Premier League: Manchester City 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2 [Johnson 35; Joao Palhinha 45+2]
How to rally Tottenham after the Eberechi Eze farrago: turn up at Manchester City and mastermind a dominant 2-0 triumph that takes your side to the top of the Premier League, for a few hours at least.
By doing so Thomas Frank issued a fine calling card regarding his professionalism, and suggested his Spurs project will be as strategic as Ange Postecoglou’s was gung-ho. Witnessing how the visitors caused Pep Guardiola’s men headaches all afternoon caused one wag to question if Eze might change his mind (again) about which club to join.
Spurs missed a number of chances but were far more cut-throat than their hosts, as Brennan Johnson and João Palhina’s first-half goals took them back to north London with the points.
City were just not allowed to enjoy any rhythm. Instead they were a discordant bunch who kept finding a Spurs player rushing up to undermine their composure.
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Towards the end, Jérémy Doku wriggled through and found Phil Foden but Micky van de Ven chopped the ball away. Moments after Bernardo Silva, at a tight angle, headed on to the roof of the net.
“Good vibes” was Guardiola’s description of the mood as City hoped to banish the spectre of last November’s 4-0 humiliation here by Spurs, though an ill augury came early in a Rico Lewis-James Trafford mix-up. Hesitation between the right back and the new goalkeeper, preferred to Ederson, allowed Richarlison to pounce. While City escaped, Trafford’s performance was one to watch.
Before this Pedro Porro committed a howler for the visitors: the right back’s header back for Guglielmo Vicario was weak, Oscar Marmoush took over and shot, but the Spurs goalkeeper saved.
Marmoush was fashioned another opening when Erling Haaland lit up the contest with a bulldozing run that splayed those in black. After a lucky ricochet when challenged, the centre forward slipped in the Egyptian: he took a glance and unloaded but Vicario repelled.
Guardiola always enthuses about Frank’s managerial smarts and 35 minutes in the Dane showed how he already has Spurs drilled. Along the right Mohammed Kudus outfoxed Rúben Dias and put Richarlison through. The Brazilian ran forward, squared for Johnson, and the Welsh international beat Trafford: the shot was close to the goalkeeper but was hit hard so may claim mitigation if Guardiola scolds him about it.
The flag went up but the semi-automatic offside technology showed Richarlison had been onside. The goal stood, and Spurs’ celebrations were soon to double.
Now, Trafford’s shakiness came home to roost. The goalkeeper dawdled when playing out from his goal, finally plumping for Nico González. He did not want it delivered close to his penalty spot anyway but Trafford passed only to Pape Matar Sarr, the ball went to Richarlison. He tried to shoot but failed, though the excellent Palhina did, driving the ball home on his full debut.
City were a mess and Guardiola’s decision to choose Trafford over Ederson cast as quaint, however the Brazilian views his future (he may leave for Galatasaray) – he is still an employee, after all.
The disarray of those in blue was summed up by two moments at the other end. Attack is supposed to be their forte. But first Rayan Cherki aped a pub player by hitting the first defender from a corner; then Haaland headed the same player’s delivery to the heavens with Vicario’s goal gaping.
City’s backline had been disrupted by the 23rd-minute injury to Rayan Aït-Nouri but he was replaced by Nathan Aké, a treble-winner, so this offered no mitigation for the first-half horror show.
The next time Trafford took the ball with Spurs at close quarters he coolly (and advisedly) launched a 50-yard pass for Marmoush, but the wide man slipped and Guardiola spun away in disgust. The reaction showed how bitty his side’s patterns were. At play in Spurs’ ascendancy was City’s greater ball share (60-40) not transmitting into the relentless pass-and-move of their finest years.
Instead of fluency, Guardiola’s men hoped to prosper on scraps and moments. One came when Vicario did an unwitting impression of Trafford: the goalkeeper passed sideways and near goal to Van de Ven, who must have cursed the Italian as he had Oscar Bobb for company. The Norwegian pilfered possession and tapped to Haaland, who passed to Cherki; at close-range the Frenchman went to pull the trigger but Palhinha, Spurs’ star act, snuffed out the danger.
Guardiola began the day with no Foden, Rodri, Silva, Doku and Ederson (all substitutes), plus Manuel Akanji (left out completely for tactical reasons), yet could still field Haaland, Cherki, Marmoush, Tijjani Reijnders, and Bobb.
By the 54th-minute Cherki and Marmoush were hooked – for Silva and Doku – and still City were amateurish. Example: at a corner the ball popped up sweetly for Rico Lewis to let fly from outside the area – he did, into the gods.
In the 74th-minute Foden and Rodri wandered on – the Spaniard for his first action since being injured in City’s 4-3 Al-Hilal Club World Cup knock-out in early July.
Instantly, Rodri leapt to meet a corner and headed only into Vicario’s gloves.
