Manchester City will aim to close the five-point gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool when they host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
Both teams are looking to bounce back after disappointing 2-1 defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Ipswich Town, respectively, before the international break.
Man City’s loss to Brighton two weeks ago marked Pep Guardiola's first-ever four-match losing streak in his career. It's been a tough run for the Citizens, who haven't lost this many consecutive games in all competitions since 2006, under former manager Stuart Pearce.
Back-to-back losses, including a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, have left City five points behind Liverpool after 11 matches. While it’s far too early to write off the reigning champions, they can't afford to fall further behind if they want to secure a record fifth straight title.
City fans were feeling down after the international break, but spirits were lifted this week with the announcement that Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract extension. Additionally, several key players have stepped up their recovery from injury and are back in training just in time for this busy period.
Over the next 29 days, City face eight demanding fixtures six in the Premier League and two in the Champions League including Saturday's clash with Tottenham. City have beaten Spurs just three times in their last 10 league meetings (with two draws and five losses).
After losing their last four away games, City will be relieved to return to the Etihad, where they are unbeaten in their last 52 matches across all competitions, including a 35-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. So far this season, they’ve picked up 13 points from 15 available at home.
Tottenham, on the other hand, have had a frustrating start to the season. A year ago, Spurs were second in the table, just one point behind City. Fast forward 12 months, and they now sit 10th, 10 points behind the top spot, having struggled for consistency. Spurs have won five, drawn one, and lost five of their first 11 Premier League games this term, and have also won and lost four of their last eight matches across all competitions, most recently suffering defeats to Galatasaray and Ipswich.
Despite being in 10th place, there’s no need for panic in North London. Spurs are just three points behind Chelsea in third, and their recent record against City could give them a boost. Spurs beat City 2-1 in the EFL Cup just over three weeks ago and have earned 17 points from their last 10 league meetings with them.
They’ve also scored at least twice in their last three visits to the Etihad, including a thrilling 3-3 draw last season. no team has ever scored multiple goals in four consecutive Premier League trips to City.
However, Spurs’ away form has been disappointing. They’ve won just four of their last 18 Premier League matches on the road and, since March, no team has lost more away games than Spurs (seven). So far this season, they’ve picked up only four points from five away fixtures.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Ballon d'Or winner Rodri will be present at the Etihad this weekend to showcase his prestigious award, but the midfielder will not be playing as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury. Oscar Bobb, who is recovering from a leg fracture, is another long-term absentee.
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Mateo Kovacic will be out for a period due to an unspecified injury, while Ruben Dias (calf) and young Max Alleyne (unspecified) are also unavailable for selection.
On a more positive note, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, and Matheus Nunes have all trained this week and will be assessed before the match.
The potential return of Stones, Akanji, and Dias could see two of them feature in central defence, and possibly one in midfield to fill the gap left by Kovacic’s absence. This could mean Jahmai Simpson-Pusey makes way, with Josko Gvardiol shifting to left-back. Rico Lewis and Kyle Walker are also expected to battle for the starting right-back spot.
Erling Haaland, who scored four goals for Norway during the international break, is expected to lead the line, while Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are among those in contention for a midfield start.
For Tottenham, they will be without Rodrigo Bentancur, who is serving a seven-match ban after comments he made about teammate Son Heung-min. Spurs have appealed the length of the ban.
Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, and Wilson Odobert are all sidelined with hamstring injuries. Van de Ven is still "a couple of weeks" away from returning. Cristian Romero, who recently became a father, is out with a foot issue, as is Mikey Moore, who is ill.
With both Van de Ven and Romero unavailable, Ben Davies may partner Radu Dragusin in central defence. Yves Bissouma could replace Bentancur in midfield, joining Dejan Kulusevski, with either Pape Matar Sarr or James Maddison filling the remaining midfield spot.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Lewis, Gundogan; Bernardo, Foden, Savinho; Haaland
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Solanke, Son
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham Hostpur
Tottenham have been a bit of a stumbling block for Guardiola over the years, with Manchester City losing more Premier League games (six) and conceding more goals (22) to Spurs than any other team during his tenure.
Spurs will likely feel confident about breaking through City’s defense again this weekend in what promises to be another thrilling, high-energy match full of goalmouth action.
However, if City can welcome back some of their key players, they should be able to get the job done, especially with the excitement of Guardiola’s contract renewal creating a lively atmosphere at the Etihad.
