PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 23rd AUGUST, 2025
MANCHESTER CITY 0(0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2(2)
Spurs scorers:-
Johnson, 35
Joao Palhinha, 45+2
Attendance:- TBC
Referee:- Peter Bankes
Assistants:- Eddie Smart, Blake Antrobus
Fourth official:- Andrew Kitchen
VAR:- Andy Madley
Assistant VAR:- Sian Massey-Ellis
Teams:-
Man City (4-2-3-1):- 1. Trafford; 82. Lewis, 5. Stones, 3. Dias (Capt.), 21. Ait-Nouri (sub 6. Ake, 23); 4. Reijnders, 14. Gonzalez (sub 16. Rodri, 75); 52. Bobb (sub 47. Foden, 75), 10. Cherki (sub 20. Bernardo Silva, 54), 7. Marmoush (sub 11. Doku, 54); 9. Haaland
Subs not used:- 31. Ederson; 33. O'Reilly, 45. Khusanov; 27. Nunes
Booked:- Gonzalez (unsporting conduct)
Spurs (4-3-3):- 1. Vicario; 23. Pedro Porro, 17. Romero (Capt.), 37. Van de Ven, 24. Spence; 29. Sarr, 6. Palhinha (sub 4. Danso, 90+1), 30. Bentancur; 20. Kudus (sub 15. Bergvall, 86), 9. Richarlison (sub 19. Solanke, 78), 22. Johnson (sub 28. Odobert, 78)
Subs not used:- 31. Kinsky; 16. Vuskovic, 33. Davies; 14. Gray
Booked:- Johnson (kicked ball away), Romero (dissent after foul on Bobb), Richarlison (unsporting conduct), Pedro Porro (time)
Thomas Frank has joined an exclusive club!
Thanks to Cassim Patel for this picture.
Thomas Frank led his former side Brentford to a 2-1 victory at the Etihad in November 2022 and today became just the third manager to defeat Pep Guardiola in an away league match with two different clubs. Jose Mourinho was the first with Real Madrid in 2012 and Manchester United six years later, and he was followed by Antonio Conte at Chelsea in 2016 and Spurs in 2022.
As you can see, the other two managers in that club also achieved the feat with Spurs, which is a pretty exclusive club too!
This third win over City in our last five away games was utterly deserved, with super performances again from every member of the team. It's our second consecutive away win against City (both with clean sheets!). The last time we did this was in May 2010. You'll remember that auspicious occasion when Peter Crouch's goal gave us our first Champions League entry. We truly are City's bogey side, pre- and post-Guardiola's arrival.
Both managers made two team changes. Pep started with Cherki and Marmoush in stead of Bernardo Silva and Doku. Rodri was not fit enough to start and made only a late cameo, when he looked a little short of fitness. Thomas Frank played the experienced Palhinha and Bentancur for the youth of Gray and Bergvall.
I anticipated a PSG-style 5-3-2 formation, but Frank proved flexible yet again and went toe-to-toe with his adversary, playing a 4-3-3. It was Palhinha's first Premier League start for his new club.
Spurs kicked off playing away from their fans. City sought to dominate and spent most of the first couple of minutes occupying our half, before Frank could be seen on the touchline urging his men to get forward. Thereafter, Spurs did press high, in numbers and gave City plenty to think about in their own half.
A pass from Cherki reached Haaland who was well blocked and was kept quiet most of the afternoon, missing the target with the few chances he mustered. In the City half Richarlison won the ball off Gonzalez, who then fouled our number nine. Pedro Porro's free kick from the left side was hit beyond the back post and cleared.
Haaland soon fouled Richie outside the City area. Pedro Porro's free kick was firstly blocked before he hit a second effort into the back of the side netting. At the other end Pedro hit a weak back-header and City's main dangerman Marmoush hit a shot across goal just in front of the goal line with Vicario beaten.
Richarlison pressurised Trafford and Kudus hit a cross/shot wide of the back post. Vicario cleared from Marmoush after the Egyptian had beaten Pedro Porro.
One of City's summer signings left back Ait-Nouri required treatment and the first rendition of "We want Levy out" could be heard. The fans are frustrated of course regarding Arsenal's hijacking of the Eze move, but as Thomas Frank has said, he only wants players who truly want to play at our club. Ait-Nouri tried but failed to continue and had to be replaced by Nathan Ake.
In the meantime, Oscar Bobb had passed to Marmoush, whose right-footed shot was very well saved by Vicario. Spurs broke forward down the left flank and Djed Spence fed the ball inside to Johnson, who sadly over-hit his first touch. Criticisms of Brennan in the Spurs crowd would soon be silenced!
