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Manchester City will have two key players back when they take on Tottenham in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side eased past Wolves last Saturday with Erling Haaland scoring twice with Tijjani Reijnders looking superb on his competitive debut following his summer arrival from AC Milan.

City were without a number of stars that afternoon with Phil Foden and Rodri watching on from the stands. Both however are available for the visit of Spurs, a huge double boost after it was initially feared the Spain international would not be back until after the September international break.

Josko Gvardiol was another who did not make the trip to Molineux last week and will not be involved today.

Savinho, linked with a move to Tottenham, is also ruled out for a few weeks having missed City’s final pre-season match and their league opener last weekend.

City are also set to remain without Mateo Kovacic who is recovering from an Achilles injury which is expected to sideline him until September at the earliest.

Spurs enjoyed a sparkling start to life under Thomas Frank, thrashing Burnley 3-0 in their opener, but their week soured on Wednesday when it emerged Arsenal had hijacked their move to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

They too are dealing with a handful of injury concerns.

In addition to long-term absentees James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma missed last weekend’s victory after picking up a knock in training. The former Brighton midfielder missed the Uefa Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain due to disciplinary reasons and will miss out again today.

Destiny Udogie meanwhile missed Tottenham’s entire pre-season tour and while he is back in first-team training, this weekend comes too soon for hi

Summer signing Kota Takai is also still recovering from injury.

Man City XI to face Tottenham – Metro prediction

We suspect Guardiola may keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to injury updates on Friday. But given how efficiently his side eased past Wolves, the City boss may be tempted to stick with the same XI although Rayan Cherki could force his way in after his goal off the bench.

Tottenham XI to face Man City – Metro prediction

Dominic Solanke will be pushing for a starting role but after his double against Burnley, Richarlison will fancy his chances of keeping his place.

In midfield, the experienced Joao Palhinha could come in after making his debut off the bench last weekend.

Man City vs Tottenham TV channel and kick-off time

Man City vs Tottenham kicks off on Saturday 23 August with kick-off scheduled for 12:30pm.

You can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 with streaming also available through the Discovery+ app

You can also follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE match day blog.

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Gary Lineker admits he is ‘gutted’ that Arsenal have hijacked Tottenham’s £67.5million transfer for Eberechi Eze.

After months of speculation about his future, Eze looked all set to join Spurs after they finalised a record-breaking deal with Crystal Palace.

However, on Wednesday, after losing Kai Havertz to injury, Arsenal revived their interest in the attacking midfielder, promising to match Tottenham’s bid.

Eze was given the choice of the two North London giants and being a life-long Gunners fan and former academy player, his decision was easy and he is set to undergo a medical with Arsenal on Friday.

The 27-year-old was highly coveted after scoring 14 goals, including the winner in the FA Cup final, and 11 assists last season and will now become Palace’s record sale.

England legend and former Tottenham striker Lineker understands why the Three Lions star snubbed his former team but wishes he hadn’t.

What has Gary Lineker said about Eberechi Eze?

‘Bit of a disaster really for Spurs to lose out. They thought they had their man, but Arsenal have jumped in at the last moment,’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.

‘Significant coup for them. For Spurs fans, it’ll be hugely disappointing.

‘It’s not the first time it’s happened. It happened with Morgan Gibbs-White as well, very similar circumstances. So, the club’s ended up with a bit of egg on its face at the minute, particularly against the North London rivals.

‘Hugely talented player, brilliant signing for Arsenal. As a former Spurs man, bit gutted to be perfectly honest.

‘But if you consider the fact that he was at Arsenal’s academy, that he’s been an Arsenal player since he was a kid, it’s probably safe to say that he’s… not necessarily his heart has ruled his head, but his heart has won out.’

There has been speculation over where Eze will play in Mikel Arteta’s team given his preferred No.10 role is occupied by captain Martin Odegaard.

It seems more likely he’ll operate on the left-wing and some have suggested that could spell trouble for Gabriel Martinelli.

‘For Arsenal, it’s a great signature and I suspect it fills that void that they have [on the left],’ Lineker added.

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‘Not that much confidence perhaps with Martinelli among some fans at Arsenal. And I think Micah [Richards] has said many times that he thinks they need someone that can play on the left.

‘He [Eze] can play there, he can also play in the No.10 role if he has to.’

