Tottenham Hotspur maintained their flawless start to life under new manager Thomas Frank with an impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, securing their second successive win of the Premier League campaign.
Spurs have built a reputation as City’s bogey side in recent years, and this latest triumph means they have now claimed three victories from their last five visits to the blue half of Manchester. That run also includes last season’s emphatic 4-0 win during City’s high-profile dip in form.
Frank’s tactical setup mirrored much of what his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, used to exploit City’s weaknesses. Remarkably, this was only the sixth time under Pep Guardiola that City trailed by two or more goals at half-time in a home league match, with Tottenham responsible for half of those instances.
The visitors broke the deadlock through Brennan Johnson, who finished off a swift counter-attack. His strike initially ruled offside, was reinstated after a VAR review. City goalkeeper James Trafford, standing in for the unsettled Ederson, then compounded the hosts’ woes by gifting João Palhinha his first Spurs goal with a costly error in first-half stoppage time.
Despite Guardiola bringing on Phil Foden and Rodri after the break, City struggled to create clear chances, leaving Tottenham to celebrate another memorable win at the Etihad and an encouraging start to the new season.