Tottenham defeated Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad, prompting away fans to chant "it's happened again" after a previous 4-0 win last November. A high defensive line allowed the opening goal, and goalkeeper James Trafford was at fault for the second in a jittery home debut. Ederson remained on the bench after missing the Wolves game amid transfer links to Galatasaray, creating a selection dilemma for Pep Guardiola. Guardiola defended his choice to persist with Trafford and noted rotation across a congested schedule. Trafford recently won the PFA Championship player of the year after keeping 29 clean sheets for Burnley.
"It's happened again, it's happened again, Manchester City, it's happened again." That was the chant bellowed from the Etihad Stadium's away end at full-time after City were again humbled at home by Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs were scintillating on their visit here last November and inflicted a 4-0 thrashing, but they were given a helping hand on this occasion and it was one they gleefully accepted. This time it was 2-0. The visiting Spurs contingent, who have suffered as targets of the "it's happened again" jibe in the past, made sure to enjoy the moment.
"James made a good first game and I decided to continue [with him]," said Guardiola, explaining Trafford's selection. "The keeper is a special position, of course, to have more consistency in the goal. "When I take decisions in the first part of the season for all the players who play one or two games, everyone thinks 'OK this is the starting line-up, these are the players who are going to play', but with these amount of games, everyone will play. "It was just today I decided that."
Trafford was in celebratory mood earlier in the week when he collected the PFA's Championship player of the year award at the Opera House in Manchester city centre, reward for his performances in the second tier for Burnley. The 22-year-old kept 29 clean sheets in the league last season for the Clarets, and after
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