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Tottenham Hotspur continued their strong start to the season by defeating Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to secure their second triumph of the Premier League campaign.

The North London club have grown into something of a nemesis for City in recent years, with this success marking their third victory in their last five visits to the blue side of Manchester—among them a 4-0 demolition last November during Guardiola’s side’s well-documented dip.

Remarkably, this marked only the sixth instance during Pep Guardiola’s tenure in which City trailed by two or more goals at the Etihad at half-time, with Spurs responsible for half of those occurrences.

Tottenham punished City with ruthless precision on the break, as Brennan Johnson finished off a counterattack before Joao Palhinha sealed the win in first-half stoppage time following a howler from James Trafford.

Thomas Frank’s side made sure to subdue City’s attacking sharpness that had produced four goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Central to Tottenham’s success was the dependable Palhinha, who has readjusted to Premier League football seamlessly. The midfielder’s pressing was exceptional, frequently stepping up beyond the most advanced Spurs presser despite being stationed deepest in their midfield setup.

Rock

Palhinha registered 4 tackles in the contest, which lifted his total in the Premier League to 304 since the beginning of the 2022–23 campaign. In that period, just two players have managed more tackles than the Portuguese midfielder—and that is despite the fact he did not even spend the entire stretch competing in the division.

His celebration of a crucial second-half block carried even greater passion than the finish itself, reflecting his insatiable appetite for the defensive side of the game.

The 30-year-old won 8 duels and made 4 tackles, the most by any Tottenham player in the game against City. He was also crucial for Frank’s off-ball tactics, as he won possession twice and made 2 clearances against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Palhinha will savour the chance to return to Roberto Martinez’s possession-based national team squad after showing an impressive performance on the ball against City. The Portugal international made 40 touches against the Cityzens, including two in their box, while also capping off his combative performance to seal the win at the stroke of half-time.

Tottenham will hope to make it three wins in a row when they face Bournemouth at home on Saturday, 30th August.

Tottenham Hotspur play their first away match of the Premier League campaign and a difficult one at that, as they visit the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on matchday two’s 12:30pm kick-off this afternoon.

Following a convincing win over Burnley in their opening outing, the Lilywhites will look to add three more points to the board against a team that they have managed to trump several times in the last few instances.

With that said, here is a look at their potential starting line-up.

Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario is expected to keep his place in the starting eleven.

Defenders – A three-man backline could be Thomas Frank’s go-to choice against Manchester City after the formula nearly paid off against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Therefore, £21 million January signing Kevin Danso might be drafted back into the team, along with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who are likely to keep their spots.

Bentancur and Palhinha back as well

Midfielders – With defensive stability expected to be the key foundation against Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur could welcome back Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha in midfield at the expense of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. Pape Mata Sarr may keep his place, on the other hand.

Djed Spence and Pedro Porro could play in advanced roles as the left and right wing backs, respectively.

Forwards – The two forwards up top are likely to be Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus, who scored and assisted a couple of times each, respectively, in last weekend’s clash versus Burnley.

Here is a look at how Spurs might look on paper.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ‘preparing’ to submit a formal proposal to sign Como star Nico Paz, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.

With less than ten days remaining in the transfer window, the Lilywhites have signed only Mohammed Kudus and João Palhinha. The Portuguese has even joined on a loan deal, and Thomas Frank’s side can make his move permanent next summer.

Signing a new No.10 has been a long-term desire of the Danish boss, as after becoming the North London club’s new manager, he attempted to buy Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest earlier this summer.

However, a deal eventually didn’t come to fruition. Following James Maddison’s serious knee injury, Frank has been left without a specialist creative midfielder. Dejan Kulusevski provided cover in this position in the last two seasons, but has also been out injured.

Therefore, the need to sign a new CAM has increased for Tottenham, and they attempted to purchase Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. Negotiations regarding this move even reached advanced stages, but Arsenal have managed to snare the Englishman away under the nose of the Lilywhites.

