Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City resume their title defence on home turf this weekend, taking on familiar foes Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
Both sides head into this weekend’s headline fixture on the back of gut-wrenching defeats that sent them into the international break on the back foot.
Pep Guardiola has had a fortnight to ponder on the root of his unprecedented four-match losing streak – a first in his esteemed managerial career.
The Spanish tactical genius will be eager to test a new formula to reverse the trend and potentially kick-start a winning streak that’ll help close the gap to pacesetters Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou also plans to mastermind another victory over City and inflict more damage on their title defence.
The beleaguered Australian needs to get Spurs firing on all cylinders sooner rather than later, with his job hanging by a thread.
The result of this game could have a far-reaching impact on the title race and the top-four battle, making it a must-watch event for fans from both sides and even neutrals looking to enjoy a nerve-racking encounter.
Man City vs Spurs tickets will be highly sought after this weekend, but fans can get their tickets from Seatsnet.com at subsidised rates.
Match Preview
City went into November’s international break on the back of a deflating 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion, marking their fourth loss across all competitions.
Coincidentally, that unprecedented run of form started with a 2-1 defeat against Saturday’s opponents, Tottenham, in the fourth round of the EFL Cup in north London.
An injury-plagued City side forced Guardiola to field a starting line-up with a handful of fringe players, and he was made to rue that decision as goals from Pape Matar Sarr and Timo Werner reduced Matheus Nunes’ strike to a mere consolation.
Bournemouth and Sporting CP pounced on the chance to inflict more misery on a fragile City side before Brighton sent shockwaves throughout the Premier League by coming from behind to claim a win against the champions.
The usual suspect, Erling Braut Haaland, gave City the lead in the first half, but a relentless Brighton side under Fabian Hurzeler’s leadership refused to succumb to defeat on their own turf.
The Seagulls left it late, but they were eventually rewarded for their bravery and attacking endeavour as a five-minute double from Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley stunned the away fans into silence.
Liverpool capitalised on City’s mishap on the south coast, claiming a routine victory against last season’s surprise package Aston Villa to extend their lead at the Premier League summit to five points.
The Reds are considered favourites to end Guardiola’s reign of terror, but the Cityzens will not give up their crown without a fight, and their revival could start with vengeance against the pioneers of their misfortune.
Tottenham have blown hot and cold this season, hardly the mark of an improved team that’s ready to reclaim their place in the Champions League.
Postecoglou’s side are on a losing streak of their own, falling to their maiden Europa League defeat against Galatasaray before suffering the same fate against lowly Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
First-half goals from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap sent shockwaves throughout the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the Tractor Boys capitalised on a lacklustre performance from Spurs.
The north Londoners put up a better fight in the second period, pulling one back through the now-suspended Rodrigo Bentancur, but it proved to be nothing short of a consolation.
Defeat against the relegation contenders has Spurs fans calling for Postecoglou’s head, but the club has refrained from making any knee-jerk decisions, given his profound impact during his debut campaign.
However, the writing is on the wall for the Australian tactician. Spurs are languishing in mid-table after collecting just 16 points from 11 games.
There are still some positives for Postecoglou’s side. They have the best attacking record in the league (23 goals scored) and are just three points off third-placed Chelsea.
But patience is running thin in north London, and if results do not improve in the coming games, Postecoglou could find himself out of a job before Christmas.
Key Stats
Man City fans entered November’s international break with a sense of unease, but they’re now brimming with optimism amid reports of Guardiola putting pen to paper on a new one-year deal with an option for an additional year.
Adding to the positivity, a number of key first-team players have returned to training this week after recovering from injuries, providing a timely boost ahead of a gruelling schedule.
The Cityzens face a daunting stretch of eight matches over the next 29 days, including six in the Premier League and two Champions League fixtures.
First up is Saturday’s home showdown against Tottenham, a team that has been a thorn in Guardiola’s flesh in recent memory.
City have gotten the better of Spurs just three times in their last ten league meetings (D2, L5).
After losing all of their last four games away from home, Man City will welcome this weekend’s return to the Etihad, where they have not lost any of their last 52 matches across all competitions.
They also boast a 35-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League, picking up 13 points from a possible 15 this season (W4, D1).
Tottenham have shown they’re no strangers to upsetting City’s rhythm.
Despite languishing in tenth place on the Premier League table, Spurs will feel there’s no need to panic given that just three points separate Postecoglou’s side from third-placed Chelsea.
Their 2-1 victory over City in the EFL Cup less than a month ago will undoubtedly bolster their confidence, as will their impressive record against Saturday’s hosts.
Spurs have accumulated 17 points from their last ten league meetings with City and have scored multiple goals in their previous three visits to the Etihad, including a dramatic 3-3 draw last season.
Should they find the net twice again, they would make history as the first team to score multiple goals in four consecutive Premier League away games at the Etihad.
However, Tottenham’s overall away form remains a concern. They’ve won just four of their last 18 league matches on the road and have collected only four points from five away fixtures this season.
Their struggles are highlighted by a poor stretch since March, during which no Premier League side has suffered more away defeats (seven).
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Line-ups:
(4-3-3): Guglielmo Vicario; Destiny Udogie, Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro; Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr; Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson.
Manchester City Predicted Line-ups:
(4-1-4-1): Ederson; Rico Lewis, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Kyle Walker; Mateo Kovacic; Matheus Nunes, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Savinho; Erling Braut Haaland.
