It was a fixture that every Spurs supporter is weary about but we always give them a game. Contrary to popular belief our record at the Etihad is only ok. Played 22 , Won 8 , Draw 4 and lost 10. However we are Pep's biggest problem having beaten his team 13 times which is level with Liverpool. Thomas Frank has historically started poor at his new club. However this is also a bit of a non stat because he has only ever managed Brentford and Brondby. You cannot really count Lyngby Boldklub as a big club. He won his first game at Burnley but an Irish League team might have won this tie so I was unsure how good we would be against City.
The vast majority thought we would go with the back 3 like we did against PSG. But there was a surprise an hour before the game when the team sheet was announced with 2 at the back (Romero and Micky VDV) Spence and Porro were the full backs. He did however play a defensive midfield with Palinha as the number 6 protecting the two Centre halves and Bentancur sitting back with him but just slightly ahead. He had Spurs best performer Papa Sarr in midfield as the engine room. Sarr is showing Kante like levels of running these past few games and some are saying he is Franks most important player providing the link from defence to attack and just basically being all over the pitch. Ahead of them were Kudus who has started brightly for Spurs. Brennan Johnson who is normally a 3 out of 10 until he scores and Richarlison who has been excellent for Spurs ever since he came back from injury and this includes the Europa League Final. Richy is actually keeping Solanke out of the team at the minute until Frank finds a way to fit both players into the team.
Now the thing about Man City , they will always have chances and you just have to suck it up but I found them not as potent as they usually are. Last year they fell off a cliff big time so Pep rebuilt and spend another couple of hundred million in the process. This team has not gelled yet so I am glad we got them early because they will be dangerous. When a team is rebuilding you get individual errors. But the first goal was a Richarlison cross to a running Johnson who slotted home. There was a call for offside but this came back clean. I was happy to see Brennan doing the run so it was good to see him getting on the end of a ball with his speed. It was some finish.
Our second goal came when City's new keeper James Trafford was arsing around at the back and gave a hospital pass to his centre half who lost it. Trafford tried to make up for his error but Richarlison knocked it on for Palinha who slotted home the second just before half time. Spurs were 2 - nil up and there was very little Man City were doing to get back into it.
Normally under Ange I would be a nervous wreck when Spurs went up by any type of scoreline. But I was considerably calm during this second half. I love being calm while Romero headed away yet another City attack. Kudus tracking back helping Porro who was immense. Papa Sarr and Bentancur making critical interceptions and Palinha mopping up. Spence who is now considered one of the best full backs in the league. This is a player who Genoa wouldn't drop 20 million on last year and was sent back from Leeds under Farke where they broke his loan deal for having an attitude problem. I think someone like Thomas Frank will be able to make Spence a world class talent as he will have the personality to be able to handle a player like him who probably has a problem with authority.
Spurs fans were on fire in the second half singing "It's happening again, It's happening again."
City will be fine but you have to wonder about them. Hammering Wolves on the opening day and then losing to us and have Brighton and Man United up next.
So this is 2 wins in 2 for Frank without any goals conceded. You would have thought we were in trouble giving the Eze saga last week. We are scoring as well 5 goals in fact in two games. But Spurs will need reenforcements but the good thing is that the players are playing well under Frank and we are rethinking a few positions. One being Richarlison. There is not a player we can buy that will do a better job than him at the moment so we are changing our minds with him if he stays fit. Eze wanted to go to Woolwich and not win cups any more. That is his choice . His whole family are Gunners but on saying this , it's a world cup year and he is not guaranteed a position. Well the fact the Odegaard is after getting injured at the weekend , maybe he is now but with Saka also injured Arsenal are stacking them up. I was looking at his stats last week as well and Maddison who is the most inconsistant player ever had better stats than Eze last season so we could have dodged a bullet here.
I see Spurs getting Savinho over the line this week as well as Hincapie or Morgan Rodgers I reckon.
Both players are pushing a move. I also see Bissouma heading to West Ham. Good riddance to him.
Bournmouth on Saturday at 3pm will be another challenge. The last time we played Bournemouth I was at it and it finished 2-2. We were terrible. So hopefully we will have the fire power to dispatch them. In fact coming close to the end of the season Bournemouth fell off a cliff so they will not do as well as last year.