Eze will not have completed his transfer in time to feature against Leeds United on Saturday evening but could well make his Arsenal debut against Liverpool on August 31.

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Tottenham have made an approach to sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers as they scramble for alternatives to Eberechi Eze, according to reports.

Spurs appeared to be closing in on a deal to sign Eze from Crystal Palace before their bid was hijacked at the 11th hour by bitter rivals Arsenal.

An injury to Kai Havertz saw the Gunners revive their long-standing interest in Eze on Wednesday, with a deal and personal terms agreed just a matter of hours later.

The remarkable developments are undoubtedly a hammer blow for Spurs, who were ready to make the 27-year-old their marquee summer signing for Thomas Frank.

The north London club were already dealt a similar setback earlier in the summer when Morgan Gibbs-White turned his back on a move to north London and instead signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

But Daniel Levy and Co. must now scramble for replacements as they look to provide Tottenham with vital added depth in the attacking midfield department.

And according to The Independent, Spurs have now turned their attention to Rogers, who has emerged as one of the most impressive young talents in the Premier League since his move from Middlesbrough in January 2024.

The report adds that Tottenham have already made contact with intermediaries to assess whether a deal could be possible in the final days of the transfer window.

However, Spurs would likely have to pay a fee far in excess of the £60m they were set to pay to sign Eze.

Having let Jacob Ramsey depart to Newcastle for £40million, Villa are in no need to sell such a key player and are expected to demand as much as £80m for Rogers.

The versatile 23-year-old can play across the midfield line and registered 18 goal contributions for Unai Emery’s side in the league last season.

Rogers signed a new contract in November last year, which does not expire until the summer of 2030, and is also highly thought of by Chelsea, who have been linked with a move should their pursuit of Xavi Simons prove unsuccessful.

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Elsewhere, Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, while a bid for Manchester City winger Savinho also remains a possibility.

Speaking before Spurs’ opening game of the season against Burnley, Frank said: ‘We are looking of course in the market.

‘Not only for 10 position but just to see if we can strengthen the squad. The players we are looking [at] are only players we think can improve the squad.

‘That’s the right thing we want to do. If we can pick the right player and it fits, then we will do something.’

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Tottenham offered Richarlison to Crystal Palace as part of their bid to sign Eberechi Eze ahead of Arsenal, according to reports.

Arsenal have now won the race to sign Eze from Palace after agreeing a deal worth £60 million plus £7.5m in add-ons.

The 27-year-old will now play his final game for Palace in the first leg of their Conference League play-off at home to Norwegian side Fredrikstad on Thursday evening before he undergoes a medical with Mikel Arteta’s side on Friday.

Spurs had also held extensive talks with Palace this summer having missed out on a move to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

According to the Daily Mail, Spurs had initially attempted to agree a deal worth £55m plus add-ons for Eze before accepting Palace’s demands.

The report claims that Richarlison, a £60m signing from Everton three years ago, was even offered by Spurs in an attempt to help negotiations with Palace.

Spurs are now said to be ‘dismayed’ by how events have unfolded but believe they could not have done any more to sign Eze ahead of Arsenal.

Eze had also agreed terms with Spurs but the England international has been holding out for Arsenal to make their move, which came after Arteta’s side were hit by Kai Havertz’s knee injury.

Speaking on Wednesday, Palace manager Oliver Glasner insisted he had no concerns over selecting Eze and Marc Guehi, who is wanted by Liverpool, for their Conference League play-off.

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‘I think it’s also the right of a club and the duty of a player to give 100 per cent as long as he’s under contract,’ Glasner said.

‘On the other side, I know this is the theory. I think many of you were surprised that Marc and Ebs started and played almost the whole game [against Chelsea]. Most of you will be surprised that they will start again tomorrow because of all the rumours, but again they are committed to the team.

‘They have a contract here. They played a crucial part that we could be so successful and they will play a crucial part as long as they are here. When one of the players will leave, which I don’t know at the moment, they want to leave as the players who always give 100 per cent for Crystal Palace.

‘I think the pair of them are great lads and they’re so committed and so professional. I’m sure they’ll keep staying committed throughout and they’re always here to help the team and they’re part of us at the minute, so we’ll keep enjoying it.’

