Manchester City’s new season took a hit on Saturday as James Trafford’s first home start went badly wrong.
The 22-year-old goalkeeper, trusted to replace Ederson, endured a nightmare afternoon as Tottenham punished his mistakes in a 2-0 defeat at the Etihad.
Full-time.
🩵 0-2 ⚪️ @okx pic.twitter.com/G02zdjFDHg
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 23, 2025
For Trafford, who came through City’s academy, this was supposed to be the dream moment.
Instead, it turned into a harsh lesson in the Premier League spotlight. The youngster looked nervous from the start and never recovered.
Trafford’s tough debut under the spotlight
Spurs opened the scoring through Brennan Johnson after a slick counterattack. City, despite controlling possession, could not find a way past Tottenham’s defense.
Then came the turning point. Playing out from the back, Trafford misjudged a pass to Nico Gonzalez. Pape Matar Sarr pounced, and Joao Palhinha fired home the rebound.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Etihad fell silent, and suddenly City were staring at back-to-back defeats from Tottenham, who won at City’s home turf last season as well.
Trafford, already under pressure, had also escaped a possible red card earlier when he collided with Mohammed Kudus outside the area.
Replays suggested there might have been contact with both knee and arm, but the referee waved play on.
Fans did not hold back. One rival supporter joked, “James Trafford making Onana look like prime Schmeichel.”
Another added, “This first-half performance from James Trafford will make City expedite the signing of Gigi Donnarumma!”
Pep Guardiola, who even risked Rodri late on despite fitness concerns, will now face calls to rethink his goalkeeping plan.
Trafford’s errors have reportedly raised alarm bells at the club, with speculation of a move for another experienced keeper already circulating with Gianluigi Donnarumma linked strongly.
For City, the bigger worry is that their defensive frailties from last season appear far from solved. And for Trafford, the pressure has only just begun.
Manchester City news and related links