Now, Fichajes state that Tottenham are also interested in Morgan Rogers, but Aston Villa have no intention of parting ways with him at this late stage of the window.

Paz to Tottenham

Therefore, Frank’s side have shifted focus to Paz and are ‘preparing’ to submit a formal £69m proposal to sign the Argentinian. The 20-year-old joined Como from Real Madrid, and they have a buyback clause.

Having been impressed by his performances in Serie A last term, Los Blancos are interested in bringing him back. Therefore, purchasing the South American won’t be straightforward for the North London club.

The youngster is a 6ft 1in tall, left-footed, technically gifted, versatile player. He is a CAM by trait but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. Moreover, he can provide cover on the flanks if needed.

Paz is a highly talented player and possesses the potential to become a world-class midfielder in the future. Therefore, he would be a great coup for Tottenham if they were to purchase him.

However, it is going to be interesting to see whether Tottenham eventually manage to secure his service in this transfer window to strengthen the No.10 position.

Ademola Lookman has handed in a transfer request at Atalanta as he wishes to pursue a new challenge, and while a switch to Inter Milan looked likely, the Nerazzurri were unwilling to match his £52 million valuation.

Consequent to that, the player has opened the door to joining a Premier League side and according to TBR Football, he has already held talks with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Lookman scored 20 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions for La Dea last season, but after refusing to return to first-team action, they are resigned to losing perhaps their best player before the end of the transfer window.

Tottenham move looks likeliest

Arsenal could be done with business for this summer with Eberechi Eze’s signing, and the same can be said about Chelsea, at least as far as their offensive department is concerned following investments earlier in the transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be the frontrunners for Ademola Lookman as their search for a winger continues, and a swoop for Savinho at this stage of the transfer window is also unlikely to materialise.

Having missed out on Eberechi Eze and only signed Mohammed Kudus up top this summer, Lookman might be viewed as another solid addition to the attacking third with his price tag also looking reasonable for the quality he offers.

Manchester City’s interest in a forward might only progress should Savinho depart the club, whereas Aston Villa have not sold players and with the Premier League’s PSR guidelines in mind, they may not be able to afford Lookman.

Spurs could get talks underway for the Atalanta star soon, and it remains to be seen if they are willing to meet the Serie A outfit’s asking price in the next few days.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning to make a move to sign AS Monaco star Maghnes Akliouche, as per Football Insider.

The Lilywhites have reinforced the flanks by signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United this summer. However, Thomas Frank is keen on purchasing a new wide forward following Son Heung-min’s departure.

Football Insider state that Spurs have earmarked Savinho as the primary target to replace the South Korean but have already seen two official bids worth up to £60m rejected by the Citizens as they want around £70m to let the Brazilian leave.

Therefore, Frank’s side have shifted focus to cheaper alternative options and have identified Akliouche as a serious target. So, they could make a concrete approach to secure his service.

The 23-year-old is valued at around £39m by Transfermarkt and still has three years left in his current contract. Therefore, Monaco are expected to demand a big fee to let their star man leave at this stage of the window.

Akliouche is a left-footed, technically gifted player. He has been playing as a right-winger under Adolf Hutter at Stade Louis II, but can also provide cover in the CAM role if needed.

Akliouche to Tottenham

Kudus is comfortable playing on either flank and played several games on the left flank for West Ham, as Jarrod Bowen has been the undisputed starter on the right.

Therefore, Frank would be able to deploy both Kudus and Akliouche in the same starting XI. Moreover, Tottenham are also keen on purchasing a new creative midfielder following James Maddison’s injury, and the Frenchman would be able to provide cover in this area as well if he were to join this summer.

Akliouche enjoyed a productive campaign last term, scoring seven goals and registering 12 assists across all competitions. He even helped his side secure a Champions League spot by finishing in the top three in Ligue 1.

After being impressed by his performances, Bayer Leverkusen were said to be interested in him, but they eventually couldn’t afford to secure his service.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Atletico Madrid forward Alexander Sorloth, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.

