Football London

"I love my former club Brentford and I'm falling in love with this club here," admitted Thomas Frank on Saturday afternoon after a big early statement win against Manchester City.

The feeling is reciprocated as there's a quickly-sprouting affection and excitement around Frank within Tottenham Hotspur. The 51-year-old has embraced the ideals of the club while trying to make key changes of his own to the culture around the training ground and the football.

On the pitch, those changes are already clear with three very different tactical set-ups to take on three very different opponents and it should have brought three wins but for a tired five minutes or so in Udine.

That was always going to be the Frank way. The Dane has his principles, built on aggressive phases of play in different parts of the pitch, but beyond that his teams can morph into anything he chooses them to be.

Tottenham have gone through managers in recent years who either have a very set way of playing regardless of the opposition or are overly concerned about those they are facing. Frank is somewhere in the middle, with set foundations of play but always alongside a different plan to counter what might be thrown at them.

The players have bought into it quickly. Having Cristian Romero doing so and rewarded with the captaincy and his new contract was an important building block for Frank so early in his tenure. For where Cuti Romero goes, others follow.

Off the pitch, Frank has won over staff behind the scenes quickly. People at all levels rave about their interactions with him, "a thoroughly nice human being" making an effort to remember the name of everyone he meets and showing an interest in them.

Frank knows this is still the honeymoon period and in his first meeting with staff across Hotspur Way in the summer he made it clear that they would lose matches but that their time together would be defined by how they dealt with those disappointments rather than the victories.

The Dane is a man who will not let his thoughts run away with him and he could well know that the last Spurs manager to win the first two games of the season, including beating Pep Guardiola's City albeit at home, was Nuno Espirito Santo. The Portuguese only lasted a couple of months longer at Tottenham and may not last much longer at Nottingham Forest.

It feels at this point that the Frank tenure is built on stronger foundations, not least a club that must make good on the decision to hire him in the first place in the aftermath of that European trophy.

Watching the technical area around Frank is certainly a fascinating experience and one different to what would happen around his predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian always maintained he preferred to observe games in order to make better decisions rather than run through the gamut of emotions. That would frustrate the fans though who wanted action from the man at the helm.

Frank is different, he's constantly talking, whether to his players or with his coaching staff. Like Postecoglou he delegates, but it feels even more collaborative in terms of who speaks to the players.

Matt Wells, who is in charge of the defence and was praised by Frank after the game, was constantly beside him on Saturday, discussing everything with his boss and bellowing instructions to the team.

Frank pushes for collaboration and he could often be seen turning and encouraging others such as set piece coach Andreas Georgson and goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte to be vocal when their areas of expertise were involved in play.

The Tottenham analysts, including Joe Newton - Frank's trusted eye at Brentford - sat just in front of football.london, and were constantly passing on what they could see from their position in the stand to the bench and what was apparent through quickly poured over video analysis.

The analysts are all in constant contact with Wells, Justin Cochrane and Georgson, while the latter also has his own direct line with the set piece analyst.

It's just one big collaborative machine and Frank still needs it to get better. His coaching meetings at Brentford each day eventually got down to just 15 minutes, but on tour he said they were lasting around an hour at Spurs.

On Friday, he admitted to football.london that they have shaved three minutes off that run time, but there was plenty more work to do to streamline the processes involved and understand everything he wants.

If all of the above makes you think Frank is all cuddles and happiness, don't believe it. He is only a moment away from unleashing that Danish glare, which is often accompanied by some choice words and often ones that cannot be printed.

Even though all of his players were excellent at the Etihad, some still got to hear his wrath.

An early occasion came in the first half when Djed Spence took a quick throw backwards when Georgson was primed to set up a long throw routine. That brought exasperated Scandinavian shouts from both the Swede and Dane at a missed opportunity to cause havoc in the City box.

Even goalscorer Brennan Johnson could not escape. When he ran through on a break with three of his team-mates, his shot over the bar rather than using the extra numbers Spurs had on the counter was met by a volley of expletives from Frank.

In the final minutes of the game, Spence got it again from both the head coach and Wells when he made a great break up the pitch only to be too knackered to get back again as both coaches roared across the pitch and him and waving at the 25-year-old to get back into his own half at least as City counter-attacked.

Overall though it was mostly cuddles and happiness, especially at the final whistle for Spurs marshalled City perfectly, Frank becoming the sixth Tottenham manager in a row to win a game with a clean sheet against Guardiola.

