Tottenham Hotspur started the game off lively. They were brilliant in the first half. Thomas Frank’s men ran throughout the game with intent and their pressing in City’s half was relentless.
That is why after a smart play that opened the scoring for the Spurs through Brennan Johnson, it was the press towards the end of the first half that helped Tottenham double their lead through Palhinha.
In the second half, the Spurs did slow down a bit and that gave City a chance to attack more. But, in the end, they defended well and got the job done as Manchester City failed to score.
Here is the Tottenham player ratings vs Man City from their impressive 2-0 win at the Etihad.
Tottenham player ratings vs Man City – Premier League (4-3-3)
GK: Guglielmo Vicario (6/10)
Vicario made a brilliant save when Marmoush was played in by Haaland. Through the game, he looked confident while playing out from the back and his distribution was also on point. But, there was a moment when he made a mistake in his half at the start of the second half.
RB: Pedro Porro (6.5/10)
An error in judgment from Porro could have been costly only if Marmoush was clinical. But after that, the Spaniard was back at his best. He was physical and looked in control throughout the game.
CB: Cristian Romero (7/10)
Romero’s leadership was brilliant and dictated terms in the defence. He was strong and had a maintained the lines well. Overall, the Spurs captain had a good game.
CB: Micky van de Ven (6/10)
Van de Ven didn’t put a foot wrong in the game and went fairly unnoticeable. As a centre-back, it means he had a good game.
LB: Djed Spence (6.5/10)
Spence looked confident throughout the game and Oscar Bobb failed to trouble him. He was confident while defending. Overall, a very good game from Spence.
CM: Joao Palhina (6.5/10)
Palhinha played well. He was going forward as well as winning balls in midfield. He was at the right place at the right time to dispatch the second goal for the Spurs.
- SUB – Kevin Danso (NA/10): Danso came on late and couldn’t create any impact.
CM: Pape Matar Sarr (7/10) – Man of the match
Sarr pressed relentlessly and because of that, the Spurs were able to score the second. His positional awareness as brilliant and was able to break up play when the Spurs were out of position.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur (6/10)
Bentancur played a smart game as he knew his role and performed it brilliantly. The way he went forward from time to time was brilliant.
RW: Mohamed Kudus (5/10)
Kudus ran for his life throughout the game and got into spaces. However, he lacked end product. Nathan Ake struggled to contain him in most occasions.
- SUB: Lucas Bergvall (NA/10): Bergvall came in late in the game and failed to create an impact.
ST: Richarlison (7/10)
Richarlison got an assist for Brennan Johnson’s goal. Throughout the game, he ran and pressed hard. All in all, he had a brilliant game up front for the Spurs.
- SUB: Dominic Solanke (NA/10): Solanke was brought on to keep the energy up from the Spurs. He did put a shift in.
LW: Brennan Johnson (6/10)
Johnson got himself booked at the 33rd minute for delaying the restart which was unnecessary. Soon, he opened the scoring after Richarlison found his way through and squared it to Johnson who didn’t miss. But, his decision making was questionable at times.
- SUB: Wilson Odobert (NA/10): Odobert came on last and didn’t get enough time to make an impact.
Manager: Thomas Frank (7/10)
Tottenham Hotspur are looking a very different team from last year. Thomas Frank has made them a well-oiled machine. They are a well-structured side now. So, the results are coming out accordingly.
2 wins from 2 games in the Premier League with a win at Etihad. What more Thomas Frank could have asked after taking up the biggest job of his managerial career?
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