Manchester City suffered an unexpected setback at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, falling 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in their first home fixture of the new campaign.
Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha found the net for the visitors, securing a well-earned victory.
Pep Guardiola has seen his side suffer an early setback in the Premier League
|PA
The defeat marked a stark reversal from City’s impressive 4-0 triumph at Wolves just seven days earlier.
Tottenham’s tactical approach proved effective against the champions, who struggled to find their rhythm throughout the encounter. The result handed Pep Guardiola’s side an early reality check in the new season.
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“We made it hard for ourselves with the second goal. We know the physicality they had. We lost simple balls.”
The City boss revealed that Tottenham’s man-marking system had disrupted his team’s usual build-up patterns. He explained that such tactics required a different approach, something his players had discussed but failed to execute effectively on the day.
Despite the disappointing result, Guardiola remained resolute about his team’s prospects. “I don’t have doubts. Last season, we didn’t achieve but in the training we were really good,” he told reporters.
The City manager emphasised that his squad had shown tremendous effort, maintaining the high work rate that has characterised their performances over recent years. He dismissed suggestions of panic after just two matches into the campaign.
“It’s just the second game. Last game against Wolves, everyone said everything it’s fine and I said it’s just one game and a lot is going to happen,” Guardiola said.
“I know how we are working and what the players are doing. There are many good things but we have to improve. Step by step we will improve and make more connections.”
The defeat highlighted a troubling pattern for Guardiola, who has now lost ten matches to Tottenham since assuming control at City in 2016.
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Joao Palhinha scored his first Tottenham goal after a huge error from James Trafford
|Reuters
Only Liverpool have managed to defeat him as frequently during his tenure in Manchester.
Saturday’s match saw City field their youngest Premier League starting eleven in fifteen years.
The team’s average age stood at 24 years and 326 days, marking their most youthful lineup since facing Arsenal in October 2010.
Guardiola also touched on the ongoing transfer window, suggesting further business remains possible. “We have to finish the transfer market, we will see how many players we have and then after that we will see,” he noted.
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