Manchester City FC

We welcome Thomas Frank’s side to the Etihad Stadium in a 12:30 (UK) kick-off on Saturday.

Both sides enjoyed positive starts to the campaign last weekend, with City putting four past Wolves and Spurs recording a 3-0 defeat of newly promoted Burnley.

Here’s more, with the help of Opta data, on what to expect from Spurs…

Their 22 defeats from 38 games in the Premier League last term is actually the most of any side not to be relegated.

That form garnered 38 points, with 11 victories and five draws.

They lost five of their final six Premier League away games in 2024/25, although they haven’t lost a league game on the road in the month of August since 2015.

This season has started better of course, with plenty of change afoot since former boss Ange Postecoglou left north London in the summer.

Preferred formation

Spurs lined up with an attacking 4-3-3 in last week’s defeat of Burnley, similarly to how they set up under Postecoglou.

Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Sarr made up a very young, energetic midfield with wingers Brennan Johnson and Mohammed Kudus in support of Brazil’s Richarlison.

Argentina’s World Cup winner Cristian Romero has now been made captain and played next to Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence in a partnership that could rival many of the Premier League’s best on its day.

Transfer activity

The key change at Spurs this summer came outside of the playing squad, with manager Ange Postecoglou making way for Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

On the pitch, two long-serving stars have left – with Son Heung-min and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg going to LA FC and Marseille respectively.

Last season’s loanees Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel became permanent members of the squad while West Ham winger Kudus grabbed the most headlines when he arrived last month.

Joao Palhinha, the former Fulham defensive midfielder, has also arrived on loan from Bayern Munich.

Manager

Before his move to Spurs, Thomas Frank was the Premier League’s second longest serving manager after almost seven years as Brentford’s boss.

He took charge of 153 Premier League games as manager of the Bees, winning 55 times and picking up 38 draws as he turned them into top-flight regulars.

Frank’s Brentford played eight times against City with the Dane in charge, winning twice.

Before Brentford, Frank was manager at one of Denmark’s biggest clubs – Brondby – for three years between 2013 and 2016.

Physio room

Spurs were without several of their favoured midfielders last week and it appears unlikely that trio will be back for this one.

James Maddison ruptured his ACL in his right knee during pre-season while Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma are expected back sooner than the England international.

Full-back Destiny Udogie and winger Manor Solomon are also nearing returns.

As always, we won’t know for sure until the teams are announced 75 minutes before kick-off!

How they score their goals

Given Spurs’ change of manager in the summer, the expectation is that they will also alter their style of play as Frank gets his feet under the desk.

Despite finishing 17th, Spurs’ haul of 64 goals in 2024/25 was more than 12 sides in the Premier League and as many as fourth-placed Chelsea.

Frank’s Brentford were also quite prolific, with only four teams netting more than their 66.

All three strikes last week came from inside the box, with Frank instructing his side to provide plentiful crosses from the byline for Richarlison.

Frank’s Brentford team became famed for their use of set pieces, including free-kicks, corners and throw-ins.

How they defend

Spurs’ method of defending under Postecoglou was often to push as high as possible and pressure teams deep into their own half.

Their 65 goals conceded was only better than relegated sides Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester, as well as 16th-placed Wolves.

Frank’s Brentford let in 57 goals last season, which again was more than many of their most direct rivals.

This season started well defensively for both sides last week, with City and Spurs amongst the nine teams yet to concede in this year’s Premier League.

Head-to-head at the Etihad

Spurs are one of very few sides to enjoy a strong record against City, with the Blues winning just four of our last 12 Premier League games home and away against them.

That includes two wins in their last four visits to the Etihad for Spurs, which is more than they did in their previous 11 visits combined.

Following their 4-0 victory here last season, they’re looking for consecutive wins away at City for the first time since May 2010.

In total, City have won 11 of the 28 Premier League games against Spurs we’ve hosted, with our visitors winning 12 and five ending in draws.

There’ll be music, authentic food and special performances outside East Reception ahead of kick-off from 10:00 (UK) on Saturday as we join together with Bahia, a sister CFG club, to help showcase their rich culture.

Pep Guardiola’s men will be aiming for three points to kickstart our home campaign against Tottenham after a brilliant win on the road at Wolves.

But before that, supporters can enjoy a real party mood and carnival atmosphere in the build-up.

Now in its third consecutive season, the Bahia activations celebrate the fusion of English and Brazilian cultures.

It proved hugely popular before our 5-1 win over Fulham in 2023 and 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town in 2024 – so much so that we have brought it back today for this new season.

Previous years have seen the focus on music but this year, ‘Bahia in Manchester’ goes even further, leaning into

Esporte Clube Bahia’s them of ‘Bahia de Todas as Artes’ – or ‘Bahia of All Arts’.

