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Brennan Johnson believes it is a huge achievement for Tottenham Hotspur to emerge with a clean sheet against Manchester City, and has given us some insight into the changes that Thomas Frank has implemented at Spurs.

Tottenham produced some impressive performances under Ange Postecoglou, especially in his first season in charge, but they struggled to keep clean sheets under the Australian.

That is why Spurs fans are delighted with the fact that the side has started the Premier League campaign with two successive clean sheets.

The visitors exhibited a level of defensive control that travelling sides seldom do at the Etihad, managing to keep their pponents at arm’s length for the majority of the encounter of Tottenham’s 2-0 win over City.

Brennan Johnson says Thomas Frank respects defending

However, it was certainly not a case of Spurs just defending deep with men behind the ball the whole game, with Tottenham not being afraid to press Man City high up the pitch.

Thomas Frank has spoken about wanting Tottenham to be balanced in all phases of play, and Johnson has revealed that the Dane stresses defensive solidity while also giving his players the freedom to take risks going forward.

When asked about the differences between Frank and Ange Postecoglou, the Wales international told TNT Sports: “Nothing massively. Two different coaches. Really enjoying it, and a lot of detail goes into the set-pieces, but at the same time, he gives us a lot of attacking freedom.

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“So, we have a really good balance. He respects defending and wants us to be hard to beat. In the first few games, we have kept two clean sheets, and against Man City, it is not easy. I have played here a lot of times and conceded a lot of goals.”

Johnson claims Tottenham delivered a perfect performance against Man City

Tottenham fans would have expected the home side to pepper their goal with shots at some stage in the second half as they were looking to get themselves back into the game.

However, that phase never came, with the away side looking very comfortable and also continuing to pose a threat on the counter-attack.

Micah Richards was extremely complimentary of the performance that Tottenham Hotspur delivered at the Etihad Stadium, and he revealed what has impressed him about Thomas Frank at the start of his tenure at N17.

The new Tottenham boss did not walk into the easiest of environments, replacing a European trophy-winning manager, and it was reported that the Spurs players were angered by the decision to sack Ange Postecoglou.

However, in a very short time, Frank and his coaching staff have managed to win over the Tottenham squad and the supporters, with the Dane quickly putting his imprint on the side.

Frank has said that he wants Spurs to be balanced in all phases of play, and that is exactly what we have seen from the side in their first three matches of the season.

Micah Richards is impressed by Tottenham’s transformation under Thomas Frank

The Tottenham head coach has already shown his tactical versatility, with Spurs using different tactical set-ups against PSG, Burnley, and Man City.

Richards is mightily impressed by the versatility and street smarts that Tottenham are showing, with the pundit showering praise on Frank.

Reacting to Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Man City, Richards told BBC Sport: “I thought Spurs were absolutely excellent. The way the head coach has been able to adapt so early in his tenure – sometimes using a back four and sometimes a five.

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“Even bringing in Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur today. That was a masterstroke. Thomas Frank has brought a know-how of how to see games out. They fully deserved to win today.”

Tottenham have a huge opportunity to build momentum

The fact that Tottenham have kept two clean sheets in their first two games of the season will particularly delight Spurs fans, as this defence was run ragged regularly in the Premier League last season.

Spurs now have a winnable set of games coming up, with Bournemouth, West Ham, Brighton, Wolves and Leeds being their next five opponents.

The Lilywhites now have a huge opportunity to build momentum and confidence early in the Frank era, and could find themselves near the top of the table before they play Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal in November.

Joao Palhinha is over the moon with his decision to come to Tottenham Hotspur, and the midfielder has revealed the number one reason why he chose to move to N17.

While there has been a lot of attention on Mohammed Kudus and the way he has started at Tottenham, the Portuguese international has been just as impressive.

Against Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, the 30-year-old showcased his positional awareness and tactical discipline, mopping up superbly in front of the defence.

Thomas Frank believes Palhinha was a real coup for Spurs, and the on-loan Bayern Munich man has now said something very interesting about the Tottenham head coach.

Joao Palhinha makes Thomas Frank admission after Tottenham move

The experienced midfielder has admitted that his conversation with Frank was one of the main reasons why he chose to come to Tottenham.

The former Fulham man confessed that he is delighted with the choice he made, describing Spurs as a ‘great club’.

After scoring his first goal for Tottenham in their 2-0 win over Man City, Palhinha was asked why he chose Spurs, and he told TNT Sports: “First of all, the coach [Thomas Frank] who pushed me to come here and showed me the project he has here at Tottenham.

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“It is such a great club, and I am really glad to be in the Premier League again. I am so happy, me and my family. Now I want to enjoy this top club and top atmosphere again.”

