Sports Mole

Tottenham Hotspur could be without up to eight players for Saturday lunchtime’s Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

James Maddison, who scored twice for Spurs in a 4-0 win at the Etihad last season, is ruled out with a long-term ACL injury and is joined on the sidelines by Radu Dragusin (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Gil (both knee), Manor Solomon (calf) and Kota Takai (foot).

Yves Bissouma (unspecified) and Destiny Udogie (knee) both missed the 3-0 opening win over Burnley last weekend due to injury, but both players could be fit to return to the matchday squad on Saturday and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

New head coach Thomas Frank started with a back four against Burnley, but he may be tempted to switch to a five-man defence against Man City, including Pedro Porro and Djed Spence as wing-backs. Kevin Danso, meanwhile, could be recalled to partner captain Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven at centre-back, protecting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Rodrigo Bentancur will hope to return to the starting lineup in centre-midfield to play alongside summer signing Joao Palhinha, while Pape Sarr could operate in an advanced role alongside new recruit Mohammed Kudus.

Kudus provided two assists on his debut against Burnley for Richarlison, who should continue to lead the line despite the return to fitness of fellow striker Dominic Solanke, while Brennan Johnson is another attacking option who also netted against Burnley, but he could be one sacrificed if Frank switches to a back five.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup: Vicario; Danso, Romero, Van de Ven; Porro, Bentancur, Palhinha, Spence; Sarr, Kudus; Richarlison

> Click here to see how Manchester City could line up for this contest

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Pep Guardiola is likely to be without at least five players for Saturday lunchtime’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium.

While Mateo Kovacic and Kalvin Phillips continue to recover from Achilles surgery, Spurs-linked Savinho missed City’s impressive 4-0 opening win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend due to an unspecified injury and is facing a few weeks on the sidelines amidst uncertainty over his future.

Rodri (groin), Ederson (illness), Phil Foden (ankle) and Josko Gvardiol (knock) have all taken part in team training this week after missing the win at Molineux. Rodri is unlikely to feature against Spurs, though, as he continues to gradually build up his fitness, while Ederson has been linked with a summer exit and new signing James Trafford may therefore retain his place between the sticks.

Guardiola will weigh up whether to recall Gvardiol in defence or stick with summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri at left-back, with Ruben Dias and John Stones potentially retaining their centre-back partnership as Matheus Nuns pushes Rico Lewis for a start at right-back.

Nico Gonzalez picked up a minor arm injury in the win at Wolves, but he has trained throughout this week and is fit to keep his place in midfield alongside captain Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders, who scored and provided an assists during a superb man-of-the-match display on his PL debut last weekend.

Should Reijnders be given licence to roam forward once again, Foden may be forced to battle with Oscar Bobb - another impressive performer against Wolves - for a start on the right flank, while Omar Marmoush will hope to take the place of Jeremy Doku on the left.

Rayan Cherki will also be pushing to make his full Premier League debut after scoring as a substitute against Wolves, but he may have to settle for a place on the bench once again to begin win, while Erling Haaland is expected to lead the line after increasing his PL goal tally to 87 in 98 games for City by netting a brace at Molineux.

Manchester City possible starting lineup: Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, Gonzalez; Bobb, Reijnders, Marmoush; Haaland

> Click here to see how Tottenham Hotspur could line up for this contest

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Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday lunchtime seeking to build on their opening-weekend victories in the 2025-26 Premier League.

While the Citizens eased to a 4-0 away win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Spurs kick-started life under new head coach Thomas Frank with a 3-0 home success over Burnley.

Match preview

Just over six weeks after suffering a surprise early exit at the FIFA Club World Cup to Al-Hilal, Man City began the new Premier League season with a statement victory at Molineux and had one of their new summer signings in particular to thank.

Indeed, midfield maestro Tijjani Reijnders grabbed the headlines as he scored and assisted during a superb man-of-the-match display on his debut in English football, while Erling Haaland made the net ripple twice and Rayan Cherki - another new recruit - added a fourth to secure City’s second-largest opening day win in the division after a 5-0 success over West Ham United in August 2019.

