Metro.co.uk

Tottenham host Manchester City tonight hoping to inflict more pain on Pep Guardiola’s side.

Spurs secured an emphatic 4-0 win over City at the Etihad last November having knocked them out of the Carabao Cup a month earlier.

Their third meeting of the season comes with some key players back in the Tottenham team after that horrific run of injuries.

Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Brennan Johnsonare all back in the side with light at the tunnel for their remaining absentees.

Dominic Solanke has been absent since the north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a knee problem and will not be ready for the visit of the defending champions tonight with next week’s Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar a more realistic return date.

Micky Van de Ven managed 45 minutes against Elfsborg last month but has not featured since. Postecoglou has insisted the club must exercise caution with the 23-year-old, suggesting he was two to three weeks away from returning when speaking after the win over United.

Cristian Romero meanwhile has managed just 15 minutes of football since November with a hamstring problem keeping him on the sidelines.

Speaking last week, Postecoglou revealed the Argentine was in a ‘good place’ after undergoing a further scan with the manager expecting Solanke,van de Ven and Romero all to be back in the fold for the second leg against PSV.

City meanwhile are sweating on the fitness of Erling Haaland.

The Norway international limped off with a knee injury in the 4-0 victory over Newcastle United but was an unused substitute in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid despite his side being in desperate need of goals on the night.

Haaland was left out of the squad completely on Sunday against Liverpool with Pep Guardiola unsure if he will be ready in time for the trip to the capital.

Haaland was set to undergo a late fitness test following Tuesday’s final training session in Manchester.

John Stones is back on the injured list after he was forced off early in Madrid with Manuel Akanji undergoing thigh surgery that will sideline him until April.

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Man City

Vicario, Spence, Gray, Danso, Udogie, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Bergvall, Johnson, Tel, Son

Predicted Man City XI to face Tottenham

Ederson, Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, Gvardiol, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Savio, de Bruyne, Foden, Marmoush

Where to watch Tottenham vs Man City? Kick-off time and TV channel

Tottenham vs Man City kicks off at 7:30pm on Wednesday 26 February.

The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 3 with a live stream available through the Discovery+ app.

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Tottenham are still dealing with a string of injuries and will be without six players when they host Manchester City on Wednesday night.

Spurs are coming off a hat-trick of Premier League victories over Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town, halting a worrying slide down the table.

Ange Postecoglou’s team will not be happy with 12th in the top flight, where they currently sit, but they are looking upwards again after the trio of wins.

Their injury headaches are easing but are not quite cured and Postecoglou will still be missing six players who were not available at Ipswich.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Australian said: ‘Will be the same squad as the weekend. Everyone who played is good.

‘With the injured guys, all still progressing and over the next 7-10 days we’ll be getting them back.’

Those ‘injured guys’ who are close to a return are Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with all four hoping to play against Bournemouth in the Premier League on 9 March.

Radu Dragusin is also out for an extended period of time due to an ACL injury, while Ben Davies will not play on Wednesday.

The Welsh defender is not in serious trouble, but Postecoglou wants to make sure he is fully fit for the run-in.

He explained: ‘He’s been carrying a knock for a little while and to be fair he’s played through it, but I’ve said before this is a key period and I want as many players in the best possible condition and after this game we have a seven-day break which leads into Europe, league, Europe League and those games are massive for us.

‘I don’t see need to push. He hasn’t re-injured. He’s just been carrying something that I don’t want to push at the moment.’

Timo Werner is an option for the Australian, saying of the German forward: ‘He has trained & is available for tomorrow.’

Postecoglou’s opposite number on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola, also addressed his big injury concern, although could not confirm whether Erling Haaland would be back in the Manchester City side or not.

The Norwegian has missed the recent defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool with a minor knee problem, but has been training.

‘Tonight we will know after training,’ Guardiola said of Haaland. ‘I hope (he will be fit) but I don’t know yet. He feels better but the last two games he could not play. We’ll see tomorrow.’

Asked for his view on Tottenham and specifically their manager, Guardiola said of Postecoglou: ‘I have a high opinion about him. I try to not judge results, you have to see the ideas; sometimes it’s going well, sometimes not much but I have a high, high opinion.

‘A fantastic team, individual quality that they’ve always had, the rhythm they play with, the intensity, incredible runners in transition. But I’ve seen lately they are a little bit more pause in the final third, more extra passes… Results dictate one thing, but my opinion of the team is completely the opposite.’

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Pep Guardiola has provided an injury update on Manchester City striker Erling Haaland ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League trip to Tottenham.