Palhinha makes Spurs a much more solid outfit

In his two seasons at Fulham, Palhinha was in a league of his own in terms of tackles, registering 109 more tackles than the player who was second in that stat.

That shows just what Tottenham have signed, and there are already signs that he could have a formidable partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur, with the pair complementing each other very well.

Ryan Mason now faces a touchline ban after the former Tottenham assistant coach was sent off for his protestations to the fourth official against Portsmouth on Saturday.

The 34-year-old’s long association with Spurs came to an end in the summer when he left the North London club to take the top job at the Hawthorns.

Since then, Mason admitted that he knew it was the right time to say goodbye after Tottenham’s Europa League triumph in Bilbao, and he has certainly had a decent start to his career as manager.

The Baggies won their first two Championship fixtures against Blackburn Rovers and Wrexham, but they failed to make it three in three at home on Saturday, with the game ending controversially.

Former Tottenham coach Ryan Mason receives red card

With the game poised at 1-1, the former Tottenham assistant coach was furious when Albion were denied a penalty in the second half after Connor Ogilvie appeared to Aune Heggebo in the box.

Moments later, Pompey centre-back, Regan Poole, who had already been booked, committed a foul on Heggebo, but the referee did not deem it worthy of a booking.

This riled Mason and his coaching staff, who were furiously complaining to the fourth official, which led to the 34-year-old being shown a straight red card on 71 minutes.

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Mason is waiting for the verdict on his suspension

According to The Express and Star, the West Brom boss is now expected to face a touchline ban as per FA rules. However, the outlet says that the length of the ban is yet to be finalised by English football’s governing body.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to break the bank to sign Savinho from Manchester City before the transfer window slams shut on September 1.

It was reported last week that after missing out on Eberechi Eze, Spurs are willing to pull out all the stops to land Savinho.

However, a deal for the Brazilian is not expected to be straightforward, with reports indicating that one member of the Man City hierarchy is blocking Savinho’s exit.

It appears that the Lilywhites are not deterred and are now expected to push ahead with a big offer for the 21-year-old.

Tottenham are willing to spend big on Savinho

This update comes from Fabrizio Romano, who has revealed that less than 24 hours after beating Manchester City, Spurs are ready to offer Pep Guardiola’s side big money for the winger.

Romano claims that the North London side are willing to bid upwards of €70m (£60.6m) for Savinho, and adds that they will ‘try until the end’ to get the deal over the line.

The journalist adds that the former Girona man is keen on the move to N17, with the deal now dependent on Man City.

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Romano wrote: “Confirmed: Tottenham Hotspur want to go over €70m for Savinho and will try until the end to get the deal done. Savio, keen on Spurs move and now all depends on Manchester City.”

Why Spurs’ pursuit of Savinho may have got more complicated

It was previously revealed by some sources that Pep Guardiola does not want to lose Savinho this summer.

His resolve to hold onto the Brazilian may have just increased after Saturday’s result, Tottenham exposing the holes in the Man City side.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their unbeaten start to the new Premier League campaign with victory against Manchester City.

The lead up to the game had been dominated by Tottenham’s failed move for Eberechi Eze which had frustrated many fans on the white side of North London and a trip to the Etihad Stadium is never an easy fixture for many teams.

Tottenham, however, have enjoyed decent success at the home of the former Premier League champions in recent times.

Saturday proved to be no different when Tottenham’s 2-0 win against Man City will have certainly made plenty of people sit up and take notice of Thomas Frank’s work at his new club.

Tottenham were dominant in win over Manchester City

While City threatened early on, Tottenham settled into the match, with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven keeping the likes of Erling Haaland from looking as if they were to find the back of the net.

With Destiny Udogie still not ready to return from injury, Djed Spence continued to operate at left-back and put in yet another impressive shift.

The 25-year-old, who must surely be on the radar for a call-up to the senior England squad for the World Cup qualifiers early next month, looked completely at ease against the attacking threat of the home side.

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Spence’s pace is one of his key assets and when the likes of Oscar Bobb tried to take him on, they found themselves struggling to get past the Spurs defender.

Djed Spence has a message for Premier League opponents

Spence took to social media shortly after the final whistle where first-half goals from Brennan Johnson and summer signing Joao Palhinha proved to be enough to secure Tottenham’s first away win in the Premier League since beating Ipswich Town in October.

The former Middlesbrough player has challenged his future opponents by posting the caption “bring me your favourite winger.”

Tottenham Hotspur claimed 10 victories in the Europa League last season, but have still suffered in the UEFA Coefficient rankings.

Tottenham Hotspur will be back in European action in less than a month, as they hope to build on an impressive Europa League triumph. It was in Europe that Spurs were able to escape last season from a dismal Premier League campaign which resulted in a 17th-place finish.

