Frank’s fearless Spurs: Johnson and Palhinha script another Etihad upset to keep perfect start

Tottenham Hotspur marched back into the Etihad and left with three points again, beating Manchester City 2-0 to make it two wins from two under Thomas Frank and, for a few hours at least, sit atop the Premier League. Brennan Johnson struck on a devastating counter that survived a VAR offside check, and João Palhinha smashed in on his full debut after a forced error from home goalkeeper James Trafford.

It was a complete away performance framed by conviction and clarity. Spurs rode out City’s early flurries—Guglielmo Vicario repelled Omar Marmoush more than once—then punished the space behind a high line. After the break, their organisation was exemplary: Cristian Romero shadowed Erling Haaland, Palhinha dominated the duels, and Micky van de Ven delivered a match-turning recovery challenge as City’s substitutes tried to prise the game open.

Trigger, pounce, finish: the counter that set the tone

Frank’s side picked their moment. With City squeezed upfield, John Stones narrowly played Richarlison onside and the Brazilian surged away to square low for Johnson, who drove past Trafford from close range. The assistant’s flag briefly halted celebrations, but semi-automatic offside technology showed Richarlison had timed his run.

The move owed much to the right-side craft where Mohammed Kudus outwitted Rúben Dias to flip the field. It was a textbook example of Spurs attacking with speed and precision rather than volume—less of the ball, more of the threat.

Pressing with purpose: Palhinha’s full‑debut statement

The second goal came from the press Spurs had drilled all week. Trafford delayed, then tried to thread a risky pass into Nico González with Spurs swarming. Pape Matar Sarr pinched it, Richarlison’s shot was smothered, and Palhinha thundered in the loose ball for his first goal since joining on loan from Bayern Munich, capping a superb first-half display extended by stoppage time after Rayan Aït-Nouri’s injury.

Frank’s praise matched the eye test: he lauded the aggression and the clean sheet, and singled out his new additions—“we have brought two top-class players… Palhinha, wow, he’s definitely helping the team.” Laura Hunter’s analysis echoed that verdict, noting Palhinha won more duels than anyone on the pitch while outmuscling a City midfield of Tijjani Reijnders and Nico González.

Resilience at the back: Vicario’s authority, Romero’s edge, Van de Ven’s timing

Spurs’ foundations were as impressive as their finishes. Vicario’s early stops from Marmoush steadied the tone, while Haaland, who has been prolific at this ground, headed over with the goal gaping. Romero “did a number” on the Norwegian’s influence, marshalling the box as crosses rained in.

When Guardiola’s bench arrived, Spurs refused to blink. Doku slalomed and teed up Phil Foden, but Van de Ven chopped the ball away. Bernardo Silva’s header dropped onto the roof of the net, and when Rodri finally arrived for late minutes, his header went straight at Vicario. Earlier, Palhinha had also snuffed out a close-range chance as Rayan Cherki shaped to shoot.

A week of noise ends with a song

This came after a noisy week off the pitch—frustration over the Eberechi Eze saga sparked ‘Levy out’ chants at kick-off—but the away end finished in full voice with ‘we love you Tottenham’ and even ‘we are top of the league.’ It was also a third win in five Etihad visits, following last November’s 4-0, underscoring Spurs’ hold over this fixture.

Spurs could even have gilded the scoreline as Dominic Solanke’s low effort and Wilson Odobert’s follow-up were saved by Trafford late on. The clean-sheet focus Frank demanded is paying off—two in two—and attention now turns to hosting Bournemouth, with momentum building around a side whose roles look sharply defined.