Sports Mole

A game that some Tottenham Hotspur fans are happy to lose - if social media is any indication - Thomas Frank's side host Manchester City in Sunday's Premier League blockbuster.

The Sky Blues started the weekend just four points below Arsenal in the Premier League table, while Spurs sit 18 points worse off in the bottom half, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for both clubs.

TOTTENHAM vs. MAN CITY

TOTTENHAM

Out: James Maddison (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Pedro Porro (hamstring), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Richarlison (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (hamstring)

Doubtful: Micky van de Ven (unspecified)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

MAN CITY

Out: Jeremy Doku (calf), Ruben Dias (hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (leg), John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle) and Savinho (thigh)

Doubtful: None

Manchester City travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, looking to keep pace with Arsenal in the Premier League and end a long wait for consecutive wins at Spurs.

Pep Guardiola’s side are second in the table, four points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s men, on 50 points after 23 games.

The Cityzens head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seeking their first away league win of 2026, having played out a goalless draw against Sunderland on New Year’s Day before falling to a 2-0 defeat in the Manchester derby on January 17.

City’s current run follows a three-match winning streak away from home in the league — 5-4 at Fulham, 3-0 at Crystal Palace and 2-1 at Nottingham Forest — and they will look to return to winning ways on the road while ending a 52-year wait against Spurs.

Spurs vs Man City: Guardiola’s men chase third consecutive victory at Spurs

Despite losing to Thomas Frank's team at the Etihad in the reverse fixture, the Manchester giants head to the capital aiming to secure another positive result in North London.

The eight-time Premier League champions defeated the Lilywhites 2-0 and 1-0 in 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively, and now seek a third straight win at Spurs’ ground.

As reported by BBC Sport, not since the period between February 1973 and August 1974 have Man City claimed three away league wins in a row in this fixture, a statistic they aim to emulate after a 52-year wait.

However, their hosts are also looking to complete the double over City for the ninth time in the Premier League era; only Chelsea (10) have more home-and-away league victories against the Cityzens in the competition.

Will Man City’s inconsistent away form undermine their title prospects?

Although Man City are chasing a third consecutive away win in the league at Spurs this weekend, the Manchester club’s rather average results on their travels leave much to be desired.

While they have the fifth-best away record in the league, Guardiola’s side have won just five of their 11 fixtures outside the Etihad Stadium, drawing two and losing four.

Their tally of 17 points is four fewer than league-leading Arsenal on 21, Aston Villa (21), and Chelsea and Spurs (both on 19).

A closer look shows that Guardiola’s team have averaged 1.53 away points per game across the last two seasons — 46 from 30 matches — significantly fewer than in the previous two campaigns, 2022-23 and 2023-24, when they accrued 81 points from 38 away games at an average of 2.13.

That underlines the team’s broader decline on their travels, something they must address if they are to end the season positively at Arsenal’s expense.

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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has revealed that Spurs attempted to sign Antoine Semenyo this month.

The 26-year-old was wanted by a host of top Premier League outfits following a 10-goal start to the league campaign with Bournemouth.

In the end, it was Manchester City who won the hotly-contested race for Semenyo, who will face Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Citizens forked out a supposed £64m for the services of the Ghana international, who is heading to the World Cup in June.

Across matches at Bournemouth and Man City this term, Semenyo has provided 14 goal contributions in 22 league appearances.

'We did everything' - Frank reveals Semenyo chase

Speaking ahead of Tottenham's home clash with Man City on the weekend, Spurs boss Frank revealed that his side were looking to bring Semenyo to North London during the current window.

"I will go against my rule, hopefully only once, that there is no doubt it was clear that the club wanted to sign (Antoine) Semenyo," claimed Spurs coach Frank.

"They did everything - I think that is a clear signal that the Lewis family (Spurs majority owners) is very committed. That is a big signing with finances and all that.

"So that is the quality of players we are looking for to improve the squad, and if we cannot find that, then it is definitely better to take the right decisions.

