Manchester City’s vulnerabilities from last season were laid bare again as they suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, casting doubts over their hopes of reclaiming the Premier League crown.
Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha scored just before half-time to put the Europa League winners ahead, sending Spurs to the top of the table and giving Thomas Frank a flawless start after two league games in charge.
City’s dominance in England ended spectacularly last season, with their four-year title streak broken as they finished third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
Despite a resounding 4-0 victory over Wolves on the opening weekend, which suggested a City side ready to return to top form, defensive frailties remain unresolved.
Manager Pep Guardiola also faces a tough decision on his first-choice goalkeeper following a disastrous performance from James Trafford.
Trafford retained his spot even with Ederson back from injury. The Brazilian goalkeeper is reportedly close to joining Turkish side Galatasaray, potentially allowing City to pursue Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Failing to resolve these transfer issues before the window closed left Guardiola’s team exposed, a familiar pattern against Tottenham, who have become a thorn in City’s side in recent years. In their last 13 Premier League encounters, City have won only four.
Frank’s impact at Spurs has been immediate. His side narrowly lost on penalties to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup and have now secured maximum points from their first two league games without conceding.
City made two changes, including the return of Omar Marmoush, while Ballon d’Or winner Rodri had to settle for a place on the bench.
Marmoush’s early efforts, including a shot denied by Guglielmo Vicario, marked City’s best chance before conceding. Guardiola’s high defensive line, already exposed in an early Club World Cup exit against Al-Hilal, remains a glaring issue.
Tottenham opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Mohammed Kudus set up Richarlison, who squared for Johnson to score. A brief offside flag was overturned by VAR, as Ruben Dias’ slip had kept Richarlison onside.
City then lost composure, culminating in a costly error by Trafford. After rushing outside his box to intercept Kudus, Trafford’s attempted pass to Nico Gonzalez was intercepted by Pape Mate Sarr, allowing Palhinha to fire home the rebound.
Erling Haaland missed City’s best chance just before half-time, heading over in stoppage time, while later, an overhit pass to Rayan Cherki squandered another opportunity.
Spurs, who had surrendered a two-goal lead late against PSG, were far less troubled by City, though Trafford made key saves to deny Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert in stoppage time.
Ultimately, City endured a humbling defeat at the Etihad, leaving Guardiola with plenty of defensive questions to answer as the Premier League season kicks into gear.