James Trafford performed terribly, should Guardiola have signed Donnarumma instead?

An unforgettable evening for James Trafford at Etihad. His home debut for Man City became a nightmare, with Ederson on the bench and ready to depart. Maybe Guardiola should promptly bring in Gigi Donnarumma.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper was bought by Pep Guardiola from Burnley. In his first two matches at the 2025/26 Premier League season, Pep Guardiola gave him the starting spot instead of veteran Ederson. This decision was considered risky but not surprising coming from Pep Guardiola – a tactician who likes to surprise both fans and opponents. However, Tottenham is not Wolves. Facing a Tottenham side in good form and well-prepared for their trip to Etihad, James Trafford made a mistake that directly led to a goal, putting Man City in trouble against Thomas Frank’s team.

At the 44th minute, with the score at 0-1 in favor of the visitors, James Trafford received the ball inside the penalty area while Tottenham pressed aggressively. Instead of simply clearing the ball upwards due to pressure from all sides, the young keeper made a poor pass right in front of the goal. Pape Matar Sarr quickly stole the ball, which reached Richarlison, then Joao Palhinha calmly finished to make it 2-0.

Commentator Jon Champion described it as “a catastrophic moment,” while the camera showed Pep Guardiola holding his head in despair on the Man City technical area. The shot quickly switched to Ederson, whose face showed some grimace but likely shared the frustration because Tottenham’s quick pressing and Trafford’s hesitation cost the team a goal.

That was Trafford’s worst and most forgettable moment, but not the only one. He also sparked strong controversy in another incident. Just after Brennan Johnson opened the scoring at the 35th minute, the English goalkeeper rushed outside the penalty area to block Mohammed Kudus. During the clash, Trafford was suspected of handling the ball outside the box and even kneeing the Ghanaian player in the chest. The referee did not whistle, VAR did not intervene, and the Man City keeper escaped a red card, much to Tottenham’s outrage. Strangely, this could have been considered violent conduct deserving a sending off for James Trafford.

According to PGMOL – the Premier League referees’ body – this situation did not meet the criteria for VAR review because Trafford’s hand was close to his body and did not cause clear obstruction. However, what drew more attention was Guardiola’s personnel choice. After eight years of full trust in Ederson, Pep picked Trafford for a big match. It implies that Ederson’s era might be over and this is the beginning for James Trafford.

Unfortunately, Guardiola’s calculation seems off so far. Although the young keeper kept a clean sheet against Wolves earlier, his mistake against Tottenham seriously shook the confidence of those who watched the match. Guardiola’s view remains unknown. Commentator Jim Beglin frankly said: “The way Pep bowed his head in disappointment said it all; he’s probably wondering if it was a mistake not to start Ederson from the beginning.”

James Trafford’s future at Man City will definitely be affected by this setback. He needs to quickly prove his resilience or risk becoming a long-term regret for Pep Guardiola. After a nightmare first 45 minutes against Tottenham, Trafford improved his performance in the second half. But did he make more mistakes? Yes, there was another one. At the 74th minute, he nearly erred again with another poorly timed rush outside the penalty area. Fortunately, the ball flew slightly high, preventing Pape Matar Sarr from controlling it successfully. Still, it was another negative point in Trafford’s performance that day.

Nevertheless, Guardiola must now face two choices. First is to continue backing his decision by giving James Trafford more chances and waiting for him to mature. The second, simpler option is to spend money and immediately sign Gigi Donnarumma. To compete for the title against Liverpool, Arsenal, and others, Pep needs a reliable last line of defense. The Italian goalkeeper’s agreement to join Man City is an ideal stepping stone for the club to strengthen their goalkeeping.

Look at Liverpool, they have Alisson and also Giorgi Mamardashvili. Arsenal recently secured “Golden Glove” winner David Raya and added Kepa as another option in goal. Now Man City can afford to sell Ederson without issue, but as mentioned, Guardiola must make a choice. Time waits for no one. Other clubs already know Man City’s weakness. If improvements don’t come, Man City will struggle to go far this season. Of course, the 2025/26 Premier League has only had two rounds, so it’s too early to conclude anything, but Man City should carefully reflect on this defeat.

In the upcoming third round, Man City will face a tough test against Brighton. Remember, last season Brighton remained unbeaten against Man City with one win and one draw.

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