The opening goal from Johnson was borne of a quick break, with Pedro Porro finding the head of Pape Matar Sarr with Richarlison running on to the Senegal midfielder's flick-on before pulling the ball across the box for the Wales international to smash home. It was reminiscent of the Postecoglou goals trained week in, week out at Hotspur Way.

The second goal though was all about Frank's pressing demands. The rushing Sarr got a foot to a James Trafford short pass out of goal ahead of Nico Gonzalez and while the diving goalkeeper then got a touch to the ball at Richarlison's feet, he could only knock it across to Joao Palhinha, who smashed it back past him.

In the second half, the City onslaught never really came. Guglielmo Vicario had made a couple of good saves in the first period but was largely untroubled after the break.

Instead the visitors looked more likely to score again with a string of headed chances for Richarlison, one for Dominic Solanke and two for Wilson Odobert as Spurs took home all three points and another clean sheet.

In all, Spurs had 12 shots to City's 10. When the final whistle blew, the Spurs fans sang "Manchester City, it's happened again" after yet another impressive win at the Etihad Stadium.

"I'm very delighted. Extremely proud of the players' performance. I think it was an exceptionally good performance," Frank told football.london. "I think the first 35 minutes, we know a couple of things, we know it's always difficult to play against City. Here at the Etihad it's even more difficult.

"The first 35 minutes I thought was fairly even, but with City on top, I think they were more on top than us. There was a big mentality shift in terms of staying in the game and keeping doing what we wanted to do, scoring a great goal. Maybe that changed a little bit of momentum, but we definitely stayed on top and went 2-0 up.

"Second half, I think we were very good. The big spell where we could think that they would put pressure on us, I think we were very aggressive in the high pressure, that we were very front-footed, with the mindset to constantly go for the 3-0 goal.

"And then, then I must say that the clean sheet makes me very happy. It's a big thing we've been working on, not on clean sheets as that's easier said than done, but on the defensive side of the game, high pressure, middle block, low block, defend the box mentality, blocking shots, everything.

"Because if you get clean sheets you're closer to winning a game and also last year we had six clean sheets, so yeah, that's very big for me."

It's near impossible to pick out a Spurs player that outshone the rest even if Sarr won the man of the match award, which Richarlison duly claimed in the dressing room as is his cheeky tradition.

For Vicario pulled off those vital first half saves from Omar Marmoush even if some of his short kicking was a bit scary in the second half.

Ahead of him, Porro was excellent other than an undercooked header meant for Vicario in the first half that gave Marmoush a chance, while Spence never stopped running until those final moments when Frank and Wells yelled at him to.

With the way that Spence is dealing with the game's top wingers, it might not be long before Thomas Tuchel has a look at him in his England squad. "Bring me your favourite winger," proclaimed Spence on his Instagram account on the way back from the Etihad.

It makes such a difference for a Spurs manager to have Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven alongside each other and they were both on top form against City.

Romero led the way with booming challenges, one of which so impressed the man who was crunched - Gonzalez - that the City man unexpectedly turned around and gave the Tottenham captain a high five.

Romero was also on the end of one of the poorest yellow card decisions likely to be seen this season when he earned one for an absolutely inch-perfect sliding tackle in which he clearly won the ball.

Romero topped the defensive stats on the pitch with six ball recoveries, three interceptions, two tackles, one block, three clearances and two headed clearances.

Alongside him, Van de Ven got away with what looked like a penalty missed for catching Oscar Bobb on the foot early in the second half, although perhaps it was balanced out by

Trafford almost taking Kudus' head off with a challenge when running out of his box.

The Dutch centre-back was otherwise excellent though and raced back to make a brilliant sliding block to deny Phil Foden from scoring with 12 minutes to go.

Then there was Joao Palhinha. The on-loan 30-year-old is looking like one of the bargains of the summer with every passing game.

It's no secret that Frank would have loved to have brought Christian Norgaard with him to Tottenham from Brentford rather than Arsenal getting him, but Palhinha feels as perfectly fitting a cog in the Frank machine as the Norwegian.

The Portuguese has brought back a lot of what Spurs lost with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's exit only with a more all-round game.

Palhinha won more duels (eight) and made more tackles (four) than any other player on the pitch on Saturday and when he made a great block in the second half he celebrated it like he did his well-taken goal.

Alongside the ridiculously composed Rodrigo Bentancur, Spurs have the makings of a powerful and technically impressive experienced central midfield duo.

When football.london asked about Palhinha and his influence in that midfield pairing, Frank took a moment to comment on the noise around the club this week.

