Manchester City play their first home game of the 2025/2026 Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.
With Rodri and Phil Foden being fit to face Spurs, City look best-placed to win back-to-back games to kickstart their league season in style after their 4-0 victory against Wolves.
However, Tottenham have proven to be a thorn in Pep Guardiola’s side and despite their eventual 17th-placed finish in the Premier League last season, they ran riot by winning 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium last season.
Thomas Frank has got off to a flyer as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement as well, masterminding a comfortable 3-0 victory against Burnley.
Previewing the much-awaited affair between Manchester City and Spurs, TBR Football’s Tottenham correspondent Jamie Brown broke down where the game could be won and lost.
Tijjani Reijnders is Man City’s danger-man vs Tottenham
Brown told Manchester City News that Tijjani Reijnders could be the Sky Blues’ biggest threat against Tottenham on Saturday.
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Reijnders has already impressed Pep Guardiola after his heroics against Wolves as his emphatic start to life in England could be one of the very best a player has made since the league’s inception in 1992.
Brown raved about the Dutchman, singling him out as the perfect heir to Ilkay Gundogan: “I’m buying into the hype around Tijjani Reijnders. I was very impressed by him during the FIFA Club World Cup and he caused so many issues against Wolves.”
“At around £48 million, that looks to be a steal for a player who looks so well rounded as a midfielder and the perfect fit to replace Ilkay Gundogan.”
Erling Haaland and Cristian Romero’s battle is one to watch
TBR Football’s journalist also anticipates Thomas Frank to employ a five-man defensive shape at the Etihad Stadium, as he recently put to the test against Paris Saint Germain during the UEFA Super Cup.
However, regardless of the system in place, Brown expects the potential fierce battle between Erling Haaland and Cristian Romero’s to be one to keep an eye out for during the clash between the two sides.
“I anticipate Thomas Frank to revert back to a back three just like he did against PSG. Personally, I thought Spurs looked defensively sound against PSG, but against a fully firing Manchester City side, this could be a very different test. Our back three of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso is probably a lot better than what most outside of Spurs give us credit for.”
“I’m particularly looking forward to watching Romero against Erling Haaland. But there’s no doubting that players like Rayan Cherki, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku and Omar Marmoush can still cause us real problems.”
Man City could cause Pedro Porro a whole host of problems
While Brown believes Tottenham’s back three of Romero, Van de Ven and Danso can sometimes be a tad underappreciated by the masses, he claimed that Pedro Porro can be a weak link at the back; a chink in Spurs’ armour that Manchester City could take advantage of.
Rodri, who is set to be named in the matchday squad for the contest knows Porro’s game better than most, as he has played once alongside his countryman for Spain while being in the same squad eight times.
“I think whoever is up against Pedro Porro on City’s left side is likely to have the most joy, defensively he can be suspect.”
“I feel like Doku isn’t particularly popular among City fans, but his ability to run at defenders could be very useful against the Spaniard.”
“I will say though on the other side, Djed Spence has been excellent as a defensive wing-back and Bobb or Cherki could face a tough afternoon up against the 25-year-old.”
Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison should worry Pep Guardiola
Mohammed Kudus could worry Pep Guardiola but Brown believes that aside from the Ghanaian, Richarlison could also trouble this Manchester City side.
The Brazilian international scored a stunning brace against the Clarets, with Kudus supplying him with a pair of pinpoint assists last weekend — with Spurs’ new duo being the Premier League’s deadliest pair so far.
Brown claimed: “Following last week’s win over Burnley, it’s the obvious choice of Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus. The pair are quickly forming a strong partnership in attack.”
“Kudus has been a bit of a revelation so far, his pace and skill on the wing has been a real breath of fresh air over pre-season.”
“His performance up against Nuno Mendes and PSG highlighted what a dynamic player he can be and his battle with Rayan Ait-Nouri should be interesting.”
The Tottenham writer added: “Meanwhile, Richarlison has always been a talented player, but struggled for consistency. I think his ability to hold up the ball and press is going to be crucial for Spurs in a game like this.