The Lilywhites have had a difficult summer window thus far. Since making Mathys Tel’s loan move permanent, they have only made one permanent signing, who is Mohammed Kudus.

João Palhinha has also joined from Bayern Munich, but he has arrived on a loan deal, and Spurs have an option to make his move permanent next summer.

Tottenham have already missed out on signing Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, while they initially wanted to buy Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, but the player has decided to join Manchester United.

Now, Fichajes state that despite already having Richarlison and Dominic Solanke as centre-forward options, Tottenham want to add further depth to this season and have identified Sorloth as a serious option.

The 29-year-old joined Los Rojiblancos last summer after displaying impressive performances with Villarreal. Although he netted 20 league goals last season, he was used as a rotational option.

He even played only nine minutes in the opening La Liga game against Espanyol last weekend, where Diego Simeone’s side ended up on the losing side.

Sorloth to Tottenham

So, the Norwegian isn’t happy with his current situation at the Spanish capital and is keen on leaving to play regularly. The forward would even be ready to join Spurs.

Atletico Madrid don’t want to keep hold of an unhappy player; therefore, they are ready to cash-in on him late in this transfer window. The forward is valued at around £22m by Transfermarkt and still has three years left in his current contract.

Richarlison struggled with fitness problems over the last couple of years and was linked with a move away from Tottenham early on this summer. However, he has enjoyed a stellar start to this campaign, scoring a brace against Burnley in the opening Premier League game.

So, it is unlikely that Tottenham would cash-in on him, and considering Solanke is also at the club, plus Tel can provide cover in this area if needed, Spurs don’t need to spend big to sign a new striker this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks to sign Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss after missing out on Eberechi Eze, as per transfer journalist Graeme Bailey.

Since becoming the Lilywhites’ new manager, Thomas Frank has been keen on strengthening the attacking midfield position this summer. Initially, they attempted to buy Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest by triggering his release clause.

However, the Reds accused Spurs of an illegal approach and threatened to take legal action. Eventually, the 25-year-old has decided to stay at City Ground by signing a fresh term.

Following that, Tottenham prioritised purchasing Eze from Crystal Palace and almost agreed on a deal in principle with the player and the South London club.

However, following Kai Havertz’s recent knee injury, Arsenal decided to swoop in and hijack the deal. Eze is a boyhood Arsenal fan and has opted to move to the Emirates Stadium.

Now, on TBR Football, Bailey says that after missing out on Eze, Tottenham have shifted focus to alternative options and have identified El Khannouss as a serious target.

El Khannouss to Tottenham

Spurs have held talks with Leicester to enquire about the details of signing the Moroccan. Moreover, Frank’s side are plotting a swoop for Savinho of Manchester City.

The 21-year-old still has three years left in his current contract and is valued at around £24m by Transfermarkt. Therefore, the Foxes won’t allow his departure for cheap.

After moving to King Power Stadium last summer, El Khannouss failed to help his side survive relegation. However, he displayed glimpses of his qualities, scoring against Tottenham.

He is a technically gifted player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Tottenham as an Eze alternative should they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his service before the September 1st transfer deadline.

Arsenal have successfully hijacked Tottenham Hotspur’s deal for Eberechi Eze with only an official announcement pending from the Gunners, in the aftermath of Kai Havertz’s knee injury at the start of the week.

Eze was a top target for Spurs, so missing out on him is undoubtedly a big blow but Fabrizio Romano has reported that the club already has a number of top targets, who they could consider in the days that remain in the transfer window.

Manchester City star Savinho has been under consideration since several weeks by the Lilywhites, while more recently, Southampton’s Tyler Dibling and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers have also emerged as options.

Dibling, however, is thought to be closer to joining Everton, whereas a swoop for Rogers has been described as ‘almost impossible’ by the transfer insider as Tottenham look for another major addition following James Maddison’s injury.