"I think it's fair to say that we got a few questions about the transfer market yesterday, a lot about why not and what if and all that. What is 100% sure is we brought two top players into the club, Kudos and Palhinha, both of them have performed very well, which I'm very pleased with," he said.

"Then Palhinha, yeah, wow, you know, sometimes players need confidence and they need to be on top and I don't think he's fully fit yet, where I want him to be, but very pleased with his performance and he's definitely helping the team."

When the former Fulham midfielder spoke after the game to TNT Sports he spoke about Frank's involvement in bringing him to N17.

"The coach pushed me to come here and showed me the project," Palhinha said: "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."

Sarr got the man of the match award and again showed that he's going to be a star in the Frank system, with his ability to deliver tactical performances to the letter with the energy and technical ability required.

Kudus showed his strength and dribbling ability again and terrified City every time he had the ball down the right. On the other side, Johnson worked hard defensively and played at times like a number 10, spraying the ball around, which is actually his natural position from when he was younger.

The Wales international's goal once again showed his remarkable ability to arrive in the right areas at the right times as he made it back-to-back games with goals. Frank referred to him as the team's deep runner on Friday and it's an apt description for the 24-year-old.

He was pushed towards the Spurs fans by his team-mates after the game as the away faithful sang the "Johnson again" chant that will be forever linked with that run of games last season when he just kept scoring and of course that night in Bilbao.

Up front Richarlison again showed why, if he can remain fit, there are few ready made Premier League strikers who can bring what he does to the Frank system. If he can steer clear of those previous woes then he and Solanke will be an important duo to rotate between as the games come thick and fast.

Richarlison knocked on Frank's door and said he wanted to stay at Spurs on the first day of pre-season and he hasn't really looked back since.

Solanke, Odobert and Lucas Bergvall all made an impact when they came on to the pitch late on, either fashioning chances for themselves or others.

Spurs need more depth though. As often is the case at the club, the starting XI is strong and can put in performances like this but you need to do it consistently. If you take a couple of players out of it as the fixtures pile up then it's a recipe for what happened last season to return.

Frank admitted to football.london the day before the game that the two new faces in Kudus and Palhinha had only really balanced out the exit of Son Heung-min and long-term absence of James Maddison, so his squad was "similar" to the one he inherited before the window.

That's certainly not the aim of a transfer window, to end up with what you started with. Lose Palhinha or Kudus and you're worse off than you were before.

The Tottenham fans remain unhappy at what they see as a lack of backing for Frank in what feels like another one of those summers when the club should have pushed on but instead at this point have not spent anything like what the Premier League's top sides have because of the failed moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Spurs fans chanted for chairman Daniel Levy's exit within 50 seconds of the match starting, they did so again with their team 2-0 up and then after the game as well as the "Johnson again" song died down.

The 63-year-old was in attendance and while he claims he is not bothered by criticism and that people will appreciate him when he is gone, Levy will be well aware of the suggestion from the fanbase that Thomas Frank is doing everything he can for Tottenham but those above him are not pulling their weight.

After a tough week at Spurs this was otherwise a good day, with the women's team also winning at Arsenal in a pre-season friendly under new manager Martin Ho.

Now Spurs need to kick on and that's often been something they've been accused of not doing when it matters. This feels like one of those key moments.

Savinho's agent Rodrigo Zeitel was at the Etihad Stadium along with both club's powerbrokers and a big bid for the talented Brazilian to test City's resolve would be a display of Tottenham's desire to back Frank.

That road was not a closed one on Saturday and hopefully Spurs can make an offer City cannot refuse for an experienced 21-year-old with a ridiculous amount of ability and potential.

Lange has a list of other targets for the number 10, winger and centre-back roles that Spurs will examine over the final week of the transfer window. Frank needs experienced heads, not necessarily in age but in game time - like Savinho - to take into the Champions League and a big Premier League push as well as those domestic cup competitions.

Right now Frank has started his tenure well, but so did Postecoglou back in 2023 only to be handed one senior player and a group of teenagers the following summer after finishing fifth.

Levy made clear his lofty expectations for the club this summer, now his and Tottenham's actions must underline those words rather than leave them hanging in the air as empty promises.

Thomas Frank's Tottenham Hotspur could be something special, but his whole ethos is about collaboration. He can't do it by himself.

Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford should've been sent-off during Tottenham Hotspur's eye-catching 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium, says former Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Keith Hackett.

