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Manchester City’s troubles from last season were exposed once more in a humbling 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Saturday that raised questions over their quest to regain the Premier League title.

Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha struck for the Europa League winners just before half-time as Spurs went top of the table, making it a perfect start for Thomas Frank after two league games in charge.

City’s run of four consecutive titles came to a spectacular end last season as they finished a distant third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.

A 4-0 thrashing of Wolves on the opening weekend of the campaign showed glimpses of a new-look City back to their best.

However, a series of defensive issues remain unresolved, while manager Pep Guardiola must decide on who will be his number one goalkeeper going forward after a day to forget for James Trafford.

The England international retained his place in goal despite the return to fitness of Ederson.

The Brazilian is reportedly on the verge of joining Turkish giants Galatasaray, which would free up City to make a move for out-of-favor Paris Saint-Germain ‘keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

READ ALSO: Chelsea Thrash West Ham To Pile Pressure On Former Boss Potter

City’s failure to get those deals done before the final week of the transfer window came back to haunt them in a familiar tale for Guardiola’s men against Tottenham.

In the last 13 Premier League meetings between the sides, City have won just four despite several changes of management at Spurs in that time.

Frank is the latest man in the Tottenham dugoutand has made a highly impressive start.

Spurs were minutes away from beating PSG in the UEFA Super Cup before losing on penalties and have taken maximum points from their opening two Premier League games without conceding.

Omar Marmoush’s return was one of two City changes as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri had to settle for a place on the bench.

Marmoush flashed a shot across goal and was then denied by Guglielmo Vicario with City’s best chance before conceding.

City’s high-line was easily exposed in an embarrassing early exit from the Club World Cup to Saudi side Al-Hilal last month and is an issue Guardiola still has to resolve.

Tottenham took the lead on 35 minutes when Mohammed Kudus fed Richarlison, and he squared for Johnson to power past Trafford.

An offside flag briefly halted Spurs’ joy until a VAR review showed the slipping Ruben Dias had played Richarlison onside.

City then completely lost their composure for the period before half-time.

Trafford was fortunate to avoid being punished after rushing outside his box to block from Kudus.

But the 22-year-old then endured a moment which might cost him the chance to be Guardiola’s number one this season.

Trafford’s attempted pass to Nico Gonzalez inside his own box was intercepted by Pape Mate Sarr and even though the goalkeeper recovered to deny Richarlison, Palhinha smashed home the rebound.

Erling Haaland had the chance to reduce City’s arrears in first-half stoppage time, but headed over to sum up a tough afternoon for the Norwegian.

Spurs let a two-goal lead slip late on against PSG in Frank’s first game in charge, but rarely looked in danger of suffering a similar fate.

Haaland wasted City’s other big opportunity to gain a foothold when he overhit a pass to Rayan Cherki with just Vicario to beat.

But City fell to defeat with a whimper and could have been further punished on the counter-attack when Trafford made good saves to deny Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert in stoppage time.

Just two games into the Premier League season, Chelsea came from behind to defeat West Ham 5-1 on Friday, putting pressure on former Blues manager Graham Potter.

Since taking over the reins in January, Potter has only won five of his 21 games, and he has had a terrible start to the new campaign, which included a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland last weekend.

The home team initially had hope thanks to Lucas Paqueta’s brilliant strike, but they lost.

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez doubled Chelsea’s lead before Joao Pedro scored the opener from a corner.

The nightmare night that new West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen had, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah used to profit.

Chelsea climbed to the top of the Premier League for the first time since December 2021 with Victory.

Before kick-off, Chelsea was hit by Cole Palmer’s absence during the warm-up, who was forced to withdraw from Enzo Maresca’s starting lineup as a precaution due to a muscle injury.

Estevao, the Brazilian wonder kid, could show his potential in his first Premier League start following Palmer’s withdrawal.

However, another Brazilian made a spectacular opening score.

Prior to last month’s independent regulatory commission’s ruling last month, Paqueta had been facing a hazy future for two years.

The English Football Association reportedly requested a lifetime ban, but the 27-year-old thanked the club for standing by him.

During a moving moment, Paqueta repeatedly pointed to the badge on his chest after long-range blasting into the top corner.

However, West Ham’s excitement lasted just nine minutes before Chelsea turned the tables.

When Chelsea won the Club World Cup less than six weeks ago, Pedro scored three goals in as many games as he did for the Blues, making himself an instant hero.

The former Brighton forward headed in Marc Cucurella’s flick-on from a corner with a straightforward task.

West Ham initially believed they had taken the lead before Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal was flagged off for offside following a VAR review.

When Pedro picked out Neto for the final goal, the hosts were in a moment before the hosts lost.

Hermansen howls

Estevao has been hailed as one of the brightest young talents in world football after scoring against Chelsea in his final game for the Palmeiras at the Club World Cup.

The 18-year-old showed his explosive pace as he sprinted past the sluggish West Ham defense and into Fernandez’s 3-1 lead in 34 minutes.

During a record-breaking summer transfer window, West Ham have been one of the quietest Premier League clubs.

However, one of the few newcomers started poorly because Hermansen was then to blame for Chelsea’s fourth and fifth goals.

Caicedo prodded into an empty net as the £20 million ($27 million) signing from Leicester turned a corner.

Hermansen’s ball broke nicely for Chalobah to rub salt into West Ham injuries, but the Blues were nowhere to be found.

With over 30 minutes left, thousands of home fans rushed to the exits, but those who remained lustily booed at the final whistle.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said on Friday that a series of outcasts from his squad could be handed a “new life” at Old Trafford if they do not secure a move before the transfer window closes.

Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrell Malacia have been made to train away from the United first-team squad.

Interest in the quartet has not progressed due to United’s valuations, and Amorim hinted they could feature in his future plans if they remain at the club beyond the September 1 transfer deadline.

Garnacho has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea, while Real Betis are keen on bringing back Antony after his successful loan spell last season.

Interest in Sancho is complicated by the winger’s reported £350, 000-a-week ($470, 000) wages.

“I know that it’s not a good thing to have players in this situation, but it’s clear they want to play in a different club”, Amorim said on Friday.

“So, we try to arrange everything for both parts to be happy, I have to try to have the training with the guys that I think are going to be the future.

” Then the other guys are training and preparing for the next chapter.

“When the window is closed, it’s a different history. When the window is closed, we have to receive the players and then a new life. Anything can happen”.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Arsenal Overpower Man United To Begin Premier League Campaign

Despite a positive performance, United’s Premier League season got off to a losing start in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend.

Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was at fault for the only goal, scored by Riccardo Calafiori.

Amorim left out Andre Onana after a hamstring injury meant the Cameroonian missed the majority of pre-season.

Onana is expected to come back into the side for Sunday’s visit to Fulham, but Amorim refused to confirm that change.

“Onana is ready to play like last week, so we will see in the game who is going to be the goalkeeper”, added the Portuguese coach.

Arsenal’s move to win the race to sign Eberechi Eze is a sign of the Gunners ‘ ambition to end a 22-year wait to win the Premier League, said manager Mikel Arteta on Friday.

Eze appeared to be headed to the other side of north London and a move to Tottenham from Crystal Palace until Arsenal pounced to reportedly close in on a £60 million ($81 million) deal plus £7.5 million in add-ons.

The arrival of the England international would take Arsenal’s spending in the transfer window to around £260 million following the signings of Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke.

Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for each of the past three seasons and last won a trophy five years ago.

“We are showing the ambition that we are here to win major trophies and to keep evolving and improving every single year and that comes with demands and those demands are clear”, said Arteta ahead of Leeds ‘ visit to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

“We want to be in front in the league, not just chasing or reacting or being behind, but in front of it and every decision that we make in every area of the club is to achieve that”.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Arsenal Overpower Man United To Begin Premier League Campaign

The move for Eze came just hours after Arsenal learned that Kai Havertz faces a spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury.

However, Arteta denied the two were related.

“We are not reacting to anything”, added the Spaniard.

“We’ve been very prepared and understanding what we could do and we have decided this is the moment to do it”.

Eze was not in the Palace squad that beat Fredrikstad in the Eagles ‘ Conference League play-off on Thursday, but Arteta does not believe he will be registered in time to face Leeds.

The 27-year-old began his career at the Arsenal academy — he said he cried for a week when he was let go — and reportedly desperate to return to his boyhood club.

“The better the feeling, the stronger the feeling, I think the better”, said Arteta.

“It brings a different edge, a different will and emotion to what you do. I think that always brings something extra”.

Arsenal began their quest for the Premier League title by winning 1-0 away to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the campaign.

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, is unhappy over the treatment of ex-internationals by football authorities in the country and won’t advise his son to play for Nigeria. 

West spoke on Thursday in Lagos during the service of songs for former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai.

“What kind of nation is this? With the type of example that they have shown with Shofoluwe, Stephen Keshi, Thompson Oliha, Rashidi Yekini, I’ll never advise my son to put his feet for this country,” the former AC Milan player, who was visibly angry, told reporters at the event in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos.

The ex-defender accused football authorities of doing little to support Rufai’s family following the death of the goalkeeper, who was Nigeria’s first choice at the 1994 World Cup.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life on the line for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears,” he said. “When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?”

READ ALSO: Tinubu Mourns Ex-Eagles Goalkeeper Peter Rufai

Describing Rufai, a former Sharks Football Club player, as a “football evangelist,” West accused the Lagos Football Association and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of not supporting the legend’s family.

“Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way, and his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he said angrily before abandoning the interview.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year. The footballer died last month.

Eberechi Eze, an English international, was left out of the Eagles’ team for their European match on Thursday, giving the impression that he was moving closer to an agreement with Arsenal worth a reported $ 60 million ($81 million).

Eze was not chosen by Palace manager Oliver Glasner to play in the Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad in either the starting eleven or the substitutes.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder may now miss out on a grand swan salute to Selhurst Park fans, who have him as a hero for scoring the winning goal in Palace’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City at Wembley for the first time the south London club had ever won a major trophy.

When the Premier League’s current summer transfer window opened, Tottenham Hotspur’s attempt to sign Eze appeared to be on hold, but Arsenal’s arch-rivals in north London have since abandoned that deal.

Eze would become Arsenal’s seventh signing of the transfer window if he were released at the age of 13, with both striker Viktor Gyokeres and midfielder Martin Zubimendi among the players who have already made a number of notable moves to the Emirates.

READ MORE: Arsenal to begin its Premier League campaign over Man United

This week, Kai Havertz’ knee injury caused The Gunners’ interest in Eze to grow even more.

The German international completed Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United in their opening Premier League game of the new season last week when he started as a substitute.

Havertz was not present at the club’s Wednesday open training session at the Emirates, though.

Havertz won’t be able to play on the sidelines for how long, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appears determined to strengthen his squad regardless as he fights to win their first Premier League title in 22 years. They finished last year as runners-up to Liverpool.

Spurs, in contrast, finished the campaign in 17th place despite claiming victory in the Europa League championship.

Arteta will speak to the media on Friday to discuss Arsenal’s league game against Leeds on Saturday.