Tottenham Hotspur's impressive start to the Premier League season continued on Saturday as they secured a 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. First-half goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha sealed the win for Spurs, capitalizing on a difficult home debut for City's new goalkeeper, James Trafford.
The post-match analysis undoubtedly focused on the performance of Trafford, who recently returned to City in a high-profile move from Burnley. The young keeper endured a nightmare afternoon, starting with a clumsy challenge on Mohammed Kudus that could have resulted in a red card. His troubles were compounded just before halftime when a critical error gifted Tottenham their second goal, all while the experienced Ederson watched from the bench.
Spurs broke the deadlock after an excellent piece of build-up play. A clever flicked header from Pape Matar Sarr released Richarlison, who burst clear down the flank. The Brazilian then delivered a precise low cross into the box for Brennan Johnson to slam home. The goal was initially disallowed for a suspected offside, but a VAR review overturned the decision, sparking wild celebrations from the traveling Tottenham supporters.
Manchester City's composure crumbled following the opening goal. In first-half stoppage time, Trafford attempted a short pass in his own box to Nico Gonzalez, who was under immediate pressure from Sarr. The ball was dispossessed and fell to Richarlison, who quickly moved it to Joao Palhinha, and the on-loan midfielder made no mistake, driving the ball into the net to double Tottenham’s lead.
Adding to a difficult day for the home side, new signing Rayan Ait-Nouri was forced off with an injury midway through the first half. For Tottenham, the victory marks another successful trip to the Etihad, following their memorable 4-0 win last season. The result solidifies their strong start under new management and serves as a significant statement of intent for the season ahead.