Thomas Frank's men travelled to play Pep Guardiola's, after both recorded high-scoring victories on the opening weekend of the new Premier League term. But it was Spurs who kept their 100 per cent record in tact by scoring two goals without reply at the Etihad Stadium.

The first was a swift attacking move completed by a cross from Richarlison - which was tucked home by Brennan Johnson. City goalkeeper Trafford got a touch to the ball, but could not keep the powerful effort out.

Spurs then caught City out as they attempted to pass out from their own 18-yard box. Loan signing Joao Palhinha got the definitive touch - and Frank's team were on their way to a win before the half-time whistle had even been blown.

However, former head of the PGMOL, Hackett, believes there was one other key moment in the first half that did not result in the correct outcome. There'd been a 41st-minute Spurs attack - midway between goals from Johnson and Palhinha - that was analysed as it resulted in a stoppage in play.

The ball looped over the top of City's defence into the path of Mohammed Kudus. The Ghanaian brought the ball into touch with his chest and was instantly clattered into by onrushing goalkeeper Trafford outside of the penalty area.

But it was not the contact between the players that was the issue. Trafford's outstretched arm came into contact with the ball, which caused it to ricochet away and quell the danger of the Spurs attack.

"I have to ask, what is VAR doing? This is a clear handball offence outside the penalty area," Hackett said during his review for Football Insider. The former PGMOL chief concluded: "It's a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity. It's a red card."

The 22-year-old Trafford, who recently re-signed for Guardiola's team for £27m from Burnley, went on to complete the fixture, but it did not end up having a baring on Spurs' positive result.

But the fact that the ball had hit Trafford's arm outside of his box was unanimous, as TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist commented as he saw the replay: "I don't think there's any doubt that it hits his right arm."

Gary Neville thought Eberechi Eze had taken a dig at Tottenham Hotspur shortly after he was unveiled as a new Arsenal player. The Gunners announced the 27-year-old attacking midfielder's transfer from Crystal Palace shortly before their clash against Leeds United.

Eze was given a rowdy standing ovation when he walked out at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The England international soaked up the atmosphere as he applauded the supporters for their warm reception.

After walking out on to the pitch in an Arsenal jersey, Eze changed his shirt before taking a seat in a box. The former Tottenham target pulled on a black top with white writing on the front, which read 'SPIRIT'. When the television cameras panned to Eze, Neville thought the wording said, 'SPURS'. Speaking on Sky Sports from the gantry, the Manchester United legend said: "Does that say Spurs?

"That's a low blow!"

Neville and Rob Hawthorne, who were commentating on the game, shared a laugh before turning their attention back to the action. Eze was, of course, heavily linked with a switch to Tottenham, before the Gunners swooped in and secured his signature.

Speaking to club media, after hijacking their north London rivals' deal with Crystal Palace, Andrea Berta expressed his delight with the move. ThArsenal sporting director said: "We're so pleased to have completed this deal to bring Eberechi to Arsenal.

"Eberechi is a creative and explosive talent with huge technical quality, also a big-game player with his experience at international level with England also underlining his quality and character.

"There has been excellent teamwork - across the club - to make this transfer happen and we are very confident Eberechi will be an important addition to our squad as we continue to build for success."

Meanwhile, Arteta said: "We are absolutely delighted to bring Eberechi to Arsenal. He is a powerful and exciting player who will give us a new dimension in our attacking game.

"What stands out, just as much as his talent and intelligence as a player, is the way he has worked throughout his career to get where he is today. His journey, his mentality, and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team, and we love how much it means to him and his family to be joining our club.

"We all look forward to start working with Eberechi soon."

Eze poured his heart out on social media shortly before his choice of t-shirt raised eyebrows in the gantry. The new Arsenal signing said: "Five years, man. Crazy.

"It feels like just yesterday I was walking through the doors joining from QPR.

"The day that you gave me the chance to realise my dream of playing in the Premier League, for South London's biggest club. From the start, I had goals set and my targets in place, for what I wanted to achieve here at Palace, but I had no idea of what these last five years would really turn out to be.

"They call us a family club, because it's impossible to truly understand what it's like to be part of this club unless you're in it. They're not wrong. Throughout the challenges of the Covid times, from the day I tore my Achilles and the long road of recovery to that night at Selhurst Park against Villa when I came back, up until this very day, the love you have all shown me, the way you have all supported me, and how we've stood together, no matter what, these are things that will live in my heart forever.