Despite watching his Citizens side win in dominant fashion and show promising signs of a revival following a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, manager Pep Guardiola has reiterated that the size of his squad is “not healthy” and “it will be difficult to sustain the vibe of the team” if it is not trimmed in the remaining days of the transfer window.

Sitting top of the Premier League table on goal different - albeit after only one match - Man City have picked up from where they left off towards the end of last season and have accumulated more points than any other top-flight team since the start of April (26). They are also the only ever-present team to remain unbeaten (W8 D2), boast the most clean sheets (seven) and have faced the fewest shots per game (7.6) of any side in the division in that time.

Man City’s recent record against Tottenham leaves a lot to be desired, though, as they have won only four of their last 12 Premier League meetings with the North Londoners (D2 L6). Guardiola, meanwhile, has lost nine times against Spurs across all competitions in his managerial career, only losing more against Liverpool (10).

Just three days after watching his side suffer a late collapse and lose on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, Thomas Frank made the “dream start” as Tottenham boss in the Premier League last weekend when the Lilywhites secured a convincing three-goal win at home to newly-promoted Burnley.

A rejuvenated Richarlison scored either side of half time, including a stunning bicycle kick, and both goals were assisted by new signing Mohammed Kudus, before last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson added a third to seal Spurs’ joint-biggest opening day victory in Premier League history, alongside their 4-1 success over Southampton in 2022-23.

Frank and co are understandably in high spirits, though some Spurs supporters have been left disappointed by the news earlier this week that North London rivals Arsenal have hijacked their move for Eberechi Eze. Frank has confirmed that Spurs are “definitely in the market” for new players, with Man City’s Savinho believed to be one of their leading targets.

Tottenham head into Saturday’s clash with Man City seeking to win their first two Premier League matches in a season for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign and will also be bidding to end a run of 11 games without a top-flight victory against non-newly promoted teams (D2 L9) which began in February.

Following their surprise 4-0 victory in their last visit to the Etihad Stadium in November last year, Spurs are looking to claim consecutive away wins against Man City for the first time since 2010 - the Lilywhites have won two of their last four Premier League trips to the Etihad (D1 L1), more than they managed in their previous 11 visits combined (D2 L8).

Manchester City Premier League form:

W

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

W

Team News

Man City will be without injured trio Mateo Kovacic, Kalvin Phillips (both Achilles) and Savinho (unspecified) due to injury, while Rodri (groin), Ederson (illness), Phil Foden (ankle) and Josko Gvardiol (knock) have all taken part in training this week after missing the win at Wolves and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Both Rodri and Ederson - who has been linked with an exit - are unlikely to feature, though, and James Trafford could retain his spot in goal at the expense of the latter after keeping a clean sheet on his debut last time out.

Guardiola will weigh up whether to recall Gvardiol at left-back or centre-back in place of Rayan Ait-Nouri or John Stones, while a midfield trio of Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Reijnders could remain intact - Reijnders is bidding to become the first Man City player to score and assist in his first two PL appearances.

Should Reijnders be given licence to roam forward once again, Foden may be forced to battle with Oscar Bobb for a start on the right flank, while Erling Haaland - who has scored 48 goals in 48 PL home games for the Citizens - is expected to lead the line.

As for Tottenham, James Maddison (ACL) - who scored twice for Spurs in the 4-0 win at the Etihad last season - Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Gil (all knee) Manor Solomon (calf) and Kota Takai (foot) are all sidelined due to injury.

Yves Bissouma (unspecified) and Destiny Udogie (knee) both missed the win over Burnley due to injury, but both players could be fit to return to the matchday squad this weekend and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

After using a back four against Burnley, Frank will consider switching to a five-man defence against Man City, with Kevin Danso in contention to start alongside Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven at centre-back, while Pedro Porro and Djed Spence could be deployed as wing-backs.

Rodrigo Bentancur will be pushing for a recall in centre-midfield where both Joao Palhinha and Pape Sarr are likely to continue, while Kudus and Richarlison are expected to retain their partnership in attack. Johnson is another attacking option, but he could be one sacrificed if Frank switches to a back five.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Trafford; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, Gonzalez; Bobb, Reijnders, Marmoush; Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Danso, Romero, Van de Ven; Porro, Bentancur, Palhinha, Spence; Sar, Kudus; Richarlison

We say: Manchester City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

The last four Premier League meetings between Man City and Tottenham at the Etihad have produced 21 goals (nine for Man City, 12 for Spurs) and the away side have netted at least twice in each of those, so an entertaining, end-to-end contest could well be in store once again this weekend.

