Manchester City will look to close the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool when they host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening. The Citizens are coming off a difficult period, having lost 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break, marking a fourth consecutive defeat for manager Pep Guardiola a first in his illustrious career. This has left City five points adrift of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table, with their form becoming a concern after back-to-back league defeats, including a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth.
Despite their recent struggles, City are not yet out of the title race, but with the pressure mounting, they will need to improve quickly to keep up with Liverpool. The club has seen a boost in morale recently, as Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension, and key players have made significant progress in recovering from injuries. The upcoming match against Tottenham marks the start of a challenging period, with City set to play eight matches across the Premier League and Champions League over the next month.
At home, Manchester City have been formidable, remaining unbeaten in their last 52 games across all competitions, including a 35-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. However, their recent record against Spurs has not been stellar, with City winning just three of the last 10 league meetings (D2 L5). Spurs will be hoping to carry the momentum from their EFL Cup victory over City in September into this fixture, although their away form has been lackluster. Tottenham have won just four of their last 18 Premier League matches on the road and are yet to fully recover from an inconsistent start to the season.
Under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs were impressive last season, sitting second in the league at this time, just one point behind City. However, this campaign has been much more challenging. The team is currently in 10th place, having won only five of their opening 11 matches, with several losses and draws. Despite this, Tottenham are just three points behind Chelsea in third place, and their record against City could give them some confidence heading into this fixture. They have scored at least twice in each of their last three visits to the Etihad, including a thrilling 3-3 draw last season.
Team news for Manchester City sees several key players still recovering from injuries. Rodri, the Ballon d’Or winner, remains sidelined with an ACL injury, along with long-term absentee Oscar Bobb (leg fracture). Mateo Kovacic is also unavailable due to an unspecified injury, while Ruben Dias (calf) and Max Alleyne (unspecified) are both ruled out. However, several important players have returned to training, including John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, and Matheus Nunes. These players will be assessed ahead of the match to determine their fitness, with some likely to feature in the starting lineup.
With Stones, Akanji, and Dias all potentially available, City could field a stronger defense, with Josko Gvardiol possibly moving to left-back and either Rico Lewis or Kyle Walker starting at right-back. Erling Haaland, who impressed during the international break with four goals for Norway, is expected to lead the attack, while Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are likely to feature in midfield. City’s main aim will be to regain some momentum, and a strong performance at home could be the key to a recovery.
Tottenham, on the other hand, are dealing with several injury issues of their own. They will be without midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who is serving a seven-match ban, as well as Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, and Wilson Odobert, all of whom are out with hamstring injuries. Additionally, Cristian Romero is unavailable due to a foot injury, and Mikey Moore is sidelined with illness. With these absences, Spurs could opt for Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin at center-back, with Yves Bissouma replacing Bentancur in midfield. Dejan Kulusevski, Pape Matar Sarr, and James Maddison will likely feature in midfield, with a front three of Manor Solomon, Dominic Solanke, and Son Heung-min tasked with providing the attacking threat.
Tottenham’s hopes of securing a result at the Etihad may depend on their ability to remain organized defensively and exploit City’s vulnerabilities. Given their recent struggles on the road, Spurs will need to show significant improvement if they are to have any chance of taking points from the defending champions. On the other hand, City must bounce back from their recent setbacks to keep their title challenge alive and avoid further slipping down the table. With both teams looking to rediscover their form, this promises to be an exciting and pivotal fixture.