"And that's all before we made history together, lol. Wembley, man... That whole journey. Words aren't enough to describe what we all experienced that day so I'm not gunna try, but what I will say is that God did something for us that will connect us all for generations.

"The most special day of my career, because God gave us what no one thought was possible for us! So after all of this, all I really want to say is thank you.

"Thank you for believing in me, thank you for giving me a chance, and thank you for the love shared that will last a lifetime. Up the Palace. God Bless, Ebz."

Tottenham need to strengthen Thomas Frank's squad in the remaining nine days of the summer transfer window even after their superb 2-0 win against Manchester City.

Goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha saw Spurs pick up all three points for the second consecutive season at Etihad Stadium.

Mohammed Kudus is thus far the only permanent marquee arrival into north London with failed moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze resulting in time being spent on players that did not end up joining the club.

Given James Maddison's long-term knee injury and the fact Dejan Kulusevski is expected to be out for another few months, the Lilywhites are in desperate need of a new No.10. Pape Sarr has done an exceptional job in a more advanced midfield role, supported by creativity from deep by Pedro Porro but a more permanent fix is needed.

Links to Maghnes Akliouche, Nico Paz and Morgan Rogers have surfaced in recent days but it does not appear as though active talks for any of those are ongoing. The same cannot be said for Manchester City's Savinho though, with direct contacts having been made and bids submitted.

City have rejected those advances thus far with his move to Spurs being stopped, however things could change swiftly. Pep Guardiola hinted that developments could take place soon when issuing updates on the respective futures of Savinho and Manuel Akanji.

"I don't know about that," he said at his Friday press conference. "They are our players, and we'll see what happens. I think a few things are going to happen, and we'll see."

Both players were absent from his squad to face Spurs with Thomas Frank's side putting in a superb performance to take themselves top of the table. According to The Times, talks are now likely to accelerate for Savinho following the fixture between the two sides.

City have held firm on their £70 million asking price with Spurs yet to reach it but that could change soon as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed they are now prepared to increase their bid to beyond £60m to City.

A £65m agreement being reached would see him become their club-record signing with his traits perfect for Frank's team seeing how well Kudus has done since joining.

Even if he does join, Spurs need another attacking signing with Frank making it clear what he wants from any possible addition.

"I think we have a strong squad that I believe a lot in," he told TNT Sport. "We would like to add to it, but only if it can strengthen the squad. The club is working very hard and I trust them."

Eberechi Eze has taken to social media after his move to Arsenal from Crystal Palace was confirmed. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur before Andrea Berta swooped in and secured his signature.

football.london understands Spurs had agreed terms with Crystal Palace, and Eze was ready to join Thomas Frank's side. The Eagles wanted the England international available for the first leg of their Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad FK on Thursday night, so a deal wasn't wrapped up.

Then, late on Wednesday, Arsenal made a late approach and they quickly agreed terms with the south Londoners. Fortunately for Mikel Arteta, Eze chose to join the Gunners, having grown up as a supporter of the club.

Berta forked out about £68 million for the Crystal Palace talisman, taking Arsenal's total spend for the summer to over £250m. Eze, who underwent a medical on Friday, has signed a long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Eze took to social media to send a message after his move was confirmed. In an emotional goodbye message to Palace, he wrote: "Five years, man. Crazy. It feels like just yesterday I was walking through the doors joining from QPR.

"The day you gave me the chance to realise my dream of playing in the Premier League, For South London’s biggest club. From the start, I had goals set and my targets in place for what I wanted to achieve here at Palace but I had no idea of what these last 5 years would really turn out to be.

"They call us a family club because it’s impossible to truly understand what it’s like to be part of this club unless you’re in it. They’re not wrong. Throughout the challenges of the covid times, from the day I tore my achilles and the long road of recovery to that night at Selhurst against Villa when I came back, up until this very day, the love you have all shown me, the way you have all supported me, and how we’ve stood together no matter what, these are things that will live in my heart forever.

"And thats all before we made history together, lol. Wembley, man. That whole journey. Words aren’t enough to describe what we all experienced that day so I’m not gunna try, but what I will say is that God did something for us that will connect us for generations.

"The most special day of my career because God gave us what no one thought was possible for us! So after all of this, all I really want to say is thank you. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for giving me a chance, and thank you for the love shared that will last a lifetime. Up the Palace. God Bless, Ebz."

Speaking to the club website, Arteta expressed his delight with the move. The Spaniard said: "We are absolutely delighted to bring Eberechi to Arsenal. He is a powerful and exciting player who will give us a new dimension in our attacking game.

