Lads, it’s ’s Tottenham. An announcement outcome for a brand new regime got here on the floor that staged essentially the most wonderful triumph of Angeball. If Frank’s 2-0 win is statistically much less spectacular than of final season, it got here in a way to counsel that this are constructed on sturdier foundations.
But if this season seems a response to final for Tottenham, the hazard for Metropolis is that it’s merely a continuation. 4 summer season signings began and 6 2025 buys however, for , there might have been a miserable familiarity to this. Metropolis conceded a objective to a counter-attack and one other due to a goalkeeping error. They have been recurring themes final yr. Guardiola tried six gamers within the three attacking midfield positions however with out suggesting he is aware of his strongest aspect. Erling Haaland obtained too little service. Metropolis have been emphatically crushed by the aspect who completed seventeenth final season.
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If that was an indictment of Postecoglou, there was a fragility to his soccer and there’s a solidity to Frank’s. The Dane might be an commercial for pragmatism and, notably after final yr, pragmatism may need a magnificence for Spurs. They have been expertly organised, brimming with a strong physicality. Frank had deployed a again 5 in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain, implying that tactic could be reserved for elite opponents. Maybe Metropolis are much less scary however he solely fielded two central defenders.
Frank celebrates with captain Cristian Romero after Tottenham’s second clear sheet in a row (REUTERS)
Like a lot else he determined, it was the best selection. He constructed from the again. “The clear sheet makes me very completely satisfied,” stated Frank. “It’s a huge factor we’ve been engaged on. Final yr we had six clear sheets.” It was a reference to Spurs’ poor defensive file underneath Postecoglou, a recognition it wanted to get higher and an illustration it would. He talked about “defensive ideas”; as his reign unravelled, Postecoglou most well-liked to quote his attacking ethos.
Frank’s clear sheet got here with a defence he inherited. In a world the place perceptions of golf equipment might be overly formed by the switch window, Spurs have had a horrible week. On the pitch, they’ve had an excellent one. This put . Maybe, certainly, Spurs’ second objective stemmed from their failure to signal the Arsenal-bound midfielder. With out him, Pape Matar Sarr was as an alternative used because the hardest of No 10s and he received the ball from Nico Gonzalez; a objective was created by urgent within the Metropolis penalty space.
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It was scored by Joao Palhinha, the ball-winner extraordinaire. For all Spurs’ custom of aptitude gamers, maybe their signature signing this summer season will probably be a defensive midfielder they borrowed from Bayern Munich. “The coach pushed me to come back,” stated Palhinha, who was excellent. “Palhinha, wow,” gasped Frank in admiration. The opposite newcomer, Mohammed Kudus, appeared unattainable to bundle off the ball. “I feel it’s honest to say we obtained just a few questions concerning the switch market, why not and what if, however we introduced two prime gamers into the membership,” added Frank. These two have been a part of the brand new, savvy Spurs.
Palhinha revealed Frank’s affect on his determination to hitch Tottenham (Motion Photographs by way of Reuters)
The Metropolis newcomers had much less to savour. Rayan Ait-Nouri’s residence bow was curtailed by harm. James Trafford’s Etihad Stadium debut was nonetheless worse. A goalkeeper who didn’t concede two objectives in a league recreation final season at Burnley needed to retrieve the ball from his internet twice earlier than half-time. The second was his fault, obviously from a failed try and move from his six-yard field, making an attempt a dangerous ball to Nico Gonzalez, discovering solely Sarr and, although he saved Richarlison’s shot, not Palhinha’s follow-up. Trafford could mirror on two comparable incidents, virtually a mirror picture. Rayan Cherki practically scored in the identical objective after Guglielmo Vicario’s misjudged try and move out from the again. That, nonetheless, could quickly be forgotten.
But a extra pertinent comparability was with the goalkeeper on the bench. Spurs’ second objective was a reminder of why Ederson – again on the bench after gastroenteritis however attracting curiosity from Galatasaray – has been so basic to Guardiola’s model of soccer. “He made a very good first recreation, James, and I made a decision to proceed,” stated Guardiola, explaining why he retained the summer season signing.
James Trafford had a house debut to neglect (Motion Photographs by way of Reuters)
In the meantime, Metropolis’s issues in opposition to swift breaks continued. Richarlison escaped from the substitute Nathan Ake, who was on for Ait-Nouri, on the Spurs proper. A sliding Rico Lewis couldn’t forestall the sooner Brennan Johnson from ending. It accomplished a Mancunian double for the Europa League last scorer.
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Metropolis, in the meantime, had however drew a clean. “Everybody stated every thing was wonderful however I stated it was simply the primary recreation,” mirrored Guardiola, who tinkered searching for an answer. The best menace got here from Omar Marmoush, however he was one of many first changed.
The closing phases however amounted to a take a look at of Tottenham’s fortitude. Two-and-a-half years in the past, Metropolis . Ten days earlier, Spurs had led Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 and nonetheless misplaced on penalties. “We referenced that at half-time,” stated Frank.
There was no repeat of both. As a substitute, it might have been 3-0. Trafford made an injury-time double save from the substitutes Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert. However his afternoon will probably be remembered for neither cease however the false begin to his second coming at Metropolis.