Tottenham Hotspur continued their strong start to the season by defeating Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to secure their second triumph of the Premier League campaign.
The North London club have grown into something of a nemesis for City in recent years, with this success marking their third victory in their last five visits to the blue side of Manchester—among them a 4-0 demolition last November during Guardiola’s side’s well-documented dip.
Remarkably, this marked only the sixth instance during Pep Guardiola’s tenure in which City trailed by two or more goals at the Etihad at half-time, with Spurs responsible for half of those occurrences.
Tottenham punished City with ruthless precision on the break, as Brennan Johnson finished off a counterattack before Joao Palhinha sealed the win in first-half stoppage time following a howler from James Trafford.
Thomas Frank’s side made sure to subdue City’s attacking sharpness that had produced four goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
Central to Tottenham’s success was the dependable Palhinha, who has readjusted to Premier League football seamlessly. The midfielder’s pressing was exceptional, frequently stepping up beyond the most advanced Spurs presser despite being stationed deepest in their midfield setup.
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Palhinha registered 4 tackles in the contest, which lifted his total in the Premier League to 304 since the beginning of the 2022–23 campaign. In that period, just two players have managed more tackles than the Portuguese midfielder—and that is despite the fact he did not even spend the entire stretch competing in the division.
His celebration of a crucial second-half block carried even greater passion than the finish itself, reflecting his insatiable appetite for the defensive side of the game.
The 30-year-old won 8 duels and made 4 tackles, the most by any Tottenham player in the game against City. He was also crucial for Frank’s off-ball tactics, as he won possession twice and made 2 clearances against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Palhinha will savour the chance to return to Roberto Martinez’s possession-based national team squad after showing an impressive performance on the ball against City. The Portugal international made 40 touches against the Cityzens, including two in their box, while also capping off his combative performance to seal the win at the stroke of half-time.
Tottenham will hope to make it three wins in a row when they face Bournemouth at home on Saturday, 30th August.