"What stands out just as much as his talent and intelligence as a player, is the way he has worked hard throughout his career to get where he is today.

"His journey, his mentality, and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team, and we love how much it means to him and his family to be joining our club. We all look forward to start working with Eberechi soon."

Meanwhile, Berta said: "We are so pleased to have completed this deal to bring Eberechi to Arsenal. Eberechi is a creative and explosive talent with huge technical quality – also a big-game player, with his experience at international level with England also underlining his quality and character.

"There has been excellent teamwork across the club to make this transfer happen and we are very confident Eberechi will be an important addition to our squad as we continue to build for success."

Thomas Frank had plenty to say in his press conference after Tottenham won 2-0 at Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

City had most of the first half pressure in the opening half an hour or so but Spurs turned the game on its head on 35 minutes. Pape Matar Sarr headed on a Pedro Porro ball down the right into Richarlison's path and the Brazilian fired the ball across for Brennan Johnson to smash home with James Trafford only able to get a hand to it on its way in. The Wales international was flagged offside but VAR overruled that call on the pitch.

Tottenham's pressing then earned them a second goal before the break. City keeper James Trafford hit a short pass in his box that Sarr intercepted and while the goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the ball at Richarlison's feet, it went sideways for Joao Palhinha to smash home his first goal for the club.

City could not find a way back in the second half and it was the visitors who looked more likely to score with a string of chances for Richarlison, one for Dominic Solanke and two for Wilson Odobert as Spurs took home all three points and a clean sheet.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Here's a full transcript from the press conference at the Etihad Stadium.

Another clean sheet, another three points, you must be delighted?

Thank you, yeah, very delighted. Extremely proud of the players' performance. I think it was an exceptionally good performance. I think the first 35 minutes, we know a couple of things, we know it's always difficult to play against City. Here at the Etihad it's even more difficult.

The first 35 minutes I thought was fairly even, but with City on top, I think they were more on top than us. There was a big mentality shift in terms of staying in the game and keep doing what we wanted to do, scoring a great goal. Maybe that changed a little bit of momentum, but we definitely stayed on top and went 2-0.

Second half, I think we were very good. The big spell where we could think that they would put pressure on us, I think we were very aggressive in the high pressure, that we were very front-footed, with the mindset to constantly go for the 3-0 goal.

And then, then I must say that the clean sheet makes me very happy. It's a big thing we've been working on, not on clean sheets as that's easier said than done, but on the defensive side of the game, high pressure, middle block, low block, defend the box mentality, blocking shots, everything.

Because if you get clean sheets you're closer to winning a game and also last year we had six clears, so yeah, that's very big for me.

So many good individual performances, but you've got Joao Palhinha in, scoring his first goal for the club, how important is that combination between him and Rodrigo Bentancur?

I think it's fair to say that we got a few questions about the transfer market yesterday, a lot about why not and what if and all that. What is 100% sure we brought two top players into the club, Kudos and Palhinha, both of them have performed very well, which I'm very pleased with, and then Palhinha, yeah, wow, you know, sometimes players need confidence and they need to be on top and I don't think he's fully fit yet, where I want him to be, but very pleased with his performance and he's definitely helping the team.

You were 2-0 up in the Super Cup but held on this time, what were the lessons learned?

I referenced it at half-time. When you’re tired keep going. That was one thing. Two that we had to keep being brave on the ball. Three that we had to keep being good in the high pressure. But also that’s easier said than done. But from every game you learn. From games where you don’t get the result you want, you learn maybe even more. And then I think in some ways of course the other thing was a foul, this was away at the Etihad. One of the most difficult places to go to. But the defensive principles are more and more and then I think the mentality is the key thing. You need mentality to win games like this.

You spoke yesterday about for each match you compile three key themes or principles, what were the three today?

Defensive side of the game, be brave in phase one and two and set pieces.

Did you use the Eze thing as inspiration this week or just not mention it at all?

I think that's very, very easy [to answer]. I never ever use one word about any player that's not at our club.

I think it was Jurgen Klopp who said there's no better playmaker in football than an effective press essentially, what do you make of that statement?

Yeah it was good, he was a clever man. I need to text him and say 'hey, that's awfully clever'. I definitely believe in the aggressive press as you saw today, as you saw with my Brentford team, you know, I believe in the high pressure. I believe in if we can be front footed. I like that mentality. I think it's offensive, you know, it's a more offensive way of defending and then it's more fun to defend in the opponent's half, and of course today I think we were very successful also to score a goal from it.

