Manchester City will look to get back to winning ways when they host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad on Saturday evening.
Manchester City have lost four matches in a row across all competitions, and Pep Guardiola will demand a strong performance from his players vs Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad on Saturday evening.
The Premier League champions will look to defend their crown, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points. They will feel that this is a must-win game for them. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive defeats in all competitions as well, and they will be desperate to bounce back.
Spurs will feel that this is a good opportunity for them to grind out a moral-boosting result against the defending champions. Manchester City have looked vulnerable in the recent outings, and Tottenham will look to pull off an upset here.
Both teams are capable of grinding out a good result here, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Manchester City will be without Rodri due to an ACL injury, with the Spanish international done for the 2024/25 season. Ruben Dias has a muscle injury, and Oscar Bobb is out with a leg injury.
Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Manuel Akanji will start in the central defensive pairing alongside John Stones.
As for the midfield unit, Ilkay Gundogan will start alongside Mateo Kovacic in the double pivot. They will look to add creativity and control to the side from the deep.
Kevin De Bruyne will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Savinho and Jeremy Doku will start on either side of him in the wide areas. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Tottenham on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Kovacic; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Tottenham Hotspur
Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert, and Richarlison are ruled out with hamstring issues. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended. Tottenham Hotspur are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.
Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things tight at the back and help out during transitions. Cristian Romero will start alongside Radu Dragusin at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Yves Bissouma will start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the double pivot. They will look to protect the back four and win the ball back for their side.
James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his side. Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min will start in the wide areas. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham vs Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
Key Stats
- Manchester City have seen over 2.5 goals in 14 of their last 16 home matches vs Tottenham in all competitions.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in six of Tottenham’s last seven league games.
- 19 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Manchester City have picked up two wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
- Tottenham have picked up three wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Kevin De Bruyne
The Manchester City playmaker is our key player to watch out for. He will look to exploit the vulnerabilities and gaps in the Tottenham defence with his passing, vision and execution. Tottenham prefer an attacking system and they are likely to leave gaps in behind. The Belgian playmaker could cause all sorts of problems for the side, and he will look to set up goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Both teams will be desperate for a good result here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and an attacking game is expected here. Manchester City have tremendous quality going forward, and they should be able to exploit Tottenham’s defensive vulnerabilities. The home team are likely to emerge victorious here.