Dibling the likeliest to join Spurs

Morgan Rogers would arguably be the most ideal signing for Tottenham considering what he brings from the number 10 position. The 23-year-old – valued at £47m by Transfermarkt – has been superb for Aston Villa but they are unlikely to let him leave in the final days of the transfer window.

Savinho’s sale would require Manchester City to consider signing a replacement and though Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes has been touted as a possible acquisition, the Sky Blues will face a race against time to complete both the deals.

Tyler Dibling would be the best-placed option to join Tottenham. Though Everton are leading the race for his signing, Spurs can offer better money and the opportunity to play European football, which could put them in pole position for the 19-year-old.

Crystal Palace and Everton are in talks for Dibling, so Spurs will have to act fast if indeed they are to sign the young Englishman, who Southampton are resigned to parting company with during the ongoing transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign a new midfielder before the summer transfer window ends and according to Caught Offside, they are pondering over a switch to Barcelona youngster Marc Casado.

In addition to themselves, Chelsea and West Ham are also keen on the La Liga winner, who would be allowed to leave for close to £26 million as a result of Barca’s financial problems and their squad already having enough midfielders.

With Frenkie de Jong possibly penning a new contract and Marc Bernal returning from a year-long layoff due to a ruptured ACL, it comes as no surprise that Hansi Flick is willing to let Casado leave with the aim of also registering Gerard Martin.

Spurs have been linked with a number of deeper-lying midfielders in the transfer window and only signed Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich, but another great investment in a technically-astute La Masia graduate could be on the cards.

Spurs could be frontrunners for Casado

Marc Casado has been heavily linked with a transfer to the Premier League in the last few weeks but with Tottenham Hotspur interested, they might fancy their chances of securing his transfer ahead of Chelsea and West Ham.

Chelsea are currently focused on signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, and might not have more room for a midfielder. Plus, Casado might continue to play lesser minutes should he join the Blues considering the depth they already have in midfield.

Enzo Maresca has almost exclusively used Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in a double pivot, while in their absence, Romeo Lavia has come in. Essentially, Casado would rank fourth in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.

On the other hand, West Ham might be seen as too much of a step down in comparison to Barcelona, particularly considering their struggles under Graham Potter and the fact that they are not playing in any European competition.

Tottenham are arguably the best club for Casado to join given that Thomas Frank invests a great deal in younger players and would give the Barcelona star consistent minutes, while also fighting for silverware.

It will be interesting to see when Spurs are planning to make an official approach for Casado given that they had been busy trying to wrap up a transfer for Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace over the last few days.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a move to hijack West Ham United’s deal to sign Lorenzo Pellegrini, as per Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport.

The 29-year-old ranked through the Giallorossi’s youth system before joining Sassuolo a decade ago. They included a buyback clause in the deal and exercised it a couple of years later.

The Italian has been a key player for his boyhood club over the years and has been the club captain, helping his side win the Conference League. However, he has entered the final year of his current contract, so his long-term future at Stadio Olímpico is currently uncertain.

Corriere dello Sport claim that an agreement regarding a new deal hasn’t been reached yet between the midfielder and Roma, allowing other clubs to make a move for him.

West Ham have been in contact to sign the experienced player since the start of this month and are planning to step up efforts to seal the deal. However, Tottenham have held talks to hijack the Hammers’ deal, although Spurs have only made contact to enquire about the details of signing him.

If Tottenham or West Ham fail to sign him this summer, they could have another opportunity in January to secure his services through a pre-contract agreement – provided his contractual situation remains unchanged.

Battle

Pellegrini is a CAM by trait but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. He is comfortable with both feet and is efficient in threading passes between the lines; moreover, he is excellent at taking set pieces.

Following a disappointing start to this season, West Ham are scrambling to reinforce the squad before the September 1st deadline to turn the situation around.

On the other hand, Spurs are keen on purchasing a new CAM following James Maddison’s serious knee injury. They have been working on a deal to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, but are interested in Pellegrini as well.