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Eberechi Eze wants to join Arsenal after they launched a stunning 11th-hour bid to sign the Crystal Palace midfielder ahead of rivals Tottenham, according to reports.

Eze has been on Arsenal’s shortlist since the start of the summer, but Mikel Arteta’s side cooled their interest after rewarding youngster Ethan Nwaneri with a new contract.

Tottenham appeared to be closing in on an agreement to sign the England international, with all indications being that a deal would be finalised in the coming days.

However, The Athletic reports that Arsenal have now hijacked Eze’s move to Spurs after an injury to Kai Havertz forced the Gunners to head back into the market.

The pursuit, led by sporting director Andrea Berta, appears to have progressed at a rapid rate, and Arsenal are now said to be close to agreeing on a deal worth over £60m for Eze.

And the midfielder, who grew up an Arsenal fan and played in the club’s academy, is keen to turn his back on Tottenham and, instead, make the move to the Emirates.

Should Eze indeed choose Arsenal, it would represent a hammer blow for Tottenham, who were ready to make the 27-year-old their marquee summer signing for Thomas Frank.

Spurs were already dealt a similar setback earlier in the summer when Morgan Gibbs-White turned his back on a move to north London and instead signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Kota Takai are Spurs’ only permanent signings so far this summer.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have already made noticeable improvements to their attacking options with the signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke.

Despite speculation over his future, Eze trained with the Palace squad on Wednesday and is still expected to play in their Thursday’s Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad.

Palace captain Marc Guehi, who has also been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, will also start the game, according to Oliver Glasner.

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‘Many of you were surprised Marc and Ebs started and played almost the whole game [at Chelsea],’ Glasner said in his pre-match press conference. ‘Most of you will be surprised that they will start again [on Thursday] because of all the rumours.

‘But they are committed to the team, they have a contract here. They played a crucial part that we could be successful and they will play a crucial part as long as they are here.

‘They are good, they are committed to the team. When one of the players will leave they want to leave as the guys who always gave 100 per cent for Crystal Palace.

‘This is what they did since they signed many years ago and this is what we expect from them until the end of their contract, whenever this is.’

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Chelsea failed in an attempt to sign Tottenham’s new £55m ‘top-class’ star Mohammed Kudus earlier this summer, according to reports.

Kudus joined Spurs from West Ham in July and has shined since his switch to north London, conjuring up two assists on his Premier League debut for his new club on Saturday in a 3-0 win over Burnley.

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank has already labelled Kudus’ one-on-one skills and ability to create opportunities as ‘top-class’ following his arrival.

It has now emerged via The Sun that Chelsea saw a player-plus-cash bid for Kudus rejected by West Ham before he moved to Tottenham.

Why did Chelsea miss out on Kudus?

Kudus was said to be ‘high on Chelsea’s list’ and the Ghana international had even agreed personal terms before Spurs hijacked the deal.

Chelsea and West Ham did not strike an agreement with the Blues offering £20m plus Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for Kudus.

The west London club felt Dewsbury-Hall was worth £30m – but West Ham did not agree with their valuation – and only saw him as a £20m player.

Spurs then swooped in with an initial offer of £50m, which eventually went up to £55m after West Ham negotiated a slightly higher price.

Kudus ended up agreeing terms with Spurs and the rest is history as Chelsea eventually sold Dewsbury-Hall to Everton instead for £29m.

Tottenham icon Ledley King says Kudus is a ‘great signing’ for his former club after Chelsea missed out on the player.

‘Mohammed Kudus looks [like] a great signing,’ King told BetMGM. ‘From what I’ve seen, Spurs have signed a very exciting player.

‘I was really impressed with him at West Ham – when Spurs beat them 4-1 at home [last season], he was their best player by quite some margin before he got sent off.

‘He’s one of those players who looks like he can cause problems whenever he gets the ball.

‘Hopefully with a bit of support around him, he can take his game to the next level and help Spurs progress.’

Former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, told football betting site BetVictor: ‘I thought Kudus was very bright [in the Super Cup defeat to PSG].

‘No [James] Maddison for most of the season is a huge blow for the team and for the lad himself, I was gutted for him.

‘Kudus has come in, though, and I think he could be a very, very good addition.’

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Eberechi Eze may be one step closer to joining Tottenham in a £55million transfer as Crystal Palace have reportedly made a bid to sign his replacement.

