Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted his decision to start young goalkeeper James Trafford on Saturday was down to his performance last week, shrugging off suggestions about the potential departure of regular starter Ederson.
The 22-year-old Trafford gifted Joao Palhinha a goal with his shocking attempt to play the ball out from the back as Spurs eased to a 2-0 Premier League victory over Guardiola’s side at Etihad Stadium.
“He made a good first game, James,” Guardiola told reporters. “When I make a decision in the first part of the season, the first move, just for the keeper, the 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 thinks, okay, this is the start line now, this is the player who is going to play. And I learned for many years that with this amount of games, everybody will play.”
Ederson has been linked with a move to Turkey’s Galatasaray, and British media have reported that City is interested in Paris St Germain keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Trafford gifted Joao Palhinha a goal with his shocking attempt to play the ball out from the back
| Photo Credit:
Action Images via Reuters
Trafford gifted Joao Palhinha a goal with his shocking attempt to play the ball out from the back
| Photo Credit:
Action Images via Reuters
It was not just the goalkeeping that cost City against Spurs, however.
Guardiola’s team, which has lost eight of its last 15 games against Tottenham, was undone on the counterattack, and its back line was shambolic.
“The simple things, we miss the simple things with the ball. We lost with the quality we have, individually, the simple things with the ball,” Guardiola said.
“They scored the second at the end of the first half, so it was difficult. We had chances, but we didn’t react well to the marking and the pressing. We knew it.”
Guardiola paid tribute to the way Spurs were set up by new manager Thomas Frank.
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“Because Thomas does it and it happens,” he said. “We have to attract and play in different way to the way we play. The final third is really good. We control the transitions. The result is not good. We will learn from that.”
With the transfer window closing on September 1, Guardiola kept his cards close to his chest about new signings.
“We will see,” he said. “We have one week with the club. We talk with the players, agents. We will see.”
Published on Aug 23, 2025