Haaland, who has scored 19 goals across 25 top-flight games this term, was not named in the City squad who lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

The Norway international been struggling with a knee problem, which is also why he was an unused substitute for last week’s 3-1 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid.

After the loss to Liverpool at the Etihad, City boss Guardiola admitted he ‘did not know’ when the 24-year-old would be able to make his return.

Guardiola has now shared a fresh update, stating that Haaland ‘feels better’ and he will make a late call whether or not to use him against Spurs.

‘Tonight (Tuesday) we will know it, after training,’ Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference before the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

‘I hope so, but I don’t know yet… He feels better, but in the last two games he could not play, we’ll see tomorrow (Wednesday).’

Guardiola has been involved in a row with football pundit Jamie Carragher over Haaland’s knee injury, after the former Liverpool defender suggested that the Norwegian was scared of facing Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger.

‘Oh God, did Jamie Carragher say that? Oh God,’ Guardiola said on Saturday. ‘I don’t laugh.

‘I don’t know why it’d be that suspicious. Do you think Erling Haaland didn’t want to play that game?

‘It’s not true. It was crazy to play the game. He had a problem in his knee and he could not play.’

In response, Carragher claimed that his comments were a ‘joke’ as he took aim at a journalist in a social media post.

Carragher wrote on X: ‘It was a joke to wind up Micah Richards as that’s the nature of our show on CBS and you know that @MullockSMirror but you just thought let’s get a big headline for my piece! Typical Sunday papers!!!’

Simon Mullock, the Sunday Mirror’s chief football writer, responded: ‘I’ve watched it again. It doesn’t sound like a joke.

‘For a start, no-one laughed. There was also a number of other reporters in the room. None of them suggested it might have been a joke.’

Meanwhile, Guardiola is expecting an incredibly tough match against Spurs, who are somewhat of a bogey team for the current champions.

Ange Postecoglou’s side smashed City 4-0 when the two sides met in the reverse fixture at the Etihad in November, while Spurs also knocked Guardiola’s team out of this season’s Carabao Cup in the last 16.

Quizzed about Tottenham, Guardiola said: ‘A fantastic team, individual quality that they’ve always had, the rhythm they play with, the intensity, incredible runners in transition.

‘I have a high opinion about him (Postecoglou). I try to not judge results, you have to see the ideas; sometimes it’s going well, sometimes not much but I have a high, high opinion.’

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Tottenham hope to continue their improved run of form and pile more misery on Manchester City on Wednesday.

Since Ange Postecoglou’s passionate defence of his injury-hit side following their FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs have picked up big wins against Manchester United and Ipswich Town to ease some of the pressure on their manager.

The return of some key figures in the starting XI has served as a considerable boost with Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson all back in the side.

Dominic Solanke has been absent since the north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a knee problem and is unlikely to be ready for the visit of the defending champions on Wednesday with next week’s Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar a more realistic return date.

While the injury list has considerably shortened, Spurs could still be without Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero midweek.

Van de Ven managed 45 minutes against Elfsborg last month but has not featured since. Postecoglou has insisted the club must exercise caution with the 23-year-old, suggesting he was two to three weeks away from returning when speaking after the win over United.

Romero meanwhile has managed just 15 minutes of football since November with a hamstring problem keeping him on the sidelines.

Speaking last week, Postecoglou revealed the Argentine was in a ‘good place’ after undergoing a further scan with hope he could also return against Alkmaar next week.

City meanwhile are sweating on the fitness of Erling Haaland.

The Norway international limped off with a knee injury in the 4-0 victory over Newcastle United but was an unused substitute in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid despite his side being in desperate need of goals on the night.

Haaland was left out of the squad completely on Sunday against Liverpool with Pep Guardiola unsure if he will be ready in time for the trip to the capital.

John Stones is back on the injured list after he was forced off early in Madrid with Manuel Akanji undergoing thigh surgery that will sideline him until April.

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Man City

Vicario, Spence, Gray, Danso, Udogie, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Bergvall, Johnson, Tel, Son

Predicted Man City XI to face Tottenham

Ederson, Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, Gvardiol, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Savio, de Bruyne, Foden, Marmoush

Where to watch Tottenham vs Man City? Kick-off time and TV channel

Tottenham vs Man City kicks off at 7:30pm on Wednesday 26 February.

The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 3 with a live stream available through the Discovery+ app.

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Pep Guardiola admits that he does not know when Erling Haaland will be available again, but hopes that he will play on Wednesday when Manchester City travel to take on Tottenham Hotspur.