Thomas Frank will be relishing the opportunity to try something new. He has managed Brøndby before in Europa League qualifying, but this will be the first time he has led a team into the Champions League.

Tottenham are yet to discover whether they will be in pot two or three in the Champions League draw. However, this plays a smaller factor in the new format, as they will still play two teams from every pot.

Tottenham have fallen down the UEFA rankings

A Europa League win has not stopped Tottenham from dropping down the UEFA Coefficient rankings. The UEFA website shows that Spurs were 27th last season, but have dropped four places to 31st.

The clubs to have overtaken Tottenham are Sporting CP, Real Sociedad, LOSC Lille and PSV Eindhoven.

Both Sporting and Lille were knocked out of the Champions League last season at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, in the play-offs and last 16 respectively. Arsenal thrashed PSV in the last 16, while Real Sociedad were beaten by Manchester United in the Europa League.

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What chance do Spurs have of winning the Champions League?

Daniel Levy said he wanted Tottenham to win the Champions League, shortly after their Europa League success last season. However, Spurs have not done well enough in the transfer market to be competing with Europe’s top teams.

The UEFA Super Cup defeat showed that while Frank knew how to set up his team, there was just a lack of depth on the bench to seal the victory.

A realistic aim for Tottenham would be to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. This would mean winning at least one knockout tie and potentially a second, depending on whether or not they finished in the top eight of the league phase.

Ange Postecoglou did not achieve cup success in his first season and no one could blame Frank for failing to win a trophy this early on. However, if he does help Spurs win another trophy, it is most likely to be the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.

For the second season in a row, Tottenham Hotspur tasted victory against Man City at the Etihad, with Thomas Frank masterminding a 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola.

We resisted saying this earlier because we were unsure whether it might backfire, but now we are more confident to admit it. Yes, the ‘new manager honeymoon’ period for Tottenham has properly kicked off. This time, Spurs fans will be hoping it lasts longer than the 10 games it did under Ange Postecoglou.

It was an incredible win for Tottenham in Saturday’s early kick-off at the Etihad Stadium. Despite the stats favouring Spurs ahead of the fixture, nothing suggested it would be straightforward. Regardless, Thomas Frank outclassed Pep Guardiola in his very first away league game as Spurs boss, overseeing a second clean sheet in a row and a statement victory.

Many had expected the Dane to revert to a back five, something he often used at Brentford against stronger opposition and also deployed against PSG in the Super Cup. Instead, he went bold with a 4-2-3-1. The defence and attack remained unchanged from the 3-0 win against Burnley, while Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha replaced Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray in midfield.

Guardiola, meanwhile, named City’s youngest Premier League starting XI in 15 years. He made two changes from their 4-0 opening win at Wolves, with Ryan Cherki and Omar Marmoush coming in for Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva.

First half: Man City 0-2 Tottenham

With chants of ‘We want Levy out’ echoing from the away end, Spurs pressed with purpose from the off. Richarlison earned an early free kick, which Pedro Porro first hit the wall before firing the rebound into the side netting.

City’s first real opening came courtesy of a poor Porro header that gifted Marmoush the chance to score, only for the Egyptian to drag his effort wide.

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Marmoush remained a menace, forcing two sharp saves from Guglielmo Vicario in quick succession, before later being brilliantly denied one-on-one after Erling Haaland bulldozed through three challenges to set him up.

And yet, with City looking the likelier, Spurs landed the first blow. Richarlison beat John Stones for pace down the right and squared into the middle, where Brennan Johnson tucked home. The linesman’s flag cut short celebrations, but after a VAR check, the goal was eventually awarded.

Hardly 10 minutes later, Tottenham doubled their advantage. City keeper James Trafford misplaced a short pass straight into danger, allowing Pape Sarr to pounce. The ball fell for Richarlison, and after his effort was parried, it fell to Joao Palhinha, who fired home his first goal for Tottenham from inside the box.

Erling Haaland mistimed a header in the last minute of stoppage time as his side went into the break, trailing by 2 goals.

City had an xG of 1.12 to Spurs’ 0.6, but it was Frank’s men who took advantage of their chances.

Incredibly, this was only the sixth time under Guardiola that City had trailed by two or more at half-time at home, with Spurs now responsible for half of those occasions.

Second half: Man City 0-2 Tottenham

No changes at the interval, but City came out knowing they needed a response. Their first real opening saw Nathan Ake’s powerful shot blocked by a sliding Joao Palhinha, who was everywhere in midfield.

Tottenham continued to pose a threat on the break. Porro’s delivery found Richarlison, whose header landed on the roof of the net, before Johnson wasted a promising 5v4 counter by blazing over from distance instead of playing it through to one of his teammates into the box. Thomas Frank wasn’t very happy about that.