Having been closely linked with Arsenal all summer, Eze now looks poised to sign for their north London rivals instead, with talks between Spurs and Palace progressing well though a deal is yet to be agreed.

The England international, who scored the winner in last season’s FA Cup final, had a £68m release clause in his contract but it expired last Friday.

The Independent report that Tottenham have offered £55m plus add-ons and the player is keen on the move, but the payment structure of the transfer fee is proving a sticking point.

It is said that the Eagles, who were held to a goalless draw by Chelsea in their Premier League opener on Sunday, want as much money up front as possible and will not sanction Eze’s sale until they have secured his replacement.

Following in Eze’s footsteps will not be easy after the attacking midfielder recorded 14 goals and 11 assists during a historic campaign for Palace last season.

The Eagles have made approaches for two players, namely Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss and Club Brugge forward Christos Tzolis, with The Telegraph now reporting that they have made a €30m (£25.8m) bid for the latter.

It remains to be seen whether the offer is accepted as Brugge value Tzolis at around €40m (£34.5m), with the Greek international signing a new four-year contract over the summer.

The 23-year-old’s previous experience of English football was a disastrous 18-month stint at Norwich City, where he was relegated from the top-flight and would manage just one goal and no assists in 27 Premier League and Championship appearances.

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His form has greatly improved since leaving Carrow Road however, recording 34 goal contributions in just 37 games at Fortuna Dusseldorf before joining Brugge last summer for just €6m (£5.6m)

So far, playing primarily as a left-winger, he has 42 goal contributions for the Belgian giants, including three goals and two assists in seven appearances this season.

Eze started the draw at Chelsea and notably had a stunning free-kick goal ruled out by VAR thanks to a little-known rule.

Unless, significant progress is made in this transfer saga over the next couple of days, the 27-year-old is expected to feature in Palace’s Conference League play-off first-leg against Frederikstad on Thursday night.

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Joe Hart slammed an ‘indefensible’ error from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir after Manchester United’s opening Premier League defeat to Arsenal.

Arsenal, who were potent from set-pieces last season, scored from their first corner of the season after Bayindir flapped at an inswinging delivery from Declan Rice.

Riccardo Calafiori was standing in the six-yard box more out of hope than expectation but was able to nod the ball over the line following Bayindir’s mistake, that came following slight pressure from William Saliva.

Reacting to the goal, ex-England goalkeeper Hart said on BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘I immediately got ready to defend Altay Bayindir, and then I saw the first replay and thought, “I can’t defend him here”…

‘Personally, I like to have my own defender in front of me so I can use him as a shield against an attacker and that’s not the option they’ve gone for.

‘Saliba has done enough, but not done too much. Ideally, he wants to punch that with his right hand. He has got far too involved and got lost and made a bit of a mess with it.

‘It’s not a foul. Bayindir has got to scrap with his left arm to deal with Saliba and jab the ball away with his right.’

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison also criticised ‘weak’ Bayindir after Arsenal broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes at Old Trafford.

Morrison also said United should be looking to sign a new goalkeeper before the summer transfer window closes.

The Red Devils were linked with Emiliano Martinez and Gianluigi Donnarumma earlier in the summer.

But Amorim looked set to keep his faith in Andre Onana for this season, although he then dropped him for the opening game against Arsenal.

‘Altay Bayindir – weak! He’s looking at everyone else to blame,’ Morrison said. ‘Man United have a problem with their goalkeeping.

‘You have to be strong. It is weak goalkeeping. Manchester United need to strengthen their goalkeeper.

‘There are top goalkeepers around that are available and you’re only as good as your goalkeeper.’

Old Trafford legend Gary Neville also suggested his former club needed to invest in a new goalkeeper before the transfer deadline.

‘The goalkeeper has got to be stronger,’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘He will complain that he was fouled.

‘He has a player in front of him, there is a lot of pushing and pulling, but he has to be stronger.

‘I don’t think Saliba has done anything wrong and the ball just goes through Bayindir’s hands and Calafiori is there to profit. It’s going to keep hurting United.’

Onana’s absence against Arsenal was initially thought to be fitness-related but Amorim confirmed the Cameroon international was fit.