There will be a number of activations on the day, including Capoeira Circles, which will see traditional Brazilian Martial Arts performers showcasing their talents and skills at the Blue Carpet and the external concourse of the Etihad.

At East Reception, fans will have the opportunity to taste the traditional acarajé, take part in quizzes with giveaways, learn about Bahia culture, enjoy photo opportunities, and receive fitinhas - wish ribbons – which are personalised with the City and Bahia crests. They will be given out to offer a meaningful and symbolic souvenir of the day.

For fans, it will be a real feast of colour and sound with plenty of photo opportunities.

Make sure you arrive at the stadium early so you don’t miss out on any of their activities.

Pep Guardiola is preparing his side for our first Premier League home game of the 2025/26 season on Saturday, when Tottenham Hotspur are the visitors to the Etihad Stadium in a 12:30 (UK) kick-off.

After a comprehensive victory over Wolves last weekend, Guardiola’s players will go into the game full of confidence.

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An Erling Haaland brace plus strikes from debutants Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki made the difference that day and they’ll now be relishing turning out at our home ground.

Standing in our way are Thomas Frank’s new side, who defeated Burnley at home on the opening weekend.

To ensure we’re ready for the challenge, Guardiola put his side through their paces on another summer’s day in Manchester.

With Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal seemingly immovable in the Premier League’s top four during the second half of the 2000s, only one place was up for grabs each year.

Across 2009/10 and 2010/11, that came down to a battle between City and Tottenham Hotspur.

What followed was a mini-rivalry between two clubs seeking to take their seat amongst the continent’s elite.

And as is often its wont, the fixture computer did its best to maximise the drama.

Spurs would visit the Etihad Stadium in the final weeks of both seasons, with the Champions League and everything that promises for the future still on the line.

Even so, few could have predicted what was to come.

The winner of each tie would earn the Champions League slot that term, with only one goal in each game.

That’s not yet the most striking aspect though, with Peter Crouch scoring the winner in both games – first for Spurs and second into his own net to City’s advantage.

Even more bizarrely, Crouch was effectively stood in the exact same spot for both decisive touches.

While this fixture has thrown up many classics down the years across all competitions, it’s perhaps the juxtaposed emotions following those two clashes that typify the fine margins between glory and glorious failure more than any other.

Ahead of this weekend’s meeting and Thomas Frank’s first Etihad visit as Spurs boss, we take a look back at two seasons when our home ties with Spurs defined the campaign.

Roberto Mancini, a serial winner as a player and manager, had arrived in December 2009 to add a steely mentality to a talented but draw-prone squad.

A 3-0 defeat at White Hart Lane in December had been his predecessor Mark Hughes’ penultimate game and, at that point, few would have expected City to have been involved in the Champions League race that term.

That was one point behind Harry Redknapp’s free-flowing Spurs side, who had the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale catching the eye.

A League Cup semi-final earlier in the campaign had given City the taste of the bigger occasions that had eluded us for generations, but ultimately the defeat to Manchester United left City fans praying for

Ahead of the final weekend, City and Spurs would meet in a midweek rearranged fixture at the Etihad that felt like a unique play-off.

For the Blues, preparation had been less than perfect, with first-choice goalkeeper Shay Given forced off through injury in the 0-0 draw at Arsenal less than two weeks prior.

Mancini acted quickly to bring in emergency backup, with Sunderland’s Marton Fulop parachuted in for three games to help us over the line.

Fulop was a highly experienced international in his own right, but to come from the bench at a league rival into the heat of a dramatic head-to-head battle would take some mettle.

On the night, City lined up in the attacking 4-4-2 formation that had been Mancini’s go-to since his arrival.

While Spurs were many people’s favourites before kick-off, the game played out almost as evenly as the season had gone to that point.

The sides could not be split on possession or attempts at goal, with City having two more corners than our visitors.

However, the decisive, heartbreaking moment came less than 10 minutes from the end as Crouch reacted quickest to a Fulop parry from a deflected Younes Kaboul cross.

With the Hungarian goalkeeper on the floor and Vincent Kompany just too far away to impact it, Crouch nodded the ball high into the goal and wheeled away to celebrate with the pocket of Spurs supporters.

Still very early into the project following our 2008 takeover, it felt like a crushing blow.

Mancini’s first full season at the Etihad would involved Europa League football, rather than the promised land of the Champions League.

Spurs celebrated long into the night at the Etihad, with famous scenes involving substitute David Bentley tipping a bucket of icy water over Redknapp’s head during the manager’s post-match interview.

Ironically, the new season started with City on the road at Spurs and a key decision for Mancini.

In goal, would he opt for experienced Premier League favourite Shay Given or shining prospect Joe Hart after a stellar year on loan at Birmingham City?