Spurs certainly have the tools to cause Man City problems and have a manager in Frank who has previously guided his former club Brentford to victory at the Etihad. However, Guardiola’s men sent out a statement to the rest of the league with their impressive win at Wolves and they should have enough to edge past the visitors on home soil.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified two transfer targets as alternatives to Eberechi Eze and Savinho.

Thomas Frank’s side looked set to complete a big-money move for Crystal Palace star Eze earlier this week after reports emerged claiming that they had reached an agreement to sign the 27-year-old.

However, Eze is now bound for North London rivals Arsenal, with the England international’s medical set to take place on Friday ahead of finalising a £67.5m transfer to the Emirates Stadium.

Spurs have also held a strong interest in Manchester City winger Savinho and failed with an opening offer worth in the region of €50m (£43.3m) earlier this month.

The Sun claims that Spurs have decided to launch a club-record £69m bid for the 21-year-old Brazil international, but Man City are reluctant to sell a player they signed just 12 months ago for an initial £21m.

Spurs hoping to bolster attack before transfer deadline

Journalist Fabrizio Romano claim that Tottenham are pushing again for Savinho who is admired by Frank, but Man City’s hierarchy are blocking the move as they want to keep the winger.

Tottenham are keen to reinforce their attacking options before the September 1 deadline as they are currently having to cope without injured duo James Maddison and Dean Kulusevski, the former of whom is facing a lengthy spell out with an ACL injury picked up in pre-season.

With Spurs left frustrated in their attempts to sign Eze and Savinho, the Daily Mail reports that Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Como’s Nico Paz are both on a shortlist of possible alternatives.

Both Akliouche and Paz are considered more as like-for-like alternatives to Eze in comparison to Savinho, who is said to have always been a separate target to Eze with a different tactical profile.

Akliouche, Paz added to Tottenham’s transfer shortlist

Akliouche has attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs this summer including Man City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest after excelling for Monaco last season, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 43 games across all competitions last season.

The 23-year-old, who won a Silver Medal with France at the 2024 Olympics, scored in Monaco’s 3-1 victory over Le Havre in their opening Ligue 1 fixture of the new season last weekend, and he is believed to be valued at around £45m, with his contract expiring in June 2028.

Like Akliouche, Como star Paz has three years remaining on his deal, although his economic rights are said to be part-owned by Real Madrid who sold him to the Italian outfit last year.

The 20-year-old Tenerife-born playmaker has been capped three times by Argentina and contributed with six goals and nine assists in 35 Serie A appearances for Como last season.

Tottenham Hotspur have been forced back into the transfer market after being spectacularly outmanoeuvred by Arsenal in a last-minute swoop for Eberechi Eze, leaving Thomas Frank’s side needing to reassess their plans and secure an alternative attacking option capable of providing creativity, vision and technical quality in the advanced midfield role.Â

The Lilywhites had been actively pursuing creative midfielders throughout the summer, with Mohammed Kudus joining the club while a move for Morgan Gibbs-White ultimately collapsed as the player signed a new contract at Nottingham Forest, and their need for attacking reinforcements was only intensified when James Maddison was ruled out for much of the season with an ACL injury.Â

Eze appeared to be on the verge of joining Tottenham, but the 27-year-old has snubbed Spurs after a late move from Arsenal, leaving Frank's side needing to identify an alternative target to slot into the attacking midfield position, and here, Sports Mole takes a look at three exciting options that the club could now pursue.

