Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur face off this Saturday lunchtime at the Etihad Stadium, with both sides looking to build on strong starts to the 2025–26 Premier League season.
City kicked things off in style last weekend with a dominant 4–0 win away at Wolves, while Spurs got the Thomas Frank era off to a flying start, beating Burnley 3–0 at home.
Just over a month after their surprise early exit from the FIFA Club World Cup at the hands of Al-Hilal, Pep Guardiola’s men bounced back with an emphatic performance at Molineux.
New signing Tijjani Reijnders made an instant impact, grabbing both a goal and an assist on his Premier League debut. Erling Haaland chipped in with a trademark brace, and another summer arrival, Rayan Cherki, also got on the scoresheet. It was City’s second-biggest opening-day win in Premier League history, just behind their 5–0 win over West Ham in 2019.
Despite the result, Guardiola voiced concerns over his squad size, saying it’s “not healthy” and warning that the team’s momentum could suffer if the squad isn’t trimmed before the transfer window closes.
City currently sit top of the table on goal difference and have now taken more points (26) than any other team in the league since April. In that time, they’ve also been the most defensively solid—unbeaten in 10 games, with the most clean sheets and the fewest shots faced per game.
However, their recent record against Spurs isn’t great. City have won just four of their last 12 league meetings with the North London club, and Guardiola has lost to Tottenham more times than any team other than Liverpool.
New Spurs boss Thomas Frank had little time to reflect on a tough Super Cup loss to PSG, where his side were beaten on penalties, before making his Premier League debut. And he made quite the entrance.
A rejuvenated Richarlison stole the show against Burnley, scoring twice—including a spectacular bicycle kick—while both assists came from new boy Mohammed Kudus. Brennan Johnson added a third to wrap up one of Tottenham’s most convincing opening-day wins in Premier League history.
Understandably, spirits are high at Spurs. That said, some fans were disappointed this week as North London rivals Arsenal swooped in to snatch transfer target Eberechi Eze. Still, Frank insists the club is “actively working” on new signings, with City’s Savinho reportedly on their radar.
This weekend, Spurs will be aiming to win their first two games of a Premier League season for the first time since 2021–22. They’ll also want to end a rough patch of 11 league games without a win against teams that weren’t newly promoted.
Their last visit to the Etihad in November 2024 ended in a shock 4–0 victory—so they'll be hoping for a repeat. If they can pull it off, it would be the first time since 2010 that Spurs have beaten City away in back-to-back Premier League matches.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Manchester City will be without several players this weekend, with Mateo Kovacic and Kalvin Phillips both sidelined due to Achilles issues. Savinho, Josko Gvardiol, and Marcus Bettinelli are also out, though the club hasn’t provided specific details on their injuries.
On the bright side, Rodri, Phil Foden, and Ederson are all back in contention. Ederson is pushing to start in goal again, potentially replacing James Trafford, who impressed with a clean sheet in his debut against Wolves.
With Gvardiol unavailable, Rayan Ait-Nouri is likely to keep his place at left-back. John Stones is expected to continue alongside Ruben Dias in central defence. Dias, by the way, has just signed a new long-term deal with the club.
Pep Guardiola is still deciding between Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis for the right-back role, with Nunes hoping to get the nod this time around. In midfield, Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez, and Tijjani Reijnders could keep their spots. Reijnders, who made a strong start in City colours, is aiming to become the first player in club history to score and assist in both of his first two Premier League appearances.
If Reijnders is given the freedom to push forward again, that could force Phil Foden into a battle with Oscar Bobb for a starting spot on the right wing. Up top, there’s no doubt about Erling Haaland — he’ll lead the line, looking to add to his remarkable record of 48 goals in 48 Premier League home games.
Tottenham are still dealing with a significant injury list. James Maddison is out with an ACL injury, as are Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, and Bryan Gil (all with knee issues). Manor Solomon (calf) and Kota Takai (foot) are also sidelined.
Manager Thomas Frank has shared a slight positive: Destiny Udogie is improving and has been back in training, but he won’t be ready in time for this weekend. Midfielder Yves Bissouma is also still unavailable.
Spurs started with a back four against Burnley, but Frank is reportedly considering switching to a back five for the trip to the Etihad. If so, Kevin Danso could come into the back line, joining Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in central defence. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence are options for the wing-back roles.
In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur is pushing for a return, but Joao Palhinha and Pape Sarr are likely to keep their places. Up front, Kudus and Richarlison — whom Frank recently described as his “starting nine” — are expected to lead the line again. Brennan Johnson could drop to the bench if the system shifts to accommodate the extra defender.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, Gonzalez; Bobb, Reijnders, Marmoush; Haaland
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Danso, Romero, Van de Ven; Porro, Bentancur, Palhinha, Spence; Sar, Kudus; Richarlison
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