Hart got the nod and it was an inspired selection, with the young England hopeful putting in one of the performances of a lifetime to keep the scores 0-0 in north London.

Where all-out attack had been our default option in the previous season, defence was the backbone of our Champions League and FA Cup challenges that term.

We would concede just 33 goals in the Premier League, with the last of them coming four games before the end of the season.

Where the decisive clash between City and Spurs in 2010/11 was the second-to-last, this time Redknapp’s side would be in Manchester three games out from the end.

And City were in the driving seat now.

In truth, Spurs came knowing a victory was necessary to keep their Champions League hopes alive again.

This time around, we surrendered more possession and shots to the side despite their 4-5-1 setup.

But with Hart in goal, City had one of the Premier League’s outstanding performers.

The goal also arrived a lot earlier on this year, but it must have been a horrific moment for Crouch – who must have wanted the ground where he’d made such a mark 370 days prior to swallow him up.

The tension came as the second half wore on and Spurs pushed harder and harder for the equaliser but to no avail.

That only made the outburst of relief come the final whistle all the more sensational around the Etihad Stadium as we celebrated reaching Europe’s main stage.

It was backed up at Wembley only a few days later with the FA Cup final victory over Stoke City that sealed a truly transformative week in our history.

Despite the outpouring of emotion at that point, few could have predicted what would follow.

City have since qualified for every single edition of the Champions League and lifted an astonishing 24 major honours.

As Pep Guardiola prepares himself for the challenge of a modern-day Spurs who are themselves celebrating being in the Champions League this season, it shouldn’t be forgotten the role this mini-rivalry played on our journey to where we are now.

City v spurs app coverage

Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from the Etihad in one place.

Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at around 11:15 (UK).

Steph Houghton and Michael Brown will be the guests on the latest Matchday Live show alongside presenter Cel Spellman, offering their expert insight before, during and after the action.

During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison while our text commentary continues.

Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.

We’ll have a quick-hit 2-minute highlights package available at 17:15 (UK), while you can sign-in to watch a free 8-minute edit at midnight. On CITY+ meanwhile, there’ll be our popular full-match replay as well as our new extended highlights offering which features the best 20 minutes of action from the game. Both are also available at midnight.

WHEN AND WHERE

We host Spurs in the Premier League on Saturday 23 August, with the game scheduled for kick-off at the Etihad Stadium at 12:30 (UK).

The game will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.

You can also keep across all of the action via the official Man City app, as well as the key moments on X/Twitter: @ManCity.

Supporters living around the world can find out how they can tune in via our global listings, courtesy of livesoccertv.com.

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Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, while our Matchday Live show will begin at around 11:15 (UK).

Steph Houghton and Michael Brown will be the guests on the latest Matchday Live show, offering their expert insight before, during and after the action.

During the game you can also listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison while our text commentary continues.

Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.

We’ll have a quick-hit 2-minute highlights package available from 16:00 (UK) while you can sign-in to watch a free 8-minute edit from midnight.

On CITY+ meanwhile, from midnight there’ll be our popular full-match replay as well as our new extended highlights offering which features the best 20 minutes of action from the game.

CITY+ | SIGN UP TO ACCESS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

OPPOSING MANAGER - THOMAS FRANK

Frank joined Spurs in the summer replacing Ange Postecoglou as head coach after an incredibly successful spell in charge of Brentford from October 2018, moving them up from the Championship to an established Premier League side, recording impressive 13th, ninth, 16th and 10th-place finishes in the top-flight.

The Dane is already looking to put his stamp on the Spurs side, bringing in high profile players like winger Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United, and midfielder Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.

The 51-year-old adopts an intense style of play, with energy, aggression and efficient set-pieces a key part of his tactical plan.

DANGER MEN

The North London side were unlucky to lose James Maddison to a long-term injury in pre-season, and have also seen long-term City nemesis Heung-Min Son leave for MLS side Los Angeles FC, so a large chunk of attacking output will be expected from forwards Richarlison and Kudus.

The pair combined impressively in their last game for two goals against Burnley, with Kudus crossing twice for a brilliant Richarlison brace.

Another threat comes from the opposite end of the pitch in the form of right-back Pedro Porro.

The former City man enjoys flying up the flank and is expected to be sharing set-pieces with Kudus, with his whipped crosses a nuisance for defenders to deal with.

Porro scored twice in the league last season, including a sweet strike against City, and picked up six assists, so City will have to be wary of his threat going forward.

PEP GUARDIOLA PREVIEW

Pep Guardiola will be facing the media for the pre-match press conference from 13:30 (UK) on Friday 22 August, where the City boss will provide all the latest team news updates and you can follow it live on mancity.com and our official app.