‘He’s not injured, he’s recovered… but the other players did well during pre-season, so I have to find a balance,’ he said in his pre-match interview.

‘Next week, it will be a different story. This week, we chose these players.’

Manchester United return to action next weekend with a trip to Fulham, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal play host to Premier League new-boys Leeds United.

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Eberechi Eze is due to start for Crystal Palace at Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, despite strong links over a move to Tottenham.

The England international was reportedly set to be left out of the squad for the trip to Stamford Bridge, but Eagles boss Oliver Glasner will instead have him in his starting XI, reports the Athletic.

While Eze’s involvement in west London clearly means his career at Crystal Palace is not over yet, Spurs continue to push for a move for the 27-year-old.

Arsenal were linked with a move for Eze this summer but have seemingly pulled out of the race, leaving Spurs as hot favourites to land his signature.

Thomas Frank’s side made an encouraging start to the season on Saturday as they hammered Burnley 3-0 and are confident they can bring in Eze to strengthen their squad in a deal worth over £60m.

Palace continue to prepare for the possible departure of Eze by pursuing other options, including an approach to Club Brugge for Christos Tzolis.

Also being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park this summer is centre-back Marc Guehi, who is a target for Premier League champions Liverpool.

Glasner talked up the professionalism of both England stars in his pre-match press conference and, despite reports suggesting otherwise, said he expected both to start on sunday.

‘Marc trained the entire week with us, every single training session. The same with Ebs,’ said the Palace boss on Friday. ‘They have prepared the best way for the Chelsea game on Sunday.

‘I’ve been in football long enough that I know every day, almost every time of the day, that things can happen. But if you ask me now, yes I expect both starting for us on Sunday.

‘(They have) the right mindset. No-one is forced to sign a contract, as soon as you sign a contract stick to it, because you did it voluntarily.

‘Stick to it because this is what you expect from the other party that they stick to their contract. Everyone would be upset if the club says, “We’re not pleased with your performance, we’ll cut your salary by 50 per cent”. Nobody would say, 2OK, thank you I agree”.

‘It is the opposite (with Guehi and Eze). You have rights and duties in a contract so stick to it. This just shows the character and mindset.’

Palace chairman Steve Parish gave a clear hint that club captain Guehi is likely to leave the club this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract.

Speaking after the Eagles beat Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield, Parish said: ‘For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem for us unfortunately.

‘Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham last summer] and we couldn’t afford to lose both. We then had another bid [for Guehi] in January but that was a different situation.

‘We’ll just have to see what happens. But, you know, it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.’

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Tottenham will get a free run at signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace after Arsenal dropped their interest.

Spurs are now increasingly confident of securing the signing of the England international for a fee in excess of £60 million.

Personal terms are already said to have been agreed and the player himself is keen on a move to last season’s Europa League winners.

Palace, for their part, begin their season against Chelsea on Sunday but are expected to omit Eze from their squad.

Indeed, the Eagles are already making plans to replace the 27-year-old and have made contact with Leicester to register their interest in ilal El Khannouss.

Earlier this summer it appeared that Arsenal represented Eze’s No.1 choice and, according to Fabrizio Romano, the attacking midfielder was open to the idea of rejoining the club that discarded him as a teenager.

Arsenal are, however, said to be content with their attacking options as things stand, particularly given Ethan Nwaneri’s decision to sign a new contract.

The teenager enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign last season and has now committed his future to his boyhood club amid speculation he was considering a move to Chelsea.

With the equally exciting Max Dowman also waiting in the wings, Arsenal do not want to block the progress of two of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Hale End Academy.

A sensational scissor kick by Richarlison, meanwhile, ensured Thomas Frank enjoyed a dream start to life with Tottenham in the Premier League as they recorded a 3-0 victory over Burnley.

Frank’s managerial debut for Spurs on Wednesday almost ended with silverware, but Paris St Germain fought back from two down late on to clinch Super Cup success on penalties.

With a lack of creative options due to injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, former Brentford head coach Frank had warned newly-promoted Burnley would pose a stern test and yet a double by Richarlison secured a first league win since April 6.

Richarlison’s second goal in the 60th minute was a superb volley from a Mohammed Kudus cross and Brennan Johnson added another six minutes later on a tough top-flight return for Burnley boss Scott Parker at his old club.

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