Two first-half goals helped Tottenham Hotspur secure a hugely impressive 2–0 victory over Manchester City in their second Premier League outing of the season on Saturday.
Tottenham’s failed pursuit of Eberechi Eze threatened to undermine confidence heading to Manchester, but Spurs were unaffected during the early stages at the Etihad Stadium. They pressed high and with admirable intensity, forcing City into errors but failing to deliver a fatal blow.
But the Lilywhites continued to unsettle their hosts with their focus and directness, eventually rewarded for their sharp start ten minutes before the break. Mohammed Kudus flicked on a long punt from defence and Richarlison timed his run to perfection—as VAR discovered after initially ruling the goal offside—before teeing up Brennan Johnson from eight yards.
Tottenham continued to relentlessly hound City in their own third and deservedly doubled their lead in stoppage time to cap an impressive first half from Thomas Frank’s men. Spurs preyed upon James Trafford’s wayward pass inside his own penalty area, with João Palhinha opening his account for the club to widen the buffer between the sides.
Tottenham were forced deeper after the restart but defended courageously to keep City at bay. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were defiant in the heart of defence, while Guglielmo Vicario rose to the occasion when called upon.
It speaks volumes that City failed to carve open any clear-cut opportunities in the second half while chasing their comeback, with Frank masterminding a heroic performance that has secured back-to-back wins for the Lilywhites at the start of the new season.