The Norwegian sat on the bench last week as City were beaten 3-1 at Real Madrid and then was not involved in the squad at all on Sunday as they lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool.

It was a nightmare week for Guardiola and his team, although they do still sit fourth in the Premier League so a return to the Champions League remains in their own hands.

The manager will want to have his star striker available again as soon as possible, but says he is somewhat in the dark over when that will be.

Haaland picked up a knock to his knee in the win over Newcastle on 15 February, but despite scans not showing any serious injury, the forward has said he is not able to play.

On when he will return, Guardiola said: ‘I don’t know. I would like to know but I don’t know.

‘His knee – the moment against Newcastle moved the knee. Apparently he’s not injured because the scans dictate that he’s fine but he didn’t feel fine.

‘I have the feeling it will be soon because he trained yesterday [Saturday] and made some really good movements but he said he was not ready and we have to respect that. Hopefully he can be back for Spurs and the next games to help us.’

He added after the loss to the Reds: ‘I don’t know [if he’s back against Spurs] I am not saying we didn’t get the result because Erling was not there. That is unfair on the other players. We could finish more but in general it is fine.’

Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai scored the goals at the Etihad on Sunday as Liverpool went 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Manchester City are 20 points behind them and have long been out of the title race, but are battling to return to the Champions League next campaign after being dumped out by Real Madrid.

Guardiola suggests the complete contrast in seasons between Liverpool and his team is at least partly down to injuries.

‘I don’t know what would have happened if everyone was here,’ Guardiola said. ‘I don’t know if Liverpool would be able to win the Premier League. They are a fantastic team and they are similar in details.

‘They have had no injuries and that is why they could be a stable team and we could not do it. And it is what it is. You cannot achieve what you want all the time. I know how difficult it will be to qualify for the Champions League. I am really pleased with how we have behaved against Newcastle and today.

‘Of course, with Erling we are a better team. With Rodri we are a better team. With John Stones and Akanji we are a better team and for many reasons with other players we are a better team.’

Reds boss Arne Slot is insistent that the title race is not yet over, saying in other leagues it may have been, but not the Premier League.

‘In every other league having a lead like this would be very comfortable, except for this one because this league every single game gives you a lot of challenges,’ he said.

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Arsenal fans have trolled Tottenham over a secret email their rivals reportedly sent to Premier League broadcasters over a name change.

The Athletic claimed on Friday that they’ve seen an email Spurs sent on February 10, outlining how they wish to be referenced going forward.

The email, believed to be titled ‘Tottenham Hotspur Naming Update’, explained how Tottenham no longer wish to be called simply ‘Tottenham’ on any Premier League broadcasts.

They have requested to either be called by their full name – ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ – or simply ‘Spurs’, which is the north London club’s nickname.

Arsenal fans have poked fun at Spurs on social media after the news emerged, particularly on Reddit.

‘I can understand that,’ @varro-reatinus posted. ‘The name is synonymous with ‘s**t’.’

‘I’ll do my part by continuing to call them s**t,’ a second Arsenal fan, @OdegaardsLeftFoot, said.

@SantosFurie89 added: ‘Swirling down their toilet bowl stadium.. At least American football fans have some history of success at that venue.’

‘Should have thought about that before they named themselves Tottenham then, shouldn’t they,’ @ICanSeeYourFuture posted.

Spurs are massively struggling in the Premier League this season amid an injury crisis, with the club currently sat 12th in the top-flight ahead of their trip to Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The north Londoners, who haven’t landed a major trophy since 2008, are already out of the FA Cup having lost to Aston Villa in the fourth round.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were on the verge of reaching this season’s Carabao Cup final, having beaten Liverpool in the first leg of their semi-final, but lost the second leg 4-0 earlier this month to exit the competition.

Former Liverpool defender and football pundit Jamie Carragher ripped Spurs to shreds after that particular match.

Speaking in the Sky Sports studio after the full-time whistle, Carragher said: ‘It was never in doubt before the game. It’s Tottenham.

‘When do Tottenham ever win a big game? When do Tottenham ever go anywhere and surprise you and win against the odds? It’s not just this Spurs team. They never shock you and do something out of the ordinary.’

Spurs’ last chance of silverware this term is in the Europa League, with Postecoglou’s team set to face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the last 16 after the draw was made on Friday.

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Louis Saha has urged Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim to consider signing Paul Pogba.

The Red Devils are in the midst of a mounting injury crisis that forced their beleagured manager to load his substitutes’ bench with untested teenagers against Tottenham on Sunday.

