Pep Guardiola's Tactics Fail to Impress as Spurs Triumph 2-0 at Etihad

Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola reacts to City's loss. Manchester City suffers a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League match held at the Etihad Stadium on August 23, 2025.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola defended his decision to start James Trafford in the goal against Tottenham Hotspur, citing Trafford's impressive performance last week. Guardiola remained tight-lipped about speculation surrounding Ederson's potential departure, despite reports suggesting the Brazilian goalkeeper might join Galatasaray. Trafford's attempt to play the ball out from the back backfired, gifting Joao Palhinha a goal as Spurs secured a 2-0 Premier League win at the Etihad Stadium.

"He made a good first game, James," Guardiola told reporters.

“When I make a decision in the first part of the season, the first move, just for the keeper, the keeper is a special position, of course, to have more consistency in the goal.

“But for all the players, when you play one or two games and everybody thinks, okay, this is the start line now, this is the player who is going to play. 

 

Pep's post-match thoughts 💬 pic.twitter.com/M0PQPeR7qg

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 23, 2025

“And I learned for many years that this amount of games, (that) everybody will play.”

The team's vulnerabilities were exposed by Spurs' well-organized counterattacks, which caught City's high defensive line off guard. This loss marks City's eighth defeat in their last 15 matches against Tottenham.

“The simple things, we miss the simple things with the ball. We lost with the quality we have, individually the simple things with the ball," Guardiola said.

“They score the second at the end of the first half, so it was difficult. We had chances, but we didn't react well with the marking and the pressing. We knew it.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised Tottenham's setup under new manager Thomas Frank, acknowledging the team's effective approach. “Because Thomas does it and it happens,” Guardiola said, highlighting Frank's tactical brilliance in outmaneuvering City. Despite dominating possession, City struggled to create meaningful chances, while Spurs' counterattacks proved devastating.

Pep Guardiola remained tight-lipped about potential new signings with the transfer window closing on September 1st. “We will see,” he said, hinting that discussions with players and agents are ongoing. “We have one week with the club. We talk with the players, agents. We will see.”

Full-time.

🩵 0-2 ⚪️ @okx pic.twitter.com/G02zdjFDHg

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 23, 2025

Guardiola's cautious approach suggests that City may still be looking to bolster their squad, particularly with injuries and player departures impacting the team. With £79.7m spent so far this summer, City have already made significant investments in new talent.

Recent Transfers:

Signings:

• Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £31m
•  Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for £46.5m
• Rayan Cherki from Lyon for £30.5m
• James Trafford from Burnley for £27m

Departures:

• Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli (free transfer)
• Kyle Walker to Burnley for £5m
• Jack Grealish on loan to Everton

City's upcoming fixtures may provide insight into their squad dynamics and potential areas for improvement.