Tyler Dibling (Southampton)

Despite playing for a dismal Southampton side, Dibling emerged as one of England's most exciting attacking prospects in 2024-25, impressing with his combination of direct dribbling, physical prowess and ability to receive and deliver passes in high-pressure situations.Â

His performances for the Saints last season earned plenty of interest heading into the summer window, with a whole host of top-flight clubs looking at adding the 19-year-old talent to their attacking roster, and Spurs could be the latest to knock of Southampton's door.Â

Dibling's ability to play from the right or through the middle could make him an ideal squad option for Frank, able to rotate with Kudus and Dejan Kulusesvski, while he also has the potential to develop and grow into one of the top attacking talents in the coming seasons.Â

Southampton reportedly want around £50m for the attacking midfielder's signature, and with the likes of Everton and Crystal Palace supposedly in talks regarding a deal, Spurs will have to move fast if they want to avoid missing out on another transfer target.

Maghnes Akliouche (AS Monaco)

After failing to reach an agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of Savinho earlier in the window, Tottenham shifted their attention to Monaco's Akliouche, and their interest is expected to grow following Eze's move to the club being scuppered by Arsenal.

Akliouche first drew attention after registering eight goals and four assists in 31 appearances for Monaco in 2023-24, and the attacking midfielder only heightened interest with a superb campaign in 2024-25, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 43 matches across all competitions.

Akliouche's 10 assists in Ligue 1 last season was only bettered by Rayan Cherki (11) and Gaetan Perrin (11), showing his impressive creative ability in the final third, while his standout attributes are his close control and ability to dribble past players in tight spaces.Â

The left-footed forward is similarly capable of playing from the right wing or in more central areas of the pitch, and Monaco are reportedly asking for around £45 million for Akliouche's services.

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

After Eze's move to Arsenal was reported late last night, Tottenham supposedly reached out to several alternative targets, with some reports indicating the club have shown an ambitious interest in Aston Villa's Rogers.

Rogers would provide a different kind of profile to Dibling and Akliouche, being a right-footed player that can play anywhere across the attacking midfield three, though his best position is thought to be playing just behind the striker, where he struck up a prolific relationship with Ollie Watkins last season.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Villans in 2024-25, registering 14 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, including a notable eight goals and 10 assists in the Premier League - only Anthony Elanga (11), Jacob Murphy (12) and Mohamed Salah (18) managed more assists.

While those performances caught the eye of a number of elite sides across Europe, any deal for the England international is anticipated to be extremely difficult due to Aston Villa's firm stance on keeping the highly-rated attacking midfielder at the club.

However, it has been reported that Tottenham are extremely interested in what has been described as their dream transfer, and with money to spend following their failed move for Eze, Spurs may now focus on a move for the Premier League-proven sensation.

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Manchester City must prepare for a “real challenge” in Saturday’s Premier League contest against a Tottenham Hotspur side who could compete at the top end of the table this season, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

Both teams enter this fixture after picking up maximum points in their opening games of the 2025-26 season, with Man City easing to a 4-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Spurs kick-starting life under new head coach Thomas Frank with a 3-0 home win over Burnley.

McInerney was so impressed with Man City’s performance at Molineux last weekend that he has backed Pep Guardiola’s side to win the Premier League title at this early stage if they can come through a run of difficult fixtures on the horizon against Spurs, Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Success against Spurs has been hard to come by for Man City in recent years, though, as they have won eight, lost eight and drawn two of their last 18 encounters with the North Londoners across all competitions.

There has been a lot of change at both clubs since they last butted heads at the Etihad Stadium in November last year when Tottenham stunned the former Premier League champions with an emphatic 4-0 victory under Ange Postecoglou.

James Maddison, who scored twice in that match, will not be able reproduce the same heroics in Saturday's lunchtime kickoff on the blue side of Manchester, as he is sidelined with a long-term injury, but McInerney believes that Spurs still have plenty of talent in their squad that could cause problems for the Citizens once again.

Man City warned of Tottenham “talent” ahead of “tricky” test

“I'm glad Mans City are at home. I think if we were away at Spurs earlier on, I would not have fancied that at all,” McInerney told Sports Mole. “Despite all the positivity of the Wolves game, it's Spurs and they’re such a tricky, aggressive side.

“This Spurs side have got an awful lot going for them and I do have them as an outside bet to challenge for the highest spots in the table this season after the disaster last year.

“I think they're going to play aggressively and be much more organised than they were last season, because Thomas Frank is a cracking manager, so this is going to be a real challenge.”

