Tottenham are continuing to show there’s life after their European-winning Australian boss Ange Postecoglou as they maintained their flying start under new coach Thomas Frank with a striking 2-0 win at Manchester City.
But Spurs’ great north London rivals Arsenal also enjoyed a red-letter day, announcing they’d signed England striker Eberechi Eze – who had been a target for Spurs – before crushing Leeds 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
They were the headline tales in the Premier League on Saturday as Dango Ouattara scored on his debut to give Brentford a 1-0 win over Aston Villa., newcomers Burnley beat also-promoted Sunderland 2-0 and Bournemouth defeated Wolves 1-0.
Goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha secured Spurs’ impressive victory that has quickly altered the feelgood factor at the Etihad after City had looked so impressive in winning their opening Premier League match at Wolves.
In particular, it was an afternoon to forget for City goalkeeper James Trafford as Thomas Frank’s new-look Spurs thoroughly deserved their win.
Spurs scored four without reply at City last season and enjoyed more joy this time as on-loan Palhinha capitalised on a mistake by home debutant Trafford shortly after Johnson had opened the scoring.
Tottenham deserve the plaudits but much of the post-match analysis will surround goalkeeper Trafford, who returned to the Etihad Stadium this summer in a Stg 27million ($A56 million) move from Burnley.
Johnson’s opener was hard to prevent but Trafford could have then been sent off for a clumsy challenge on Mohammed Kudus before his huge error allowed Palhinha to score in first-half stoppage time.
Ederson, back from illness, watched from the bench as speculation about his future and City’s potential move for Paris St Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma rumbles on.
City boss Pep Guardiola defended his 22-year-old keeper despite the blunders.
“He made a good first game, James,” Guardiola said.
Tottenham Hotspur's Portugese midfielder #06 Joao Palhinha (2L) celebrates scoring the team's second goal with Tottenham Hotspur's Welsh forward #22 Brennan Johnson (L) and Tottenham Hotspur's Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's Portugese midfielder #06 Joao Palhinha (2L) celebrates scoring the team's second goal with Tottenham Hotspur's Welsh forward #22 Brennan Johnson (L) and Tottenham Hotspur's Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
“When I make a decision in the first part of the season, the first move, just for the keeper, 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 think, OK, this is the start line now, this is the player who is going to play.
“And I learned for many years that this amount of games, everybody will play.”
At Arsenal, home fans chanted “one of our own” as they hailed Eze, their Stg 68 million ($A142 million) signing from Crystal Palace.
For the 27-year-old Eze, it marks a return to the club where he spent some years as a youth-team player being being released at the age of 13.
More celebrations followed as their recent big signing Viktor Gyokeres scored his first two goals in their emphatic hammering of newly promoted Leeds. Jurrien Timber also grabbed a brace with Bukayo Saka also getting on the scoresheet.
Max Dowman, aged 15 years and 234 days, also delivered an impressive second-half cameo from the bench when he became the second youngest player to represent the Gunners.
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