Tottenham Hotspur head to Manchester City for their second league outing of the season in Saturday’s early kick-off at the Etihad.
Following their 3-0 victory over Burnley on the opening weekend, courtesy of a stunning brace from Richarlison and a goal from Brennan Johnson, Tottenham now face a sterner test in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
It was an impressive start for Thomas Frank in his first Premier League match as Spurs boss, and the visitors will be eager to carry that momentum into this heavyweight clash.
However, standing in their way are the four-time champions of the last five seasons, who too come into this clash on the back of a comfortable opening-day win. City beat Wolves 4-0 at Molineux, with new arrivals Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both finding the net alongside an Erling Haaland double.
This will be Guardiola’s first home game of the season, and he will be expecting a similar statement performance against a Spurs side that has caused his team plenty of problems in recent years.
What time does Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur kick off?
Location: Manchester, England
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Date: 23rd August 2025
Kick-off Time: 12:30 pm BST
Referee: Peter Bankes
VAR: Andy Madley
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Head-to-head record
Manchester City may have dominated English football in recent years, but Spurs have consistently been one of their trickiest opponents. Guardiola’s side have won just four of their last twelve league meetings with Tottenham, losing six.
MORE SPURS STORIES
Spurs have also enjoyed success at the Etihad, winning twice in their last four visits. Last season the two clubs met three times across competitions, with Tottenham claiming a 2-1 win in the Carabao Cup and then a stunning 4-0 triumph at the Etihad in the league.
City, however, had the final say in February, edging Spurs 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to an Erling Haaland strike.
Tottenham team news
Spurs supporters were dealt a blow off the pitch, with Eberechi Eze’s long-anticipated move hijacked at the last moment by north London rivals Arsenal. Despite the frustration, Tottenham have already turned their attention to alternatives, though the absence of a natural attacking midfielder remains a concern.
On the injury front, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin are all unavailable.
However, updates on any potential injury returns are expected from Thomas Frank’s press conference tomorrow.
Manchester City team news
City are managing a few injury concerns ahead of Saturday. Guardiola is expected to provide clarity on Phil Foden and Rodri, who both didn’t feature against Wolves.
Josko Gvardiol also missed that game, while Savinho remains sidelined after picking up an injury in pre-season. Interestingly, the Brazilian winger has been heavily linked with Spurs, who are reportedly preparing a record bid after missing out on Eze.
Mateo Kovacic is the only long-term absentee, while James Trafford is likely to keep his spot over Ederson.
The Brazilian goalkeeper remains absent through injury and is now the subject of reported interest from Galatasaray.
Predicted Tottenham line-up
Vicario, Porro, Danso, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Bentancur, Palhinha, Sarr, Kudus, Richarlison.
Thomas Frank may well mirror the approach he used against PSG in the Super Cup, reverting to a five-man defence to frustrate City’s attack, given how alike those two are in terms of pressing and their attacking quality up front.
Should he opt for a back four instead, expect a left winger, most likely Wilson Odobert, to replace Kevin Danso.
Dominic Solanke is expected to replace Richarlison around the hour mark if the Brazilian does not find the net. Lucas Bergvall could be introduced for Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield later.
Our prediction
This is no easy task for Spurs, but Thomas Frank has had success against Guardiola in the past, winning twice and drawing once in six fixtures during his time at Brentford.
The absence of Dejan Kulusevski will be felt by Spurs, given how often he has delivered against City, especially at the Etihad, where his heroics even earned it the nickname ‘Dekihad’.
Richarlison, fresh from his opening-day heroics, will be the player to watch for Spurs. If he continues this form, few defences will be able to contain him. Mohammed Kudus, who provided two assists against Burnley, will also be one to watch as he has a habit of turning up against City.
As for City, if Spurs go with a five-man backline, Ryan Cherki will be a real threat. He is excellent at creating chances inside the box, finds clever pockets of space and can even finish from the tightest of angles.
This fixture has often been high scoring at the Etihad, with the two clubs producing 21 goals across their last four league meetings there.
Spurs have scored at least twice on each of those occasions, which is why we expect them to get the 3 points.