Man City Shocked by Tottenham 0-2 in Premier League 2025 at Etihad

Manchester City faced a tough night at the Etihad Stadium as they were outplayed by Tottenham Hotspur, losing 0-2 in the Premier League on Saturday (23 August 2025).

Goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha gave Spurs all three points, pushing them to the top of the table, while City slipped down to fifth after their first defeat of the season.

Spurs Strike Early and Double the Lead Before Half-Time

The game turned when City right-back Rayan Aït-Nouri had to leave the pitch with an injury in the 23rd minute, forcing Pep Guardiola into an early change.

Just 12 minutes later, Tottenham broke through. Richarlison set up Brennan Johnson, who calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper James Trafford in the 35th minute.

Before City could recover, Spurs doubled their advantage in first-half injury time. João Palhinha fired home in the 45+2 minute, leaving the home side trailing 0-2 at the break.

City Dominate Possession But Fail to Score

Despite holding nearly 60% possession and taking 10 shots, Manchester City failed to find the net. Erling Haaland was isolated up front and could not convert the few chances that came his way.

Tottenham, meanwhile, stayed sharp in attack with 12 attempts and five shots on target, converting two into goals.

Spurs Go Top, City Left Chasing

This victory puts Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table with six points from their first two games. Manchester City, on the other hand, remain on three points after two matches.

Guardiola’s men will look to bounce back when they visit Brighton on August 31, while Tottenham host Bournemouth on August 30.

Line-ups

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): James Trafford; Rico Lewis, John Stones, Rúben Dias, Rayan Aït-Nouri (inj. replaced by Nathan Ake); Oscar Bobb, Tijjani Reijnders; Rayan Cherki, Nico González, Omar Marmoush; Erling Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence; Pape Matar Sarr, João Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur; Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson