Manchester City Vs Tottenham preview, team news, line-ups and prediction

Another weekend of enthralling Premier League clashes is upon us, as defending champions, Manchester City welcome an injury-plagued Tottenham Hotspur team who are seeking their first win in four matches. 

Manchester City faced back-to-back draws in the Premier League, culminating in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at the Etihad following their 4-4 thriller at Stamford Bridge. This marked the first instance in 2023 where the Citizens failed to secure a home victory across all competitions, putting an end to their remarkable 23-game winning streak on home turf. Another draw in the upcoming fixture would see them share points in three consecutive Premier League games, a feat not accomplished since March and April 2017 in Pep Guardiola’s inaugural season in charge.

As a result of the draw against Liverpool, City currently sit in second place, trailing four points behind league leaders Arsenal after they beat Wolves today. Therefore, those with Man City tickets hope the club can close the gap with a win over Spurs on Sunday.

Guardiola’s team will aim to clinch the Premier League title for a historic fourth consecutive season after their remarkable treble in 2022/23. Despite this aspiration, they face challenges, having failed to win in four of their last seven Premier League matches (W3 D2 L2), a contrast to their prior 26 games where they only experienced two losses.

Tottenham’s promising start to the season under Ange Postecoglou suffered a setback with three consecutive Premier League defeats, the latest being a 2-1 home loss to Aston Villa.

November has been a challenging month for Spurs, marked by key player injuries and defeats to Chelsea, Wolves, and Aston Villa. Despite Giovani Lo Celso putting them ahead, a series of missed opportunities allowed Villa to stage a comeback with goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins, making Spurs the fifth club in Premier League history to lose three consecutive games after scoring first.

Although Tottenham have accumulated three more points than at the same stage last season, their recent form slump have pushed them out of the top four to fifth place. A victory on Sunday could bring them level on points with second-placed City, setting the stage for crucial upcoming matches against London rivals West Ham United and fellow top-four contenders Newcastle United.

David Pleat was the last Tottenham manager to endure four consecutive Premier League losses in March/April 2004. Despite Postecoglou facing resource constraints, Spurs fans have reason for optimism as they prepare for Sunday’s clash at the Etihad, especially considering their recent track record against Manchester City.

Tottenham boast an impressive record against City, winning five of their last seven Premier League encounters and emerging as one of Guardiola’s Achilles hill. Since Guardiola’s arrival in 2016, Spurs and Brentford are the only two top-flight teams to secure maximum points at the Etihad since November 2021. Tottenham aim to replicate this success at the Etihad on Sunday.

Manchester City v Tottenham match stats

• Man City’s home record remains impeccable in 2023 with 24 wins and 1 draw.
• Tottenham consistently found the net in all eight of their Premier League away games this season.
• Pep Guardiola’s side have demonstrated remarkable goal-scoring prowess, securing at least two goals in 13 of their last 16 home league games.
• Tottenham’s scoring streak persists, with goals in each of their previous 13 league away games.
• City consistently take the lead, having opened the scoring in their last 11 home Premier League outing.
• Notably, David Pleat was the last Tottenham manager to endure a four-game losing streak in the Premier League in March/April 2004.
• City face a daunting challenge against Tottenham, having lost more Premier League games to them (6) than any other opponent, and conceding the most goals (19, tied with Liverpool).
• Tottenham have triumphed against City in recent seasons, winning three of their last four meetings with just one loss.
• The historical head-to-head record between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur stands at an even 66 wins each out of 168 matches played.

Manchester City v Tottenham team news

Mateo Kovacic is back in full training after missing two games due to a thigh injury. There’s a possibility he might be included in the matchday squad. However, Kevin De Bruyne is still out with a hamstring issue, and Matheus Nunes is uncertain due to a muscle problem. John Stones, recovering from a muscle problem, will be assessed before the match.

Ederson is expected to return as the first-choice goalkeeper, displacing Stefan Ortega who started in the 3:2 comeback win against RB Leipzig. Nathan Ake may replace Josko Gvardiol on the left side of the defense, while Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias are likely to maintain their starting positions.

In a potential adjustment further up the field, Manuel Akanji might continue in a midfield pivot alongside Rodri. There could be alterations as Alvarez and Jeremy Doku vie for returns, potentially replacing Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish who both started against Leipzig in midweek.

Tottenham face a substantial injury list, including Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Ashley Phillips, Alfie Whiteman, and Pape Matar Sarr, all dealing with various injuries.

Cristian Romero continues his suspension, serving the third and final game, while Yves Bissouma is set to return from his suspension, likely partnering with either Lo Celso or Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in centre-midfield.

In the defensive setup, Postecoglou might maintain Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at center-back, opting for them over Eric Dier. Son Heung-min, with six of his eight Premier League goals this season scored away from home, is anticipated to lead the attack, supported by Brennan Johnson, Bryan Gil, and Dejan Kulusevski, the latter having scored in his last two visits to the Etihad.

Predicted starting line-ups 

Manchester City predicted starting line-up: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake; Akanji, Rodri; Foden, Alvarez, Bernardo, Doku; Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur predicted starting line-up: Vicario; Porro, Emerson, Davies, Udogie; Bissouma, Lo Celso, Gil; Kulusevski, Johnson, Son

Manchester City v Tottenham prediction

Another thrilling clash, abundant with goal-scoring opportunities, is anticipated on Sunday, continuing the trend of the last four league meetings at the Etihad, averaging over four goals per game.

While City have displayed impressive form this season, their challenge lies in achieving greater consistency to challenge Arsenal for the top spot in the Premier League. The Cityzens have faced challenges against Tottenham in recent encounters and cannot afford to drop points in this crucial fixture.

Although Tottenham have shown improvement under Postecoglou, they face a formidable test against City, the stronger team on paper, making them the favorites to secure a victory.

Postecoglou’s persistence with a high defensive line, amid an injury crisis, is yet to yield positive results. Maintaining such a tactic against the prolific Man City, who have already scored 26 goals in their nine home matches this season, could prove costly for them.

Judging from previous outcomes, Spurs are capable of grinning out a result despite their current form. But their defence will have so much to deal with against a free-scoring City side and playing a high-line against City could birth a goals galore at the Etihad.

Hence, one thing is certain in this matchup, Goals! Goals! Goals!