"Not just saying we are just getting quality players going forward because we all know it is not that easy, and I am sure, for whatever reason, we are not able to get another player or players in this window, then for the summer it is a big summer ahead, and I am not in doubt we will see big improvements there."

Spurs struggling to pull top talent

At the age of 26, Semenyo is entering the prime years of his career, meaning that deciding his next club after Bournemouth was significant moment for the attacker.

With the opportunity to fight for major trophies instantly and improve under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, it is no surprise that the Ghanaian ended up at Man City.

Tottenham have the advantage of a London base and world-leading facilities, however they are currently miles behind the likes of the Citizens and Arsenal on the pitch.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has a couple of critical attacking selection dilemmas to solve for Sunday's Premier League showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The Sky Blues are searching for their third consecutive win in all tournaments after back-to-back 2-0 successes over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Galatasaray, which saw Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland score one apiece.

The former started and struck the opener against Wolves, before Haaland was promoted back to the XI against Galatasaray - with Marmoush operating just behind him - and made his mark early on with his first goal in five games.

Marmoush benefitted from Antoine Semenyo's absence to keep his place in midweek, but the Egypt international may now be sacrificed for the returning Ghanaian, as Haaland holds his spot in the final third.

However, Jeremy Doku will be unavailable on account of the calf injury he sustained in midweek, so Rayan Cherki, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders should complete the attack, with Phil Foden kept waiting again.

Ballon d'Or winner Rodri was suspended in midweek, but the well-rested Spaniard should now be restored to the holding midfield role, allowing Nico O'Reilly to revert to left-back duties.

Marc Guehi is also back after being ineligible for the UCL and is a straight swap for Nathan Ake in defence, which will also comprise Abdukodir Khusanov once again amid Guardiola's fitness crisis.

Ruben Dias (hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (leg), John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle) and Savinho (thigh) join Doku in the treatment room for this one.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Silva, Reijnders, Semenyo; Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is keeping his fingers crossed over Micky van de Ven's availability for Sunday's Premier League showdown with Manchester City in North London.

The Netherlands international sat out Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt with a minor issue, but he has been training outside for the past couple of days and will likely be given the green light to feature.

As a result, Van de Ven could be one of six returning players for the Lilywhites this weekend, as Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma, Mathys Tel, Radu Dragusin and Souza are all back after sitting out the Frankfurt success through ineligibility.

However, only two of the returning sextet may force their way into the XI following Wednesday's stellar showing, and Van de Ven is of course one of them; the Dutchman's prospective comeback would put Kevin Danso's place at risk.

Gallagher will also have his eye on Archie Gray's spot in midfield, despite the youngster's fine showing in the Champions League, as Frank may side with experience and energy against the title-chasers.

The former Chelsea man could join Joao Palhinha in the double pivot - unless the latter starts in a back three again - and Frank also has some critical calls to make in the final third.

Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke both found the net in midweek, and there is no reason why the pair cannot start together on Sunday, either as a front two or with the Frenchman on the left.

James Maddison (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Pedro Porro (hamstring), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Richarlison (hamstring) and Rodrigo Bentancur (hamstring) make up an octet of absentees for the North London club.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

Seeking their 10th Premier League double over the boys in sky blue, Tottenham Hotspur welcome Manchester City to their North London home for Sunday's main event.

Both sides return to domestic action on the back of 2-0 Champions League wins, as the Lilywhites took down Eintracht Frankfurt while the Citizens strolled past Galatasaray on their own patch.

Match preview

As was the case during Ange Postecoglou's second season, Tottenham continue to paper over the Premier League cracks with continental plasters, but European success at the expense of domestic humiliation is not the best omen for Thomas Frank.

The former Brentford head coach is yet to lead the Lilywhites to a Premier League victory since the turn of the year, overseeing a miserable three draws and two defeats from Spurs' five top-flight games in 2026, most recently a painful 2-2 stalemate with newly-promoted Burnley.

Once again, Spurs' colossal centre-back duo bailed them out, as Micky van de Ven's opener and Cristian Romero's last-gasp leveller prevented Tottenham from suffering an embarrassing third-straight loss in the top flight, where they currently sit 14th in the table.