With Sarr in that position does he bring that effective pressing in that central role?

Yeah, definitely and you say there's a few things. It depends from game to game, players in different positions, systems, but today he was very good like the rest of the team. I think it was difficult to pick one player today. I think everyone performed fantastically.

For the first goal, you managed to beat the Man City offside trap, and it seemed to cause a lot of uncertainty, putting the ball over the top, is that something that you pinpointed to exploit?

Yeah we talked about the high line, and one thing is to talk about it and try to train it. It's never that easy. So to be fair, I think we ran into offside six times before that. So of course the goal looks very successful and that's what we look at. Well there's a few times where we didn't do it well enough, but yes, of course, we tried to do it.

You were here a couple of years ago with an outstanding performance from your Brentford team, was this performance even better given that you've only just started to put your fingerprint on this Spurs side?

I think it's two different teams, two different contexts, but I think that both performances were top and both performances, when I look back at them, I'll be very proud of.

You said you had quite a lot of questions about the transfer market in the build-up to this game, but is this performance a timely reminder that the success of a season, the success of a team is not just about what you can do in a transfer market and the players you can bring in?

Yeah, I think it's extremely important that, a couple of things that we understand we have a good group of players, a talented group players, a group of good quality players that I'm very pleased with. So that's why we brought in two good players to help. Can we improve it? Perfect. If we can't, you know, then we have very good players and we just showed that today, so yeah, very happy with that.

Tottenham won 2-0 at Manchester City in the Premier League's Saturday lunchtime game and here are our Spurs player ratings.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank stuck with the 4-2-3-1 he used in the 3-0 opening weekend win against Burnley, albeit with some personnel changes in the centre of the pitch. Without a playmaker after the failure to sign Eberechi Eze, Tottenham again turned to Pape Matar Sarr in the role playing between Mohammed Kudus and Brennan Johnson. Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha came back into the side and Richarlison kept his place ahead of Dominic Solanke following his two goals against Burnley.

City had most of the first half pressure but Spurs scored on 35 minutes. Sarr headed on a Pedro Porro ball down the right into Richarlison's path and the Brazilian fired the ball across for Brennan to smash home with James Trafford only able to get a hand to it on its way in. The Wales international was flagged offside but VAR overruled that call on the pitch.

Tottenham's pressing then earned a second goal before the break. City keeper James Trafford hit a short pass in his box that Sarr intercepted and while the goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the ball at Richarlison's feet, it fell for Joao Palhinha to smash home his first goal for the club.

It was Spurs who had the better chances in the second half, including late efforts from Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert as well as a few Richarlison headed efforts, while City struggled to create much.

Here are our Tottenham player ratings from the match:

Guglielmo Vicario

Had to make a couple of interventions in the opening 20 minutes, including pushing away Marmoush's effort from the edge of the box. Made a terrific save to deny the same player in a one-vs-one situation before the half-hour mark. Had less to do in the second half but he's laid the foundations for the clean sheet. 8

Pedro Porro

Sent a shot into the side-netting after his free-kick hit the wall and moments later undercooked a header back to Vicario that resulted in Marmoush firing an effort across the face of goal. Curled the ball up the pitch to Sarr in the build-up to Spurs' first half goal and put in some great crosses in the second half that Richarlison should have done better with. Made a great run in the 86th minutes before releasing Bergvall in a move that led to an Odobert chance. Other than that weak header in the first half, the Spaniard was superb. 9

Cristian Romero

The captain made so many blockbuster challenges and really led by example from the back. Picked up a ridiculous yellow card for a perfect tackle. 9

Micky van de Ven

Got away with what looked like a penalty missed for catching Bobb on the foot early in the second half. Made a brilliant sliding block to deny Foden from scoring with about 12 minutes to go. Another terrific display alongside Romero. 8

Djed Spence

Showed a great engine like Porro to get up and down the flank, linking up well with Johnson at times. Was still running in the final moments. 8

Rodrigo Bentancur

If composure had a name it would be Rodrigo Bentancur. So unflappable in the Spurs midfield and the go-to outlet for the defence in tight spots. 8

Joao Palhinha

A constant huge presence in the centre of the pitch, looking much sharper and fitter now. Fired home his first goal for the club when the ball fell his way in the box before the break. So little got past him. He's going to be such a big signing for Spurs. 9

Mohammed Kudus

So strong and a great outlet down the right whenever Spurs needed to get out. City just couldn't really deal with him. 8

