City Collapse at Home – Even with Referee’s Help

Some things in football never change. Refereeing mistakes and Manchester City’s struggles against Tottenham remain eternal. After a convincing 4–0 win over Wolves in the opening round, Guardiola’s side climbed to the top of the table. But this time, nothing went according to plan.

Early Missed Chances

In the starting lineup, Cherki and Marmoush replaced Doku and Silva. Marmoush wasted three clear chances before halftime. The worst miss came when Haaland played him one-on-one with Vicario, only for the striker to shoot straight at the Spurs goalkeeper. City had their opportunities, but defensive disorganization at the back kept them under pressure.

Tottenham Strike First

The visitors opened the scoring when Richarlison, nominally playing through the middle, surged down the right and crossed for Johnson, who finished clinically from close range. Spurs doubled their lead after Trafford’s poor distribution in his own box put his team in trouble, allowing Palhinha to score moments later. Interestingly, Ederson was back from injury but stayed on the bench, reportedly due to an impending transfer.

City were lucky not to go down to ten men before the break. In the 39th minute, Trafford charged out, kneed Kudus, and handled the ball – yet the referee inexplicably kept his cards in his pocket, and VAR didn’t intervene.

Guardiola’s Adjustments

Surprisingly, Guardiola held back substitutions at halftime, eventually introducing Doku and Silva. Right after the restart, City pressed high and forced a mistake from Tottenham’s goalkeeper, but Haaland squandered a golden chance with a poor pass.

Despite their two-goal lead, Spurs didn’t sit back. Having already blown a similar advantage this season, they continued to attack, creating as many chances as City. Guardiola threw on Foden and Rodri, but the pattern of the match hardly changed. City pushed, Silva even clipped the bar, yet Tottenham defended solidly and held on for the win.

A Bright Start Under Thomas Frank

Tottenham’s managerial change over the summer looked controversial, especially after winning the Europa League. But under Thomas Frank, the team looks sharp: two clean-sheet wins in their first two Premier League games, with a 5–0 goal difference.

Published by Patrick Jane
25.08.2025