McInerney added: “There's talent all over the pitch. The creativity out wide from the full-backs [Djed] Spence and [Pedro] Porro was great (against Burnley). [Cristian] Romero and [Micky] Van de Ven is a really good (centre-back) partnership. [Guglielmo] Vicario is a good keeper.

“[Pape Matar] Sarr, [Archie] Gray, [Lucas] Bergvall are good midfielders. The forward line; Brendan Johnson has been scoring goals regularly for a while now for Spurs. [Mohammed] Kudus, a big signing who’s delivered. Richarlison is an established Brazilian number nine.

“Then you look at the bench and [Frank’s] options there as well: Mathys Tel, [Wilson] Odebert, [Joao] Palhinha, [Dominic] Solanke, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, and the players, of course, that are missing. You’ve got to take Spurs seriously this year. They're going to cause an awful lot of trouble for an awful lot of sides.”

‘Spurs could be a massive banana skin for Man City’

Although Spurs could prove to be a “massive banana skin” for Man City this weekend, McInerney remains hopeful that Guardiola’s side will have enough quality to get the better of Frank’s side on home soil.

“Both sides are quite direct and aggressive. I think City might just have a little bit more quality than Spurs, but I expect them to concede the first goal,” he added.

“I am pretty confident in this City side, because it's at home, but it's going to be a real challenge, and it could be a massive banana skin for Manchester City. We could slip up in this game and I wouldn't be surprised if we did, because they have so much talent.

“I'm hoping City's quality at home will be enough to win. Spurs are very much a work in progress still as well under Frank, but I'm not expecting it to be easy.

“It’s always a game early on (in a new season) when City drop some points, be it a draw or something like that. We normally get a decent win at the start, but then we draw the second or third game because things are still very much in transition with the new ideas, and this could be that one, but we'll see.

“I'll go for a City win. 3-1. We're probably going to concede, but I think the quality that City have got will ultimately prove too much, hopefully.”

Nunes to replace Lewis in Guardiola’s lineup for Spurs clash

McInnerney does not expect Guardiola to make too many changes to the Man City side that beat Wolves, with summer signing Tijjani Reijnders set to continue in midfield alongside Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez following a superb man-of-the-match display on his debut.

However, McInerney has tipped Matheus Nunes to be recalled at right-back at the expense of Rico Lewis to provide a greater physical presence in Guardiola’s backline against a “very aggressive” Spurs outfit.

“I think it'll be similar [starting lineup, but] there'll be some changes, I'm almost certain,” he said. “I think Guardiola will probably play Reijnders, Bernardo and Nico Gonzalez. They might get the nod again. I can't see [Ilkay] Gundogan coming in for this one.

“I think Nico Gonzalez was really good (against Wolves). There were implications that it was a positional thing last season for him. Guardiola thought he was good, but it wasn't quite the tempo that he wanted from number six, and he looked a lot better. He had a lot more control and he was positionally so much more assured, and physically better as well than last season.

“I can't really see changes in midfield, because it worked. You had the creativity and the running of Reijnders, the power and the running of Nico Gonzalez as well as Bernardo's experience. It's a balanced midfield, so I think they'll probably stick to that because it complements the way that City are playing.

“I think we'll probably see Nunes. That's one change we might see because Nunes is a powerful runner and Spurs are very aggressive, so it could be Nunes (who comes in for Lewis at right-back). I think Guardiola will probably push on with a reasonably similar side.”

McInerney has also shared his thoughts on Omar Marmoush replacing Jeremy Doku on the left flank and John Stones retaining his starting spot on central defence ahead of Josko Gvardiol, who has returned to training this week after he was not fully fit to play against Wolves.

> Click this link to view and listen to the full discussion

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Arsenal have reportedly beaten Tottenham Hotspur to the signing of Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze.Â

Spurs have been working on a deal to recruit the Palace star after James Maddison sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season.

A recent report claimed that Eze had reached an agreement with Tottenham, leaving it up to the two clubs to negotiate the transfer.

However, Spurs have struggled to find a swift resolution in talks with the Eagles, opening the door for their bitter rivals, Arsenal, to make a hijack attempt.

Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that Arsenal were on the brink of an agreement with Palace over a transfer for the 27-year-old.Â

Arsenal reach agreement over Eze transfer

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, there is now a 'verbal agreement' in place between all parties for Eze to join Mikel Arteta's side.Â

The Eagles have negotiated a deal worth over £60m for a player who has entered the final two years of his contract.Â

Eze has made it clear that he would prefer to head to the Emirates Stadium instead of completing a move to Arsenal's North London rivals.Â

The news will come as a bitter blow to Tottenham, who have failed to finalise the transfer despite being in advanced discussions for a number of days.

They will now have to look elsewhere in their quest to strengthen Thomas Frank's attacking options before the summer transfer deadline.

Why are Arsenal keen to sign Eze?Â

Arsenal have acted quickly to finalise a deal for Eze following the news that Havertz has picked up a knee injury.Â

The Gunners are still waiting to establish the full extent of Havertz's injury, but they are seemingly concerned that he could be out for an extended period.Â

Eze may not be seen as a natural replacement, considering Havertz tends to operate as a centre-forward in Arteta's side.

However, he will add extra quality in the final third and will be a versatile option due to his ability to play as an attacking midfielder and off the left flank when required.Â

Eze will also arrive in a confident mood after scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 competitive appearances last term.Â

The former QPR man will surely be excited by the opportunity to play Champions League football for the first time in his career.Â

Arsenal are reportedly close to hijacking Tottenham Hotspur's move for Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze in an astonishing late transfer twist.

The 27-year-old appeared to be on the way to the home of the Europa League champions, who agreed a deal in principle with the Eagles after the Gunners initially failed to formalise their interest.

Spurs are also thought to have received an indication that Eze was open to joining the club after Thomas Frank lost James Maddison to a serious ACL injury, which could keep the England international out for the rest of the season.

However, a full agreement between Spurs and Palace - and between the player and the club - was yet to be reached, as the Eagles insisted on having Eze available for Thursday's Conference League qualifying playoff first leg with Fredrikstad.

In the meantime, Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz has been sidelined with a knee injury of unspecified severity, triggering their pursuit of another attacker before the transfer deadline, and they have apparently now got one over their most bitter rivals.

Arsenal 'close in' on Eze transfer as 'total package' revealed

According to The Athletic, Arsenal are now closing in on a deal to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates Stadium after 'making their move' for the player earlier on Wednesday.

Eze - who previously spent time in the Gunners' academy ranks before being released - is also understood to be keen on a return to the Gunners, and Tottenham now have 'little option' but to search for alternative attacking targets.

A successful Arsenal hijack for the former Queens Park Rangers youngster would represent another high-profile transfer failure for Spurs this summer, after the Lilywhites saw former top target Morgan Gibbs-White sign a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

The report adds that Arsenal have 'indicated a willingness' to meet Palace's financial demands, and additional information from John Percy claims that the 'total package' for the Palace man will come in at over £60m.

Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta is said to have been spearheading the club's pursuit of Eze, who would become their seventh signing of the summer after Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

How Eze will fit in at Arsenal after stunning Tottenham 'hijack'

A penny for the thoughts of Daniel Levy, Johan Lange, Vinai Venkatesham - ex-Arsenal now Spurs - and every high-ranking Tottenham official when the David Ornstein bomb dropped.

The Lilywhites had ostensibly done everything possible to win the race for the effervescent Eze, and were Palace not playing in a European qualifier tomorrow, the attacker could have already been on his way to Hotspur Way with no chance of an Arsenal hijack.

However, the Gunners have wasted no time in crushing their rivals' transfer dream after Havertz's blow, and while Eze is not a like-for-like replacement for the German forward, a new creative force was always the number one item on the shopping list.

Eze will more than likely function on the left wing for Arsenal, forcing his way above Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and fellow new signing Noni Madueke - who has played on that side in his earliest days in red and white - in the pecking order.

The 27-year-old is also equally effective in the Martin Odegaard role, but Arsenal have Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman providing cover for their captain in a central area, whereas the left-wing spot had been earmarked as a position to upgrade.

