defeats in their last nine league games leaving them just a point and a place above the bottom three.
Cherries chief executive Neill Blake said: "We are pleased to secure the services of Dango, a promising and sought-after player with a great deal of potential.
"We have been monitoring him for a period of time and he fits the profile of the young, ambitious, hungry and hard-working player this club is looking to recruit."
Carlo Ancelotti ordered his Real Madrid players to "wake up" before his team came from two goals down to beat Villarreal 3-2 in the Copa del Rey.
Madrid were beaten 3-1 by rivals Barcelona in Sunday's Supercopa de Espana final and they looked to be on their way out of the Copa del Rey on Thursday when they went into half-time 2-0 down.
Etienne Capoue and Samuel Chukwueze gave Villarreal in control, yet Vinicius Junior halved the deficit and Madrid were level when Eder Militao prodded home after Filip Jorgensen could only parry Karim Benzema's header into the centre-back's path.
Having started just three LaLiga games this season, Dani Ceballos seized upon his opportunity to complete a stunning turnaround to send Madrid into the quarter-finals.
After such a poor first-half display, Ancelotti revealed his furious reaction to his players at half-time provoked the much-improved second-half performance.
"I was really angry at half-time," Ancelotti told reporters. " I decided to take a risk and press high up.
"We weren't being forceful enough in our duels and I told them to wake up, there was still time to come back. They definitely woke up. It wasn't a good first half and we can't be playing like that.
"In the second period, it was an incredible reaction, as it always is. This club never gives up but we can't wait until near the end of the game to react.
"The team showed great personality to turn things around. The second half is fantastic for our confidence. We didn't give up."
Ceballos was Madrid's unlikely hero as he popped up to fire in from Marco Asensio's perfectly weighted pass.
Ancelotti felt that combination was one of the keys to victory, saying: "Ceballos and Asensio have changed the dynamics of the match because they put in more quality and energy, they were decisive in turning the result around."
An incident in the second half saw Vinicius clash with Pepe Reina, Villarreal's substitute goalkeeper, while Ancelotti was also involved in a confrontation with Los Blancos winger Rodrygo.
Rodrygo appeared to dismiss Ancelotti's offer of a handshake after the Brazil international made way for Asensio in the 56th minute, but the Madrid head coach had no concerns over the episode.
"He [Rodrygo] had a slight muscle strain and I decided not to risk him," Ancelotti explained. "He didn't acknowledge me because I think he forgot, I don't think it's a big deal.
"[The Reina and Vinicius altercation] was nothing. He was a bit wound up with Vinicius, that's all. I have a good relationship with him. What I saw, was that Vinicius got kicked a lot, like he does every game."
Tottenham are "going in the right direction" despite their dramatic Premier League collapse to Manchester City, but Antonio Conte acknowledges they are "not ready" yet.
Spurs took a two-goal lead into the interval of their Thursday encounter with the champions, only to wildly capitulate in a poor second half showing on the way to a 4-2 loss.
It means they have posted just one win from five league games since Christmas, to see the club slip out of the top four and away from the fringes of the title race.
Defeat to City highlights Tottenham's shortcomings for Conte, but the Italian is adamant they are also showcasing growth despite difficult results.
"In this moment, we are not ready to fight for important achievements," he said. "There are other teams more ready than us.
"We are working hard and going in the right direction. In one or two years, we will win this type of games. If I have to compare this game with last season, we played much better today.
"The performance was good. We played with personality, we created problems for City. Today, we were really brave, but compared to last season, we are conceding too many goals.
"You have to try to justify the goals that we are conceding. This is a period we are not so lucky in. [But] you don't buy experience. We have to build [it] year by year."
Ahead of his side's game with Chelsea, Conte acknowledged he was taking stock of his career following the deaths of several close friends and colleagues in recent months.
The passing of Gian Piero Ventrone, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli has affected the Italian, but speaking after the full-time whistle, he insisted he remains focused on the task at hand with Spurs.
"I think that we have to try to understand that we are talking about two different situations," he added. "This situation is my personal situation.
"[There] will be time to make the right decision for me, for the future, for my family, but this situation doesn't affect the work and doesn't affect the team. I'm really focused."
Pep Guardiola took a swipe at Manchester City's home support and said he "doesn't recognise" his side on current form, despite battling to a 4-2 win over Tottenham.
City were booed off the pitch when two goals behind in Thursday's Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, facing a third straight loss for the first time since April 2018.
Ederson played Rodri into trouble and that allowed Dejan Kulusevski to fire Spurs ahead, before Emerson Royal profited from more sloppy play at the back to head in a second.
But City's response was just as emphatic the other side of half-time as Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland had them on level terms by the 53rd minute.
Star man Mahrez assisted that Haaland goal – ending the striker's three-game scoreless run – before scoring two of his own to seal a superb second-half comeback.
It marks the second time City have recovered from two goals down and won a league game this season, having also done so against Crystal Palace in August.
While the win moved City within five points of leaders Arsenal, albeit having played a game more, a tetchy Guardiola was not happy with what he witnessed against Tottenham.
"We have to prepare better. I cannot deny how happy we are but we are far away from the team that we were," he told Sky Sports.
"Not in terms of play – we played good – but there are many other things, like competitiveness.
"We gave them the first goal. The second goal is ridiculous. There's nothing from the stomach, from the guts. We were lucky, but if we don't change we will drop more points."
Asked what was missing from his side, Guardiola said: "Passion, fire and desire to want to win from the first minute. Our fans were silent for 45 minutes.
"They booed because we were losing but in the second half we played good, we had more chances."
City have won the Premier League in four of the past five seasons, whereas surprise leaders Arsenal are chasing a first title in 20 years.
Guardiola's side still have to face Arsenal home and away, but the Catalan coach insists his side will not catch the Gunners unless something changes.
"Maybe it's the same with our team [as the fans]. Maybe we are so comfortable with winning four Premier Leagues in five years," Guardiola said.
"We have an opponent in Arsenal who have the fire. Two decades without winning the Premier League. Everything is so comfortable [at City] but opponents don't wait.
"I don't recognise my team. They [previously] had the passion and desire to run. We are far away from the team we had in previous seasons.
"Do you think this comeback will happen every time? It won't. Today we were lucky. If we want to win something or compete, then by complaining, complaining, complaining there is no chance we will win anything.
"It's my duty, it's my job [to get the fans back onside]. I want my fans back, I want my fans that are here – not my away fans, they are the best – but my fans here.
"They need to support every corner and every action, because Tottenham are one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced."
Guardiola was at least more upbeat when asked about the display of Mahrez, who now has 11 direct goal involvements against Spurs, making them his favourite opponent.
"What a player," Guardiola said. "Before the World Cup he was on holiday. Now he has realised, 'oh'."
City return to action on Sunday with a home match against Wolves, with that match kicking off ahead of Arsenal's meeting with Manchester United.
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