Don’t worry if you are unable to watch Pep’s press conference as it happens as we’ll have a written review and video recap soon after it has concluded.

PREVIOUS MEETING

We last welcomed Spurs to the Etihad in November last year, where our long unbeaten Premier League home run - stretching back 35 games to November 2022 - came to an end with a 4-0 loss.

James Maddison scored two first-half goals, Porro added a third early in the second period and Brennan Johnson bagged a fourth in added time at the end of the game.

In the reverse fixture later in the season, an Erling Haaland goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 win for the Blues, which moved us back into the top four.

LAST TIME OUT

Opening day specialist Erling Haaland bagged a brace while summer signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki scored on their Premier League debuts as City got off to the perfect start courtesy of a 4-0 opening day victory at Wolves in our last fixture.

As for Spurs, they claimed an impressive 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Burnley in their opening league fixture, with a Richarlison brace added to by a Brennan Johnson goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

MATCH OFFICIALS

To be confirmed...

GLOBAL TV LISTINGS

Supporters around the world can find out how to tune in to watch the match live by clicking here, courtesy of livesoccertv.com.

(Listings correct as of 17 August)

Aoba Fujino’s euphoric first top-flight goal for the Club in the 78th helped us to the hard-fought success at Brisbane Road in what was our first assignment since the conclusion of February’s international break.

The hosts made a bright start in the capital but Gareth Taylor’s side broke the deadlock against the run of play and the Japan international was at the centre of the clinical attack.

Fujino played a neat one-two with Laura Blindkilde Brown before whipping a vicious cross into the box where Vivianne Miedema powered a header into the back of the net for her eighth in sky blue.

MATCH REPORT | SPURS 2-1 CITY

However, Robert Vilahamn’s side equalised with 15 minutes remaining in the first half through Bethany England’s improvised effort.

Following the interval the contest ebbed and flowed with both teams creating opportunities, but as the game progressed, a draw grew in likelihood.

That was until Fujino combined well with Yui Hasegawa on the right to arrive into the box before she shifted the ball onto her left foot and slammed it into the top corner.

City then hung on for three precious points in east London as we move into an action-packed month of March.

CITY+ subscribers can watch the best of the action from a unique angle via Pitcam in the video player above!

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Gareth Taylor’s side recorded a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Gaughan Group Stadium as we move into an action-packed month of March.

Vivianne Miedema broke the deadlock before her opener was cancelled out by Beth England’s strike ahead of half-time.

With the scores level as the clock ticked past the 75-minute mark Aoba Fujino restored our lead with a rocket into the roof of the net which helped us to three vital points.

MATCH REPORT: SPURS 1-2 CITY

Following Spurs’ bright start, the visitors scored the game’s first goal against the run of play when Fujino’s pinpoint cross from the right was powerfully headed home by Miedema.

Undeterred after conceding, Robert Vilahamn’s side equalised on 30 minutes when Olivia Holdt lifted the ball into England’s path for the clinical striker to tuck home.

Both teams then created chances after the interval but the afternoon’s third goal fell to the Blues and it was an effort which deserved to win any football match.

Fujino linked up well with Hasegawa before the former recollected the ball, shifted it onto her left foot and slammed into the top corner.

The fixture represented our first outing since the conclusion of February’s international break where a number of Blues stars shined on the global stage.

But it was back to domestic business for Gareth Taylor’s side as we looked to extend our winning streak in all competitions to four straight matches.

Standing in our way of three points was Robert Vilahamn’s side who were aiming to bounce back from their defeat to Arsenal in their previous outing.

In November’s reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium, a Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw hat-trick and Jill Roord’s second-half strike helped us to an emphatic 4-0 win.

But how would proceedings play out this time around?

CITY+ subscribers can find out in the video player above!

CITY+

CITY+ is available via an annual subscription of £34.99 a year, saving you £24 on our monthly offering.

Choose monthly and pay £4.99 a month with the option to cancel anytime.

Official Cityzens and Season Ticket Members can subscribe annually for £30 a year, a saving of £29.

Aoba Fujino’s first WSL goal earned City all three points at the Gaughan Group Stadium.

The Blues had taken the lead through Vivianne Miedema’s early header, but Spurs drew level before the break when Beth England fired home.

MATCH REPORT: SPURS 1-2 CITY

City continued to press for the winner, and it would eventually arrive with 12 to play when Fujino combined with her Japan team-mate Yui Hasegawa.

Cutting inside on her left foot, the winger smashed a vicious drive into the top corner of the Spurs net to seal an important victory.

The Blues could have won by a bigger margin with Ashleigh Neville clearing off the line from Miedema, plus Jess Park and Fujino both going close late on.

But City had already done enough to get an important three points and kickstart a busy March schedule with a win.