Eze has contributed 40 goals and 28 assists from 169 games in a Palace kit, but whether he will be involved in Thursday's game after tonight's developments remains to be seen.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it successive wins at the start of their 2025-26 Premier League campaign when they travel to title hopefuls Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs were impressive in their opening match of the new season, beating Burnley 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but this will be a completely different rest for the North London club.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with a Man City side that opened their campaign with a 4-0 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Yves Bissouma

Status:Â Minor doubt

Type of injury:Â Unknown

Possible return date:Â August 23 (vs. Man City)

Bissouma was not involved in the squad against Burnley due to a minor issue, and it remains to be seen whether the midfielder is back in the fold for the clash with Man City.

James Maddison

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Maddison has started his long road to recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in pre-season, and he faces an uphill task to return to action before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: September 13 (vs. West Ham United)

Key attacker Kulusevski is still absent with a knee problem, although Tottenham are hopeful that the Sweden international will be available for selection in the not too distant future.

Destiny Udogie

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date:Â August 23 (vs. Man City)

Udogie suffered a knee injury in pre-season, which saw him miss out against Burnley, but there is a chance that the defender could be back in the fold for the clash with Man City.

Kota Takai

Status: Out

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: Unknown

New signing Takai suffered a foot injury during the latter stages of July, and it is unclear at this stage of proceedings when the 20-year-old will be available for selection.

Radu Dragusin

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Dragusin suffered a serious knee injury in January, and the defender is currently battling to be available for selection before the end of 2025, but it might be January 2026 before he is seen on the pitch again.

Bryan Gil

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Gil suffered a knee injury while on loan at Girona last season, and he is currently in the treatment room.

Manor Solomon

Status: Out

Type of injury: Calf

Possible return date: Unknown

Solomon was not available against Burnley due to a calf problem, and he will again miss out here, with his injury potentially ending his chances of leaving Tottenham before the transfer window closes.

TOTTENHAM'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match.

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Manchester City will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad for their first home Premier League encounter of the 2025-26 season this Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's men had an underwhelming 2024-25 season, finishing down in third and failing to win any major silverware for the first time since 2016-17, but they began with an impressive 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Thomas Frank's Spurs lie in waiting for their first game at the Etihad this season, and the hosts will hope there is no repeat of the shocking and humbling 4-0 defeat they suffered here to the Lilywhites last November.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Manchester City's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their showdown with Tottenham.

Mateo Kovacic

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Achilles

Return date:Â October 4 (vs Brentford)

Kovacic has been missing for Man City since May, and the Croatian midfielder is unlikely to return to action until at least October, with his omission from the upcoming Vatreni squad for the September internationals all but confirming this.Â

Rodri

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Return date:Â August 31 (vs Brighton)

Rodri missed almost the entirety of the 2024-25 due to a cruciate ligament injury, and even though he made a brief return at the end of the campaign and in the Club World Cup, concerns over his knee will likely see him miss out again, after watching on from the stands in their 4-0 win over Wolves.

Phil Foden

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Return date:Â August 23 (vs Spurs)

Foden was spotted in the stands alongside Rodri at Molineux, after failing a late fitness test, but another week of recovery training could see the England international return to the fold here, after a brief layoff.

Josko Gvardiol

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Knock

Return date:Â August 31 (vs. Brighton)

Guardiola revealed prior to the Wolves clash that Gvardiol is not ready to return yet, so that means this fixture may also come too soon for him, but he is in the upcoming Croatia squad, so a return before the international break is likely.

Claudio EcheverriÂ

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Return date:Â August 31 (vs. Brighton)

Echeverri has been missing for Man City since sustaining an ankle issue in their Club World Cup clash with Al-Ain in June, and the attacking midfielder will more than likely remain on the treatment table this weekend.

SavinhoÂ

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Unknown

Return date:Â August 31 (vs. Brighton)

After missing the friendly with Palermo on the eve of the season, Savinho was also absent for the trip to Molineux, with Guardiola confirming the Brazilian winger will be out for a few weeks.

MANCHESTER CITY'S SUSPENSION LIST

With it only being matchday two, and not having any players sent off last weekend, Man City do not have any suspensions to worry about ahead of this clash.

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