Amad Diallo was, perhaps, the most high-profile absentee against Spurs after he sustained an ankle injury in training that will keep him sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Ivory Coast interatnational was joined on the treatment table by Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer, while Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen were ill.

Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount are also long-term absentees depriving Amorim of much needed experience and Premier League nous.

Pogba, meanwhile, is currently a free agent after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract at Juventus last year.

The France international, who left United in the summer of 2022, was handed a doping ban in February last year, with his four-year suspension cut to 18 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted his argument that he did not intentionally ingest a banned substance.

Saha’s former teammate Rio Ferdinand suggested earlier this month that Amorim should invite Pogba to train with the first team but the former France international striker believes Erik ten Hag’s successor should go a step further.

‘Yes, I would take Paul Pogba back at Manchester United in a heartbeat,’ Saha told Best Betting Sites.

‘It’s not only because of the squad that we have now with injuries and all that, but for all the elements that he brings as a player.

‘We need guarantees, we need quality, we need confidence, we need leadership, and this guy now has an opportunity to show how much he wants it.

‘Pogba can show he has the ability to be one of the best in the league in this position, especially with the motivation and the focus that he has to understand where he can improve and what parts of his game he needs to adapt.

‘Pogba has to focus on himself and think, all those things that I’ve done in the past, I should not do anymore. It’s an opportunity to sign someone who is highly motivated.

‘He’s going to obviously still have huge confidence about his ability. I’m sure that when he looks at this midfield at United, he has a different type of vibe in his game. So definitely it’s an easy fit.

‘I think that he will communicate with the manager. He would be humble after the situation. He’s been injured; he’s been banned. I’m sure Pogba wants the visibility.

‘He wants to go back to a French team as soon as possible, so he just needs to pick the right project. For him to get back into the national team, he needs to show that he can still do it at the top level.

‘United would be signing a player that is completely dedicated and focussed on achieving his goals, because he’s been out of the game for so long.

‘I’m sure that the most important thing for Pogba would be to show Amorim and the Manchester United fans that he is still one of the best players in the world. He will want to show people how good he was and how good it can still be.

‘I think it’s a nice opportunity for the club and the player.’

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Mario Melchiot says Ruben Amorim is faced with a ‘big problem’ at Manchester United, with ‘incredible’ players like Alejandro Garnacho appearing ‘lost’ since he took charge.

Amorim has found himself under mounting pressure at Old Trafford in recent weeks having failed to steady the ship since taking over the reins from Erik ten Hag back in November.

Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ange Postecoglou’s depleted Tottenham side, United’s eighth loss in the Premier League under Amorim, left the club stranded down in 15th place, just 12 points above the relegation zone.

While there has been no sign of a so-called new-manager bounce, though, it’s understood Amorim’s job is not under threat and the Portuguese has repeatedly underlined that he is not concerned for his future.

‘I am not worried,’ Amorim told the BBC following the Red Devils’ latest loss to Spurs.

‘I understand our fans, what the media think about it. I hate to lose, that feeling is the worst.

‘The rest I am not thinking about. I am here to help my players. I understand my situation, my job, I am confident on my work and I just want to win games.’

Outwardly at least, Amorim remains confident he has the backing of United bosses. However, the former Sporting head coach will be under no illusions that another defeat away to struggling Everton this weekend would be nothing short of catastrophic.

‘I think when Erik ten Hag watches it he will be thinking, “This is the same thing I was going through”,’ ex-Chelsea and Netherlands defender Melchiot told ESPN.

‘One of the key things with Amorim is he comes there and with your background and where you come from, your team was at a certain level but it was clearly not the level where you are right now.

‘So how he brings it across, in the sense of, “No, we have to finish the season and then look at next season…”.

‘But this is Manchester United, people don’t think and people don’t talk like that.

‘Him saying that is definitely going to cause friction with some people because fans and the expectation… they will be thinking, “Are you thinking it’s normal for us to be in this situation? Are you going to help us get out of it?”… you don’t want them to start getting on your back for that reason.’

While Melchiot has some sympathy for Amorim, he criticised the United boss for leaving his defence completely ‘exposed’ with his team selection against Tottenham.

‘I do understand what he’s talking about because most of the team is not built by him,’ he continued.

‘You can see the situation he was in, he put some many young kids on the bench [against Tottenham]. There was one experienced player on it and Casemiro had to start again.

