Dropping De Bruyne for a must-win game was madness.. Guardiola is coming across as the mad professor, says ex-Prem ace

MANCHESTER CITY boss Pep Guardiola is beginning to come across as the “mad professor.”

That’s after dropping star man Kevin De Bruyne for yesterday’s defeat at Tottenham.

Pep Guardiola is coming across like a ‘mad professor’, says Chris SuttonPA

GettySutton was stunned by Guardiola’s decision to axe Kevin De Bruyne at Spurs[/caption]

City arrived in north London needing a win to close the gap on title rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners suffered a shock defeat at Everton on Saturday.

And victory for Guardiola’s men would have seen them squeeze Arsenal’s lead to just two points.

However, City stunned fans and pundits when De Bruyne was named among the subs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Guardiola also tweaked his tactics to a bizarre 3-2-3-2 formation, with young full-back Rico Lewis in midfield instead of the Belgian.

But the gamble failed to pay off as Harry Kane’s record goal secured a 1-0 win for the hosts.

Guardiola put on a touchline spectacle throughout the 90 minutes as he protested every decision.

And Chris Sutton reckons the Spaniard is starting to resemble a “mad professor” due to his crazy team selection and sideline antics.

The ex-Premier League star firstly believes Guardiola’s decision to loan star defender Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich was “madness.”

But dropping playmaker De Bruyne for a must-win game was unforgivable.

Sutton told the Mail: “Dropping Kevin De Bruyne for a game you need to win to move within two points of Arsenal? Madness.

“Pep Guardiola is trying very hard to come across as the mad professor with the decisions he’s making.

“Right now, they aren’t doing City much good. He side aren’t carrying that air of superiority we’ve seen from them in the past.

“Arsenal lost to Everton and yet City didn’t seize their opportunity on Sunday like champions-in-waiting should.

“I still can’t wrap my head around Cancelo. City are worse off without Cancelo. They lost him and lost to Tottenham while he was winning with Bayern.

“This was a damaging day and one which showed City have a lot of work to do if they are to overtake Arsenal.”