Tottenham Hotspur continued their winning Premier League start under Thomas Frank with a 0-2 away win over Manchester City.
The damage was done in the first half, thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha. Both goals capitalised on defensive errors from Man City, but the second came as a result of good Tottenham play.
It was Tottenham’s first away win since February, appearing to have completely put last season behind them. They have also now won seven of their past 13 league games against Man City, continuing to be a bogey team for Pep Guardiola.
Man City player ratings
James Trafford: 43%
Trafford couldn’t do anything about Tottenham’s opening goal. But he was completely at fault for their second. The English goalkeeper made the wrong passing decision, playing the ball into the middle of the box from a goal kick — to the under pressure Gonzalez. Did produce a good double save at the end of the game to prevent a third.
Rico Lewis: 52%
There were a handful of poor defensive moments from Lewis. He almost played Man City into trouble early on with a poor pass to Trafford, that the goalkeeper managed to get clear. Lewis was also unaware of Johnson for the opening goal, running with his focus on the ball rather than who was behind him. Won just one tackle and made one interception, despite playing the full match.
John Stones: 57%
Stones was making his 250th Premier League appearance and unfortunately it was one to forget. The Englishman slipped while trying to play the offside trap against Richarlison, instead allowing the Brazilian space to run in creating the opening goal. He led the game for clearances on seven, also winning three aerial duels. But the damage was done.
Ruben Dias: 62%
Wasn’t as involved defensively as his teammate, making four clearances and winning two aerial duels. Dias also ended the game with no possessions won in the defensive third, and only one in the middle third.
Nathan Ake: 57%
Came on midway through the first half to replace the injured Rayan Ait-Nouri. The Dutchman had a tough afternoon, constantly being dragged away from his zones by off-the-ball runs. Ake did make one interception retaining possession and won one tackle, during his time on the pitch.
Nico Gonzalez: 62%
Sitting in front of Man City’s defence, Gonzalez won all three of his attempted tackles. He also completed 92.5% of his passes and won possession twice. But he couldn’t help Man City to control the midfield battle. Was taken off in the 75th minute, replaced by Rodri.
Oscar Bobb: 63%
Bobb had moments of quality on the ball but they were few and far between, which Spence defending well. The Norwegian did manage to create two chances, more than any Man City player during his time on the pitch. He also led Man City for touches in the opposition box, on seven.
Tijjani Reijnders: 55%
It was a quiet game for Reijnders. But you could say that about almost every Man City player. The Dutchman didn’t have the impact he had managed against Wolves, with just one touch in the opposition box and no chances created. He did complete 15 passes in the final third, but there were none really of note.
Rayan Cherki: 68%
Cherki didn’t have the impact he would have liked on his first Premier League start, before coming off in the 54th minute. He created one chance and completed one of his three attempted take-ons, with three touches in the opposition box. But his chance created was a big chance, and he created 100% of his crosses.
Omar Marmoush: 59%
Marmoush was Man City’s most dangerous attacker in the first half, giving Porro a tough battle. He was unlucky not to score, hitting the post from a tight angle after a defensive mistake. Overall, Marmoush had three shots, two of which hit the target — the former as many as the rest of the Man City combined at the time of his substitution. It was a bold call for Guardiola to bring him off early in the second half.
Erling Haaland: 49%
It was a quiet game for Haaland, who has now failed to score in his past three home games against Tottenham. The Norwegian had a couple of poorly-timed headers fail to trouble the goalkeeper. He also killed a chance to get a goal back after a turnover in the Tottenham box, messing up the pass.
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Tottenham player ratings
Guglielmo Vicario: 75%
Although he made four saves, Vicario didn’t really have too much to do. He ended the match with 0.19 goals prevented and, most importantly, a clean sheet.
Pedro Porro: 65%
Was really fortunate not to have an error leading to a goal in the first half, with a soft head back to Vicario — but Marmoush hit the post. Looked better after half-time, though there were still a few shaky moments against Jeremy Doku. Porro did make five clearances and won possession five times in the defensive third, though. He also completed eight passes into the final third.
Cristian Romero: 67%
The Tottenham defence wasn’t really tested, but Romero helped to make sure they were secure. He won two tackles and made three interceptions retaining possession, alongside four clearances. Romero also won 80% of his ground duels, standing firm.
Micky van de Ven: 60%
Like Romero, Van de Ven didn’t have too much to do. But he did produce a wonderful block to deny Phil Foden late on, alongside two clearances.
Djed Spence: 63%
Dealt really well with Bobb, without having to make too many defensive actions. He still left the game with four clearances and four passes into the final third, alongside one tackle won.
Pape Sarr: 62%
The Senegalese midfielder was excellent on the right side of Tottenham’s trio. Described as a “great teammate” by Ally McCoist on commentary, Sarr was excellent at putting pressure on the Man City defence. He won two tackles and made a crucial interception, winning the ball back in the Man City box to force Tottenham’s second. He was the man to drag Ake out of position, opening up space for Richarlison and Kudus to run into.
Joao Palhinha: 70%
Another midfielder to press really well, Palhinha has taken back to the Premier League like a duck to water. He pressed really well, sometimes behind the most-advanced Tottenham presser despite having the deepest starting role. Palhinha made four tackles in the match, taking his tally to 304 in the Premier League since the start of 2022-23. Only two players have made more tackles in the Premier League than Palhinha during that time. And he wasn’t even playing in the Premier League for a whole season! Palhinha’s goal was just the cherry on top of his performance.
Rodrigo Bentancur: 55%
Back in the starting XI, Bentancur justified his selection very quickly. He often dropped slightly deeper to allow Palhinha and Sarr to press, bringing security in front of the Tottenham defence. But as he didn’t have to do much, Bentancur’s rating is slightly lower.
Mohammed Kudus: 66%
Kudus may have ended the game without a goal or an assist, but it was a good showing from the Ghanaian. He created one chance and continuously ran at Ake, with three completed take-ons. Kudus also won seven duels and won possession six times in total, with his two tackles won crucial in helping Porro.
Richarlison: 59%
Richarlison’s strong start to the season continued with an assist for Johnson’s opening goal. It was a lovely run into the space by the Brazilian, timing it to perfection with Stones trying to catch him offside. He’s now been involved in eight goals in his last 16 Premier League away matches, scoring six alongside two assists. Richarlison did have three shots, all from inside the box, but failed to hit the target — which affects his score.
Brennan Johnson: 69%
Wasn’t as involved on the ball as Kudus, but that’s what made Frank’s system work perfectly. Johnson was the one arriving at the far post to attack, and that’s how he brought the opening goal. The Welshman kept his distance from Lewis perfectly, timing his run onto Richarlison’s cross to perfection — finishing well, too.
How do Squawka player ratings work?
Squawka’s new player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.