Preview: Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur – prediction, team news and line-up

With both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur winning their opening match of the new Premier League campaign, they lock horns again at the Etihad Stadium.
While City defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 away at the Molineux, Spurs started life under their new boss Thomas Frank with a 3-0 home win over newcomers Burnley.

Match Preview

City

After what seemed like an underwhelming campaign at the FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP and the questioning of the members of the squad, especially the new arrivals, Man City started the new season in the Premier League with a convincing 4-0 win against Wolves, with one man in particular being the talk of the town

Tijjani Reijnders put on a show and grabbed most of the headlines as he scored and assisted on his Premier League debut, making him someone to watch for the coming season. Another summer recruit, Rayan Cherki, also scored on his Premier League debut, adding to the brace scored by the city’s most dangerous player, Erling Haaland. This made it City's second-largest opening day victory, after a 5-0 hammering of West Ham in 2019.

Despite seeing his side win convincingly and showing early signs of revival following a disappointing 2024/2025  campaign, Pep Guardiola has once again said that the size of his squad “isn’t healthy”  and “it will be difficult to sustain the vibe of the team” if the team isn’t trimmed down in the remaining days of the window.

City seemed to have maintained their form from the end of last season, accumulating more points than any other team since early April. They have faced fewer shots per game (7.6), achieved the most clean sheets (seven), and have remained unbeaten (W8 D2) of all top-flight teams in the league. With them sitting on top of the table after match day one, they’d be looking to consolidate on the lead.

Despite being one of the best in the league, City’s record against Spurs doesn’t look convincing, as they have won only four of their last 12 Premier League meetings with the boys from North London (D2 L6). Guardiola's record against Tottenham is disappointing, as he has lost nine times to Spurs in all competitions during his managerial career. The only team he has lost to more is Liverpool, with 10 losses.

Spurs

After seeing his side concede two late goals and lose on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, Thomas Frank made the perfect start as Tottenham boss last weekend when his side secured a convincing 3-0 victory at home to newcomers Burnley.

Two assists from new boy Muhammed Kudus for Richarlison’s goal, either side of half-time, in which one included an unstoppable bicycle a reminiscence to his World Cup goal, before UEFA Europa League final goalscorer Brenan Johnson added a third to seal Tottenham’s joint biggest opening day victory, alongside a 4-1 win over Southampton in the 2022/2023 season.

Thursday, August 21, would be a day to forget as a Spurs fan, as there were reports of their fierce North London rivals Arsenal hijacking their move for Eberechi Eze. This would have left most of them disappointed coming off the back of a good display and a convincing win. Thomas Frank has confirmed that Spurs are ‘definitely in the market” for new players, with Manchester City’s Savinho reported to be one of their targets.

After their 4-0 victory over City in November last year, Spurs will aim to win two consecutive away matches against Man City for the first time since 2010. They also go into Saturday’s clash looking to win their first two Premier League matches in a season for the first time since the 2021/2022 campaign. They’ve won two of their last four Premier League trips to the Etihad (D1 L1), more than they managed in their previous 11 visits combined (D2 L8)

Team news

Manchester City

City will be without Mateo Kovacic and Kalvin Phillips (both with Achilles injuries), as well as Savinho, Josko Gvardiol, and Marcus Betinelli (all with unspecified injuries). However, Rodri, Phil Foden and Ederson look set to return this weekend, with Ederson being reportedly linked with a move away from Etihad to Galatasaray in Turkey.

With Rayan Ait-Nouri making his debut against his old team last week, things look to be the same this week with John Stones looking to retain his spot in the centre of defence alongside Ruben Dias, who just recently signed a new long-term contract. With Rico Lewis starting last time out against Wolves, Guardiola would be looking to continue in that pattern.

With Reijnders doing well on his first start in the PL for City, he looks set to retain his position in midfield alongside the duo of Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez. Should Reijnders get the nod in midfield, it would mean Phil Foden might just be battling for a starting spot on the right flank with youngster Oscar Bobb. Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland look set to retain their position in the starting 11.

Tottenham

The man who scored a brace against City last season will be missing. James Maddison (ACL), Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Gil (all knee injuries), and Manor Solomon (calf) are all sidelined due to injury.

Yves Bissouma remains sidelined due to disciplinary reasons. Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has stated that Destiny Udogie, who previously had knee issues, is now feeling "better" and has participated in two training sessions this week; however, Saturday's game may come too soon for him to return. With the back four keeping a clean sheet against Burnley, Thomas Frank might be looking to continue with the same backline of Pedro Porro, Christian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence against City.

With a much different opponent on the horizon, Thomas Frank might be looking to bring in more steel in midfield with Paulinha coming in for Lucas Bergvall. Pape Sarr and Archie Grey will aim to maintain their positions in the lineup. The attacking trio of Kudus and Johnson, either side of Richarlison, would look to retain their place, with Kudus given a free role in attack.

Possible lineup

City

Trafford; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Bernado, Nico; Bobb, Reijnders, Marmouh; Haaland

Spurs

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de ven, Spence; Gray, Paulinha, Sarr; Kudus, Richarlison, Johnson

Pep Guardiola’s City continue to embody controlled brilliance and relentless pursuit of perfection, while Thomas Frank’s Tottenham would represent structure, resilience, and tactical flexibility—qualities he has long instilled in his sides. This fixture, then, is not just a clash of squads but a test of Guardiola’s intricate system against Frank’s well-drilled adaptability. Whether City’s precision overwhelms Spurs or Frank’s pragmatism frustrates the champions, the contest will underline how both managers’ distinct blueprints can shape the outcome of the Premier League’s fiercest battles.