continues.
Thomas Frank became yet another Spurs manager to get the better of Pep’s City in their backyard, with another well coached victory.
Spurs followed up last weekend’s first clean sheet in the league since February, with their first away win in the league since the same month, with another clean sheet and another performance where they looked like they knew what they were doing because they looked coached.
Yes the Fat Fraud won away at City last season, with probably their best league result but City were on the slide. It was the third defeat of four in a row and six out of eight.
The narrative was City were back after their slump last season, on the back of their opening day victory – over a Wolves that lost their two best players – with their new signings all looking like world beaters. It was a narrative that had changed by half-time and it was now the most disjointed that City under Pep had ever looked, with the new guys not gelling.
Except it wasn’t City being out of sync it was Spurs knocking City out of sync. With Frank’s changed midfield, Palhinha and Bentancur replacing Gray and Bergvall, they were all over City, not allowing them to play their game. It really looked like that trio – with Sarr – cruised through this game. Sarr everywhere, Palhinha winning every battle, Bentancur languidly nicking the ball.
Yes City had the ball but Vicario was having to make save after save – the two times he was call ed on he stood big. At the end of the half, shots on and off target were pretty much level. The main difference being that Spurs had a two goal lead. With two really well worked goals. Goals that just looked like Frank coached goals.
Spurs did fanny about at the back a bit more than last week, and more than I liked but it was a quick ball up the park that brought the opener just after the half hour. Up the line by Porro and Sarr chased it, got his head on it and headed it perfectly for the onrushing Richarlison. Sones committed himself and fell over, leaving so much space. Space that so many players would stop in but the Brazilian kept on running, an earlyish cross found Johnson at the back post. And we all know what happens when Johnson gets the ball played to him at the back post. Johnson took it well, the cross was a bit behind the Welshman but that might have helped, he couldn’t lean back which would probably lead to a balloon over the bar. Of course VAr had to check but Richy was onside.
The second came in added time. The Frank press. City with a goal kick that they decided to fanny about with. Richy and Johnson were on their starting blocks on the edge of the area. Richy closed in on the keeper, which made him play it shirt and straight and Sarr was on the recipient before he knew what was happening. Richy picked up the ball but the keeper punched it out from his feet, where it rolled to Palhinha, Richy seeing he was gonna be in the way jumped back and the Portuguese smacked the ball which went in via a deflection.
So well coached.
One thing that can’t be coached and hasn’t changed from previous seasons is refereeing decisions. Early on Haaland went through the back of Richy, making sure he was gonna stop him. A definite yellow but nothing bar a free-kick. At least he got the free-kick. Later the City keeper went through Kudus, caught him with his knee before knocking the ball away with his arm, outside the area. Again, a foul and a card but nothing, Porro was then fouled on the edge of the area but again, nothing. Meanwhile Romero wins the ball and doesn’t touch the City player and it’s a foul and a card.
How would the second half pan out? Would it go the way of the Super Cup, with Spurs dropping deeper and deeper, struggling to get out of their half? Well, yes City had most of the ball but Spurs had the shots. Last season time and time again Spurs would have all the ball and do nothing with it, the opposition ending with more shots on and off target. Here City had two thirds of the ball but Spurs had 8 shots to 5. With more on target, it was so long before City had an attempt on goal that it came from Rodri who only came on as a sub in the 75th minute.
Still it was the 85th minute before PSG started their comeback but here Spurs didn’t run out of legs as they had in Italy. Again in those final five minutes Spurs had more chances to kill the game off.
So two victories out of two, a good away win and two clean sheets and it’s time to get overexcited again but this is different from Ange’s first 10 games. If you count in that PSG game, that they should have won, it’s three different performances. Three different teams, three ways of playing. Not one simple Angeball. After 10 games, teams knew how to counter Angeball. Two league games in and no one knows how Frank’s side will be coached to face the next team, or who will be starting in what formation.
It’s pretty much the same team as last season, two new players but missing twp of their big players but it looks like a completely different team. There’ll be stumbles along the way but it’s so refreshing watching a coach doing something and knowing what he’s doing on the touchline… and watching a team that’s coached…