Tottenham Shocks Manchester City, Extends Strong Start Under New Manager Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham were relatively unchallenged when defeating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

A 4-0 victory over Wolves in Gameweek One of the Premier League implied that Man City had overcome their 2024/25 struggles, but their immobility in transitions and unreliability when building out of defence have showed at the Etihad in Gameweek Two.

While many expected Thomas Frank to opt for a 5-3-2 system against Man City – as we saw in their Super Cup matchup against Paris Saint-Germain – he stuck with the 4-3-3 setup that saw his side cruise to victory over Burnley a week ago.

After an uneventful opening 35 minutes, Richarlison put the ball on a plate for Brennan Johnson – who calmy converted past the imposing James Trafford. The linesman’s flag rose, but a VAR check concluded that the Brazilian was onside in the build-up, handing Spurs a 1-0 lead.

It took just over 10 minutes for Frank’s side to double their lead, and it wasn’t so much Tottenham’s brilliance, but Man City’s incompetence.

Pape Matar Sarr leached onto Trafford’s lacklustre pass to Nico Gonzalez, with the ball landing at the feet of Richarlison. Despite his best efforts to take it round the goalkeeper and guide the ball home, Trafford’s hand lead the way for Joao Palhinha to have a shot at goal – emphatically firing home.

Man City probed in the second half, and came close on occasions, but Guglielmo Vicario was rarely put to the test – with the usually prolific Norwegian brute Erling Haaland unable to register a shot on target.

A perfect start to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham reign, brushing aside Pep Guardiola’s Man City in assertive fashion.

Soure: bet365news