Vicario had to save again from Marmoush who had been put through by Haaland's clever ball and was clear of the defence. One of City's stars at Molineux last week, another new signing Tijjani Reijnders, failed with his effort on goal after a (rare) poor example of play-out football by Spurs.
Spurs shocked the home side, and the crowd with a good break down the right side as Sarr sent Richarlison away. Richie crossed and Johnson was in the middle to score a second consecutive goal in our two Premier League games. Brennan has scored 23 goals in the last calendar year for club and country and also scored in our 4-0 win here last November.
The referee's assistant flagged offside (I think against Johnson), but VAR found that neither he nor his provider had been offside. The goal stood and we celebrated twice!
Richarlison had a chance blocked after the excellent Sarr pressurised the City keeper. Pedro Porro seemed to have been fouled just outside the box, as had Kudus by Trafford, but no foul was given. VAR could not intervene here. Kudus won a corner on the right after more Spurs pressure.
Seven minutes of added time were announced and in the second of those, we went two up! James Trafford was culpable here for a poor pass to Stones inside his area. Sarr pounced; the ball ran to Richarlison whose touch was blocked then Palhinha swept up to score his first Spurs goal with a powerful deflected shot.
Spurs fans chanted "Champions of Europe..." Their team had some stout defending to do as City desperately sought to reduce the deficit. Haaland headed over from Cherki's cross. It was a brilliant half-time scoreline!
Sticker spotted in City's away end toilets!
Thanks to Cassim Patel for this picture.
City were slow coming out for the second half. Spurs initially attacked down the left wing, but then Kudus lost possession in his own half and Palhinha blocked Ake's shot with strength. Haaland actually managed to bead the ball away from goal after a cross from the right. Spurs escaped what could have been a disastrous play-out when referee Peter Bankes adjudged Van de Ven to have been fouled.
Pep now introduced Doku and Bernardo Silva for Marmoush and Cherki. Spurs not only defended but also continued to press for another goal. Richarlison's challenge for a Pedro Porro ball was blocked. Bentancur led another break-out attack down the left channel, but Johnson's final effort was off target.
Palhinha won a midfield challenge. Richarlison took the ball on and tried to feed Johnson, but his first touch was overhit again. Richie headed over a Pedro Porro free kick, and also a left-footed cross by Kudus.
Spence was strong in defence against Bobb and won us a goal kick. Kudus had excelled in the City half, but he also defended brilliantly when chasing back to assist Pedro Porro and to surprise Doku by stealing the ball.
A free kick by Bernardo Silova was deflected out by Bentancur, but Spurs defended two consecutive corners. There was some sort of contretemps between Richarlison and Gonzalez and both were booked.
Trafford was in no-man's land outside his area when trying to clear a Pedro Porro cross, but the ball also evaded Pape Sarr. More City changes followed including Rodri's introduction. Rodri's first touch was to head a corner by his fellow substitute Phil Foden, but Vicario held that attempt.
Micky van de Ven made a fantastic goal-saving tackle to deny Foden after good play by Doku. Bernardo Silva headed onto the top of the Spurs net after Ake's cross.
Spurs threatened again when Pedro Porro passed to late substitute Bergvall. He passed to Odobert, whose right-footed shot was wide.
Four minutes of added time was announced. Spurs fans chanted "It's happened again" and "Top of the League" (which we are at this early juncture). The exodus of City fans had already begun. The "Oles" rang out for a spell of Spurs passing. Trafford even had to make a double save from Solanke's right-footed shot and Odobert's follow-up header.
I just want to point out that after just two games, we are six points ahead of West Ham with a better goal difference by 12! We host Bournemouth next Saturday, but that game at the London Stadium on 13th September should be spicy, especially with Kudus playing for us!
Here are a few more stats for you:-
When it comes to maiden top-flight away trips, we haven't tasted defeat in any of the last ten seasons (W5 D5).
Manchester City have won just four of their last 12 Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur (D2 L6).
The last five Premier League meetings between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad have produced 23 goals (9 for City, 14 for Spurs), with the away side netting at least twice in all five.
The last side to score 2+ goals in five consecutive top-flight away games against Man City were Sunderland between 1980 and 2000.
Tottenham Hotspur have won their first two Premier League games in a season for the first time since 2021-22, which was also the last time a manager won his first two league games with Spurs (Nuno Espirito Santo then).
In all competitions, Pep Guardiola has lost ten games against Tottenham Hotspur in his managerial career, also losing ten against Liverpool.
Spurs are also one of three teams he's faced 10 or more times and won fewer than half of his games against (11/24, 45.8%), along with Liverpool (6/24, 25%) and Real Madrid (13/27, 48%).
Enjoy the glow of this victory Spurs fans. I'm sure those grins will last us all week!
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