On an afternoon that was dominated by Harry Kane, it was another Tottenham forward who stole the show and with Nuno Espirito Santo’s leading his new charges into the battle, it was the ideal start for his tenure in North London.
Much has been made of Tottenham’s deliberation and repeated failure to land a new manager over the course of the summer and although the former Wolves boss was someway down the list of candidates, there is a sense that maybe, just maybe he could be the ideal man for the job.
Because with the way he set up his side to take on Manchester City last Sunday, it was certainly a team that looked invigorated from just a couple of months before and after leaping towards to the end of the previous campaign, Tottenham have certainly been handed a shot in the arm.
A shot that comes from the fact that this team is not just made up of one player, instead it is made up of 11 and to a man they were imperious in their quest to get the better of the defending Premier League champions.
Ironically Pep Guardiola’s men played with a rather languid style and one that suggests that they still need a new centre forward to replace the departed Sergio Aguero and whether that man ends up being Harry Kane still remains to be seen.
Of course, there was a considerable amount of focus placed on City’s big money arrival from Aston Villa and with Jack Grealish making his debut for the Etihad outfit, it was not quite the start the England international would have hoped for.
That’s not to say he had a poor game in particular, it is just that Tottenham’s defence was incredibly well marshalled and with Japhet Tanganga having an outstanding showing at right back, his eventual Man of the Match award was certainly warranted.
While his and the other three men who made up the Tottenham back four’s displays in defence, gave Tottenham additional license and more importantly confidence to roam forward and although there was little joy in the first half, there was an explosion of joy after the interval.
As before the break, Hueng-min Son found himself in a pocket of attacking space out wide and whereas in the first half he chose not to take on the opposing player, after the interval he become far more direct.
A directness that paid dividends on the 55th minute and with Son cutting in and firing a shot from the right-hand side of the pitch, it was one that saw Ederson flat footed in the Manchester City goal – a stance that left him absolutely helpless.
Jubilation for Tottenham, but there was work still be done and although City did have plenty of opportunities, they lacked the bite that previously put them head and shoulders above the rest of the division.
For Tottenham it was a start of vindication if nothing else and one that they hope does not become a false dawn for a season ahead. While for Manchester City, it was another slow start to a league campaign. Then again, they started slow last time out and look how that ended.