Pape Matar Sarr

Headed on the ball to Richarlison in the build-up to Spurs' first half goal and pressed well in the build-up to the second. He's a machine and he's going to become a star in this set-up. 9

Brennan Johnson

Goals in back-to-back games with his low finish from Richarlison's ball, making it back to back goals at the Etihad. Worked so hard as he grew in confidence, occasionally dropping deeper and spraying some passes around as well as tracking back. One of those performances where he did far more than simply score even if he had one shot that should have been a pass in a Spurs break. 8

Richarlison

Battled from the off and grabbed an assist with a perfect pass across for Johnson. Was involved in a lot of the good things Spurs did, including the pressing for the second goal. Had a hat-trick of second half headers that he needed to get on target. 8

Subs

Dominic Solanke

Had a late shot saved and kept City on their toes. 7

Wilson Odobert

Sent one shot wide and had his header following up Solanke's shot saved. Kept stretching the defence. 7

Lucas Bergvall

Came on in the final 10 minutes and set up Odobert for a good chance. 7

Kevin Danso

Thomas Frank is speaking to reporters after Tottenham won 2-0 at Manchester City in the Premier League's Saturday lunchtime game and here are our Spurs player ratings.

City had most of the first half pressure but Spurs scored on 35 minutes. Sarr headed on a Pedro Porro ball down the right into Richarlison's path and the Brazilian fired the ball across for Brennan to smash home with James Trafford only able to get a hand to it on its way in. The Wales international was flagged offside but VAR overruled that call on the pitch.

Tottenham's pressing then earned a second goal before the break. City keeper James Trafford hit a short pass in his box that Pape Matar Sarr intercepted and while the goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the ball at Richarlison's feet, it fell for Joao Palhinha to smash home his first goal for the club.

City could not find a way back in the second half and it was the visitors who looked more likely to score as they took home all three points and a clean sheet.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at the Etihad Stadium.

Thomas Frank has named his Tottenham team to take on Manchester City in the Premier League's Saturday lunchtime game.

Spurs kicked off their league campaign last weekend with the 3-0 win against Scott Parker's promoted Burnley side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a double from Richarlison, including a spectacular bicycle kick, and a killer goal from Brennan Johnson. The north London outfit now take on a very different challenge in Pep Guardiola's side, who have spent big this summer in trying to challenge Liverpool to wrestle their league crown back.

Frank has not decided to return to the 3-5-2 formation that served Spurs well in the UEFA Super Cup game against PSG for 85 minutes or so earlier this month. Instead he has stuck with the 4-2-3-1 used against Burnley, albeit with some personnel changes in the centre of the pitch.

Without a playmaker right now after the failure to sign Eberechi Eze, Tottenham again turn to Pape Matar Sarr playing between Mohammed Kudus and Brennan Johnson.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha formed a strong pairing in midfield against PSG and it was when the latter had to come off due to his fitness levels in Italy that Spurs' system went awry so the experienced duo are paired together again. Richarlison keeps his place ahead of Dominic Solanke.

Here's the Tottenham team that Frank has selected:

Tottenham Hotspur could still have time to strike a deal for Savinho after Pep Guardiola admitted he is unsure about the future of several Manchester City players ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1.

The Europa League winners were reported to have opened talks with City over a deal for the 21-year-old earlier this month.

Fabrizio Romano claims that after Spurs ' first approach for the Brazilian was rejected by the City hierarchy earlier this week, though the North Londoners are willing to table a bid in the region of £60m to try and lure Savinho to North London before the window closes on Monday week.

On Friday, Guardiola admitted that he is unsure about the future of several first-team players, seemingly referencing the Brazilian and his team-mates Nathan Ake and Ederson, who have also been linked with moves away from the Etihad this summer.

“To be honest, I don’t know what is happening with a few players – I don’t know who is coming, who is staying, who is leaving, I don’t know," said Guardiola.

“All the clubs I had the feeling that it is the same, we are not an exception. Because the agents make the roles, the club have their opinions, the players have theirs, and after that we see what happens.”

Spurs are in the market for attacking reinforcements after missing out on the signing of Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze.

Savinho, meanwhile, joined Manchester City from fellow City Football Group outfit Troyes last July in a deal worth roughly £30m.

After making the move to the Etihad, though, the Brazilian struggled to nail down a regular spot in City's starting XI and started 21 Premier League games last term.

The Brazilian has four years remaining on his current deal at the Etihad.