City looked stronger after their substitutions, but Spurs’ backline stood firm. Micky van de Ven produced a sensational sliding block to deny Phil Foden, while Bernardo Silva glanced a header wide.

At the other end, Spurs’ substitutes almost combined to add a third, as Lucas Bergvall teed up Wilson Odobert, only for the Frenchman to drag his finish off target.

In stoppage time, Dominic Solanke’s low strike was parried by Trafford before Odobert’s follow-up was also saved.

FT: MANCHESTER CITY 0-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Spurs Web man of the match: Joao Palhinha

What’s next for the Premier League table toppers

It is a dream start to the Premier League season for Tottenham. Two games, two wins, five goals scored, none conceded, and a seat at the joint top of the table. Thomas Frank is getting the very best out of his players, and several shone at the Etihad.

Pape Sarr and Mohammed Kudus once again looked immense, and not to forget, Guglielmo Vicario made four vital saves. But the standout was undoubtedly Joao Palhinha. Not only did he open his Spurs account, but he also dominated defensively, making 3 clearances, winning all his aerial duels, completing 6 ground duels, producing 2 tackles, and even 1 incredible block – all without being dispossessed once.

After a week’s rest, Tottenham return home to face Bournemouth in week three, and the league leaders will be looking to extend their perfect start.

European football expert Andy Brassell believes that Tottenham Hotspur should turn to a Real Madrid attacker to fix their creative issues, and it is not Rodrygo.

James Maddison has already been ruled out for the majority of the upcoming season, and to make matters worse, Dejan Kulusevski is also not expected back for several months.

Reports indicate that Thomas Frank has urged Tottenham to sign two creative midfielders before the window slams shut, and one can understand why.

For the moment, the Dane is using Pape Sarr in that role, but a Real Madrid man has now been put forward as the perfect option for the North London side.

Tottenham urged to sign Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid

Reports from Spain have indicated over recent days that Spurs have held talks with Real Madrid over a loan deal for Rodrygo.

However, Andy Brassell has now suggested that rather than pursuing the Brazilian, Frank’s men should turn their attention to Rodrigo’s teammate, Brahim Diaz.

He described the Morocco international as a game-changer and suggested that Tottenham can lure him with the offer of regular game time.

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Brassell told Sky Sports: “I just wonder what Spurs’ options are now, really. If you’re looking at Europe, because there aren’t a whole lot of number 10s out there, I wonder if it’s worth a little go for Brahim Diaz.

“The latest news from Madrid is, it looks like Rodrygo is not going anywhere, Xabi Alonso would like to keep him, and the offers aren’t really out there at the moment.

“Brahim Diaz is someone who was at Manchester City, he’s won leagues in three different countries, he’s a match-changer in all the big matches that he plays, he’s 26, and he can’t get in the Real Madrid XI. To me, that looks like a bit of Spurs.”

Nico Paz is seen as Spurs’ most achievable target

Over recent days, it has emerged that Spurs are also eyeing a move for an attacking midfielder who departed the Santiago Bernabeu just last summer.

According to The Independent, Como’s Nico Paz is seen as Tottenham’s ‘most achievable transfer’ for the number ten role after the club missed out on Eberechi Eze.

Tottenham Hotspur are now stepping up a move for a Premier League centre-back, who Thomas Frank knows very well, but the Lilywhites are expected to face challenges in getting the deal over the line.

According to reports, Frank wants to add a number ten, a winger and a centre-back to his squad before the transfer window slams shut.

Most of the focus of the media has been on which attackers Tottenham will turn to after missing out on Eberechi Eze, who is now on his way to Arsenal.

However, it has now emerged that the Lilywhites are pressing for their interest in an experienced defender, whom Frank has worked with.

Tottenham want to sign Brentford centre-back Nathan Collins

This report comes from CaughtOffside, who say that Tottenham are one of three clubs that hold an interest in Brentford star Nathan Collins.

Collins, who was one of the figureheads of the Bees side under Frank over the last couple of seasons, has been made the West London club’s captain following the departure of Cristian Norgaard.

However, Spurs are now ‘stepping up their efforts’ to land the Republic of Ireland international before the window slams shut on September 1, with Frank keen on reuniting with the player.

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The report says that a deal for Collins will not be easy, as the defender is contracted until 2029 at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Brentford are determined to hold onto him.

Spurs hold an advantage over rivals in Collins race

CaughtOffside say that Manchester United and Liverpool are also in the mix to sign the Bees captain in a late deal.

However, the Red Devils have to sell players before they make a serious offer for Collins, while Liverpool’s priority target remains Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.