Tottenham Hotspur pulled off another shock at the Etihad Stadium, beating Manchester City 2-0 to claim back-to-back Premier League wins under new boss Thomas Frank.
Just nine months ago, Spurs thrashed Pep Guardiola’s side 4-0 at the same ground, and once again they returned to north London with all three points after a disciplined and clinical performance.
City started the brighter side, with Omar Marmoush proving a constant threat in the opening stages.
The Egyptian forward went close with a low strike, unleashed a thunderous effort from distance, and forced goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario into several fine saves after being played through by Erling Haaland.
But Spurs struck first with their very first real attack. On a lightning counter, Richarlison raced down the right and crossed low for Brennan Johnson, who tucked the ball home.
The flag initially went up for offside, but VAR confirmed the goal stood.
Deep into first-half stoppage time—extended due to an injury to City full-back Rayan Aït-Nouri—Tottenham doubled their lead.
A sloppy pass out from City goalkeeper James Trafford was punished by Joao Palhinha, who hammered in his first goal since joining Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich.
Trafford’s nightmare half could have been even worse, with the young keeper lucky to escape a red card for clattering into Mohammed Kudus outside the box earlier in the game.
Tottenham fans had begun the match by voicing their frustration at chairman Daniel Levy after missing out on transfer target Eberechi Eze, who instead joined bitter rivals Arsenal.
But by the final whistle, chants of “we love you Tottenham” filled the away end as the players delivered yet another memorable Etihad victory.
Frank’s men defended superbly in the second half and might have added more goals.
Dominic Solanke saw a low effort parried by Trafford, while substitute Wilson Odobert was also denied from close range.
For City, it was a frustrating afternoon. Guardiola’s side created enough chances, but Marmoush and Haaland—who had scored 48 goals in 48 Premier League home games before this one—both failed to convert.
The defeat means Guardiola has now lost 10 matches against Spurs as a manager, the joint-most he has suffered against any club, alongside Real Madrid and Liverpool.
City’s goalkeeper dilemma will also be a concern going forward.
With regular No. 1 Ederson benched amid links to a move to Galatasaray, Trafford endured a shaky display that directly contributed to Tottenham’s second goal.
The result leaves Spurs full of confidence heading into their next match at home to Bournemouth, while City will look to bounce back when they travel to Brighton.