‘But one of the things I don’t understand: if Casemiro starts in your team and [Bruno] Fernandes is your midfielder, you know he wants to go forward. He was kind of disciplined he did a lot of hard work.

‘But I ask myself why don’t you start holding it really tight. No, he exposed the team because he’s looking for the switch.

‘What I’m asking him now is to be careful. Don’t expose your team to be too creative because at this point you don’t have the players to do that.’

According to Melchiot, there appears to be a worrying lack of confidence within United’s squad with Amorim at the helm and the decline in form of a player of Garnacho’s undoubted quality is a serious concern.

‘One advantage he has is that the players he has there are not his hand. We have to remember, he wanted the job later and he got the job earlier,’ he added.

‘Okay, he got the job earlier because there was no choice anymore. But he knows now that it was an even bigger surprise than it was before.

‘The confidence is so low in that team. We have to remember that before he came in, one of the kids, for example, Garnacho, was incredible. Look at him now… he looks lost!

‘I don’t see the kid that can hurt a defender, can dribble at him, take him on.

‘If I look at [Rasmus] Hojlund… he works really hard but where are the goals going to come from? Sometimes I say to myself: let my striker work less so he has more energy to score for me.

‘Those things are not at Manchester United, they’re not dangerous, they don’t create anything so that’s why they have a big problem.’

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Ruben Amorim predicted a storm was coming. Surely even he didn’t think it would be quite this bad.

Sunday’s insipid display at Tottenham was another black mark on a season that has already spiralled out of control. It leaves United slumped in 15th place, 12 points clear of the bottom three with 13 games of a season they can’t wait to finish remaining.

While it has been 12 years since their last triumph, United remain the most successful side of the Premier League era and are one of just six teams to never have been relegated since the competition was launched in 1992. You have to go back 50 years for the last time they were dumped out of the English top flight.

But things are bleaker than ever. The R word was first floated by Ruben Amorim in January following a run of three consecutive defeats to Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle United over the festive period. His side responded with a hard-fought draw away to Liverpool before knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup.

United have collected four points in the league since then, largely outplayed by bottom side Southampton before Amad Diallo came to the rescue. A victory away to Fulham followed, courtesy of a deflected Lisandro Martinez strike.

Two more home defeats to Brighton and Crystal Palace leading up to Sunday’s disaster at Tottenham stamped out any renewed optimism.

There are 12 defeats on the board and even for the most blindly optimistic fan, there will be more to come. 12 losses from their first 25 matches of a league campaign is their most since the 1973/74 season – which ended in them being relegated.

It’s a worrying omen and with no sign of anything resembling a turnaround, talk of relegation will have to be taken seriously if it isn’t already.

A couple of wins would of course ease those concerns and leave United on track for what must be now regarded as a best-case scenario – mid-table obscurity with some deep runs in the FA Cup and Europa League.

But a fresh injury crisis threatens to complicate an already dire situation. Amad Diallo, at the heart of everything good to emerge from this season, will have no further role to play. Lisandro Martinez is also out for the rest of the campaign with Luke Shaw and Mason Mount’s returns still uncertain.

Kobbie Mainoo, enduring a difficult second campaign in the first-team, is expected to be sidelined for six weeks. Eight teenagers were named on the bench on Sunday with just one senior appearance between them ahead of kick-off.

United’s options up top are threadbare and woefully out of form – Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho have mustered just one goal between them in 2025. Former United striker Dimitar Berbatov described United’s two strikers as being ‘lost’ in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, ‘wasting all their energy’ in the set-up that has not yielded the success it did at Sporting Lisbon for the head coach.

United’s saving grace may be that the sides below them are perhaps close to being cut adrift with a 12-point swing to overturn. Ipswich and Leicester sit on 17 points with Southampton seemingly doomed on nine. West Ham and Wolves make up the bottom six.

Even by this season’s dreadful standards, it would require an almighty capitulation for United to be scrapping for their lives come April and May.

Since the Premier League switched to a 38-game format in 1995, an average of 35.6 points has been needed to beat the drop. Forest survived last season with 32.

On 29 points, United could pull clear with a couple of wins. But on this season’s evidence, plotting where those victories might come is not straight forward.

On Saturday, they head to Goodison Park where David Moyes has hauled Everton from 16th place – one point above the bottom three – to above United and into the lofty heights of 14th with four wins in six matches.

Following that, United host Ipswich under the lights at Old Trafford midweek. Another calamitous night at home then and alarm bells will well and truly be ringing.

While their destiny remains firmly in their own hands, the situation needs to be accepted for what it really is.

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