Three things we learned – Manchester City 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester Metropolis have been effectively crushed by Tottenham Hotspur of their first recreation of the 2025/26 season.

Brennan Johnson gave Spurs the lead ten minutes earlier than the tip of the half, tapping dwelling from Richarlison’s cross after beating Metropolis’s offside entice.

Joao Palhinha doubled the lead a couple of minutes later, after James Trafford gave the ball away inside his personal field.

Metropolis have been poor and created only a few probabilities, with it in the end being a nasty day on the workplace for all involved.

Listed below are three issues we discovered from the season opener on the Etihad:

An excessive amount of change could be a factor

Of Metropolis’s beginning XI towards Spurs, six of the gamers weren’t part of the group a 12 months in the past.

Trafford, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush all joined the membership within the 12 months 2025. Oscar Bobb has additionally solely made a handful of appearances for the primary group after his harm final 12 months, and Rico Lewis is simply 20.

The midfield specifically appeared to wrestle towards the physicality of Pahlinha, Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur, with Cherki and Reijnders each effectively under the extent they have been at Wolves final week.

Bernardo Silva was dropped after efficiency at Wolves final week, although it’s maybe not true to say that he alone would’ve made the distinction, significantly contemplating he was poor when he got here on.

Finally, I feel it may simply be a case of an excessive amount of change too rapidly in necessary areas of the pitch, in addition to maybe an absence of steadiness in midfield with each Reijnders and Cherki beginning with out Rodri on the base.

The Spaniard got here on on the finish and understandably appeared rusty, however when he’s match, he’ll make a distinction, as will the likes of Bernardo, Phil Foden, Mateo Kovacic, Nathan Ake and the opposite gamers with expertise at Metropolis beneath their belt.

Particular person errors pricey… however an indication that issues aren’t horrible

The efficiency towards Spurs was suffering from one factor – random particular person errors. And that to me must be an encouraging signal that thighs aren’t going to rot like final season.

Pep Guardiola pointed this out himself in his submit match press convention.

”We began effectively, conceded, however in easy issues with the ball we misplaced, and with the top of the range they (Tottenham) have… Individually, easy issues with the ball we missed, and that’s why they may transition. After they scored on the finish of the first-half, it was troublesome,” the Metropolis boss mentioned to TNT Sports activities after the sport.

Passing accuracy was actually a difficulty. The Blues accomplished considerably extra passes and had the next share completion towards Wolves than they did towards Spurs, regardless of having 3% much less possession.

Often the crisp, possession play is on level, and if there’s one factor Guardiola is aware of the right way to coach into gamers it’s the right way to successfully transfer the ball.

On the time the sloppiness appeared insufferable to these within the stadium, however trying again, you may argue that 2-0 flattered Frank’s aspect.

It’s straightforward to neglect that Spurs’s first purpose was a matter of millimetres away from being offside (and John Stones slipped) and their second purpose got here from a person mistake.

Metropolis had larger xG and are actually not going to be as careless with the ball as they often are. That’ll put much less strain on the defence, who as defined above held out fairly effectively contemplating the circumstances.

The Spurs recreation was undeniably one to neglect – however it was hardly a disastrous signal of issues to return after.

Large full backs is the best way to go

The again three with an inverted full again system has, in my view, run its race.

For now at the very least, it’s that means that Metropolis are getting each overpowered in midfield and destroyed out broad, with proper again Rico Lewis continuously caught out of place due merely to his tactical directions.

Soccer within the Premier League is recognised to have turn into extra about physicality within the final 12 months or so, that means this technique is struggling and groups with bodily, quick gamers are excelling.

Due to this fact, towards Brighton and for the foreseeable future, I’d prefer to see Metropolis’s wingers tuck inside with width offered by the total backs.

Ait-Nouri and Matheus Nunes each present the attacking menace of wingers and have the tempo and athleticism to get well rapidly and play successfully in an offside entice, so I’d begin them towards Brighton and Hove Albion subsequent week.

If Ait-Nouri can’t play, Nico O’Reilly is the following finest outlet, adopted by Josko Gvardiol.

So as to add to that, Marmoush, Bobb, Cherki, Foden and even Doku are higher operated inside, the place they’re allowed to chop in with fullbacks offering width.

Clearly, Guardiola has a greater grip on soccer than I ever will, however I do suppose that Metropolis are inclined to look higher when utilising width accurately and taking part in to the strengths of our most proficient attackers.