Man City vs Tottenham Hotspur preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Tottenham Hotspur will hope to equal Manchester City’s 69 wins in this fixture when they travel to the Etihad Stadium for a thrilling lunchtime fixture against the Cityzens on Saturday, August 23.

Tottenham brought an end to their long wait for silverware by lifting the Europa League in May, rounding off a dreadful campaign in which they recorded 22 league defeats — the highest ever tally by a side that avoided relegation. It was a season of remarkable underachievement for Spurs, one that ultimately led to Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal.

The North London club now heads into the upcoming term under the stewardship of Thomas Frank, with the clear objective of recovering from a dismal 2024–25 season that saw them finish 17th in the table, suffering 22 losses in the league.

While an instant challenge for the championship may be out of reach for now, Tottenham could still influence the title battle, with a high-stakes meeting against Manchester City coming as early as their second league outing.

In eight Premier League encounters against Pep Guardiola’s side, Frank-managed teams have claimed two wins and averaged 0.88 points per match — a return he will aim to emulate as he seeks to embed the same steely resilience at Spurs that typified his tenure with Brentford.

Interestingly, Tottenham have already secured six additions in the current transfer window. Two were permanent deals for players already on their books, as defender Kevin Danso and winger Mathys Tel signed following loan spells.

Defensive reinforcements have also arrived in the form of promising Japanese centre-back Kōta Takai and Croatian prospect Luka Vušković, the latter having been technically acquired in 2023 before spending two years out on loan.

Spurs will begin the season with an opportunity to claim more silverware when they face reigning Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, staged at Udinese’s ground on August 13.

That fixture precedes their Premier League curtain-raiser at home to Burnley three days later, which will then be followed by a challenging away trip to City on August 23.

City failed to live up to expectations as reigning Premier League holders in 2024-25, ultimately having to settle for third place — a result that ended their four-year supremacy at the summit of English football. They also concluded the campaign without securing any silverware for the first time since the 2016-17 season, excluding the Community Shield, having suffered defeat in the FA Cup final and exiting the Club World Cup in the round of 16.

Throughout much of last season, the Citizens never truly appeared capable of retaining their domestic crown, finishing 13 points adrift of eventual champions Liverpool. Nevertheless, they finished the campaign on a high to seal Champions League qualification and have since bolstered their squad with several high-calibre arrivals, such as Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders, among others.

With fierce competition from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool intensifying, fans with Manchester City tickets realise there is minimal margin for error if his side are to reclaim major honours.

Among the clubs set to challenge their ambitions will be Tottenham, who have consistently been one of City’s trickiest opponents in recent years. Matches between the two have delivered some of the Premier League’s most captivating spectacles.

Since September 2015, there has been little to split the sides, with City triumphing in 11 and Spurs in 10 of their past 25 meetings in all competitions. The Citizens have also taken six of the last 12 encounters (D1 L5).

Tottenham’s record at the Etihad has been mixed, with just two wins in their last nine visits — a pulsating 3-2 triumph in February 2022 when Harry Kane struck a dramatic 95th-minute winner, and a commanding 4-0 success in November 2024 thanks to goals from James Maddison (2), Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson.

Guardiola will aim to ensure his team are energised and determined to avenge last season’s heavy home defeat to Spurs, targeting their first home victory of the new campaign.

Man City vs Tottenham Hotspur match details

• Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
• Location: Manchester, England
• Venue: Etihad Stadium
• Kick-off time: 12:30 PM BST
• Tickets: Official tickets will be sold out but you can still buy tickets via resale sites like Seatsnet.com.

Match stats and head-to-head

• From 2004 onwards, 42 of the most recent 48 encounters between the pair have been in the Premier League. Spurs dominated the early stages of this sequence, prevailing in 11 of 12 fixtures from December 2004 to May 2010, seven of which ended with a 2-1 scoreline.

• City answered back decisively, winning eight of the following 10 clashes between August 2010 and May 2015, netting 27 goals during that stretch — a run that included two 5-1 victories away from home and a 6-0 demolition on their turf.

• Since September 2015, little has separated these two sides, with City winning 11 times and Tottenham securing 10 victories from their previous 25 clashes in all competitions — the Citizens have also prevailed in six of the most recent 12 contests (D1 L5).

• Across all competitions, City and Tottenham have gone head-to-head on 174 occasions, with the Citizens narrowly holding the superior overall record — 69 wins to Spurs’ 68 — alongside 37 matches ending in stalemates.

• Tottenham, however, have enjoyed marginally greater success in cup fixtures, claiming 11 victories and registering three draws in their 22 meetings spanning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Champions League. In the Premier League era, beginning in 1992-93, Spurs have defeated City 29 times in 55 encounters, with eight of those matches concluding all square.

• During the 1-0 triumph over Tottenham in February, Erling Haaland registered his 25th match-winning goal in the Premier League — the highest by any player since his debut campaign in 2022-23. For Manchester City in the competition, only Sergio Agüero (48) and Raheem Sterling (28) have recorded more decisive goals than the Norwegian striker.

• The two clubs have faced each other 174 times, with City edging the rivalry with 69 victories—just one more than Tottenham’s 68—while 37 encounters have finished level.

Team news

Manchester City aim to kick off their 2025/26 campaign with a full haul of points when they face last season’s relegation-threatened Wolves, though concerns over the condition of their key man, Rodri, already loom large.

The reigning Ballon d’Or holder endured a crushing setback last term, missing virtually the entire season due to an ACL injury. Having since stepped back onto the field during the Club World Cup, he is now battling a groin problem which is set to keep him out until the middle of September.

During Rodri’s lengthy lay-off, Croatia’s Mateo Kovačić was among several players tasked with replicating his influence. However, the midfielder sustained a calf injury that kept him out of the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, and his expected return date remains uncertain.

Young Argentine Claudio Echeverri — who featured for the first time in the FA Cup defeat — is still building match sharpness after an ankle issue in pre-season, though he is anticipated to be available by early September. Phil Foden is also a doubt for the curtain-raiser due to ankle trouble.

On the other side, Tottenham’s preparations have been hampered by a season-long blow to James Maddison, who suffered an ACL rupture in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United. He joins long-term casualties Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Drăgușin on the recovery list.

Dominic Solanke has missed the bulk of pre-season, and although a comeback is forecast soon, this fixture appears too early for his involvement. Full-back Destiny Udogie is another worry for Thomas Frank, with the possibility of missing both this meeting and the opening league clash with Burnley at the weekend.

Predicted starting lineup

Man City predicted starting lineup:

Ederson, Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, Aït-Nouri, Reijnders, Gündoğan, Silva, Cherki, Haaland, Doku.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha, Sarr; Johnson, Richarlison, Kudus.

Prediction

While Pep Guardiola has made adjustments to his backroom staff by appointing Kolo Touré and Pepijn Lijnders, the Cityzens must also adapt to the absence of Kevin De Bruyne this season following his switch to Serie A. Rayan Cherki, who celebrates his 22nd birthday this month, is a supremely talented footballer capable of delivering the substantial number of assists and goals the Belgian consistently produced over the past decade, and his creativity will be crucial against Thomas Frank’s well-drilled system.

The Danish manager’s energetic, high-tempo approach is anticipated to suit the strengths of many within the current squad, with his progressive philosophy likely to bring a fresh atmosphere to the dressing room and offer an advantage in major fixtures against sides such as City.

Frank’s coaching résumé includes at least one victory over every member of the Premier League’s recognised Big Six — with two of those successes coming against City — and he will aim to inspire his team to send a strong message when they visit the Etihad for their second match of the campaign.

We’re predicting a 2-1 win for Man City.