Despite some reported growing internal doubts, the board continue to back the under-pressure Frank to turn Spurs' fortunes around, even in the face of growing fan discontent - which was easily audible at Turf Moor.

Just how long the Dane can hold out for remains to be seen, though, as he currently holds the worst points-per-game ratio in Premier League home matches of all Spurs managers with 0.82, overseeing just two top-flight successes on his own patch this term.

However, Tottenham have a UCL last-16 tie to look forward to after a morale-boosting 2-0 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt, extending their unbeaten run in all tournaments to three games and earning their head coach another stay of execution.

One man who has rarely had to worry about being given his P45 - even during Man City's unforeseen plight in 2024-25 - Pep Guardiola squares up to one of his bogey teams with revenge on his mind.

The Sky Blues' Etihad hoodoo against Spurs continued in August's shock 2-0 loss to Frank's men, but the visitors have at least prevailed on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the top flight and could now win three straight Premier League away games against Spurs for the first time ever.

Speaking of three-match winning streaks, that is also what City will be pursuing in all tournaments after back-to-back 2-0 victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Galatasaray, the latter seeing Guardiola's side join Spurs in the last 16 of the Champions League after Benfica's extraordinary win over Real Madrid.

Back in the top flight, the beating of Wolves snapped a four-game winless sequence for the Citizens and saw them finally capitalise on an Arsenal slip-up, cutting the gap to the Gunners to four points after Manchester United's terrific Emirates triumph.

Mikel Arteta's men will temporarily restore a seven-point lead if they get the better of Leeds United on Saturday, after which Arsenal fans may don their Spurs scarves for a couple of hours, hoping to witness Guardiola's ninth Premier League loss against the Lilywhites.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Manchester City Premier League form:

Manchester City form (all competitions):

Team News

Spurs fans may be blessed with some long-awaited good news on the fitness front, as Frank is keeping his fingers crossed that Van de Ven will return from the minor issue that prevented him from turning out against Frankfurt.

Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma, Mathys Tel, Radu Dragusin and Souza will also all return after being ineligible for European action in midweek, but James Maddison (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Pedro Porro (hamstring), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Richarlison (hamstring) and Rodrigo Bentancur (hamstring) remain out.

Midweek scorer Randal Kolo Muani has been heavily linked with a late January return to Juventus, but Spurs are not thought to be considering an exit for the Frenchman, who may start alongside Dominic Solanke here.

Meanwhile, City's success over Galatasaray came at a cost, as Jeremy Doku - who set up both goals on the evening - sustained a calf injury which will rule him out of Sunday's game at the very least.

The Belgian joins Ruben Dias (hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (leg), John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle) and Savinho (thigh) in the infirmary, but the visitors will receive a triple boost regardless.

Indeed, Rodri is available again after serving a Champions League ban, while Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi - also ineligible for the continent's premier tournament - are back too.

Off the pitch, Guardiola did not conduct his pre-game media duties on Friday due to a personal matter, but the head coach is expected to man the touchline at Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Silva, Reijnders, Semenyo; Haaland

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester City

No team has won more league games against Guardiola as a manager than Tottenham, but Spurs' Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund proved to be a false dawn in the Premier League - see Burnley.

Even without the dangerous Doku giving his full-back a torrid time, City should still capitalise on Tottenham's domestic struggles and injury crisis to keep the pressure on Arsenal - a worthy sacrifice according to some corners of Spurs social media.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the venue for this weekend's Premier League main event, as struggling Tottenham Hotspur and title-chasing Manchester City collide in gameweek 24 of the 2025-26 campaign.

The 4.30pm kickoff pits together two 'Big Six' sides who are separated by 18 points in the Premier League rankings, where City are just four adrift of leaders Arsenal following the favourable events of the previous weekend.

Before the Gunners' surprise home loss to Manchester United, the Sky Blues earned their first Premier League victory in five games, seeing off Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 to maintain their grip on second place in the table.

Pep Guardiola's men then bested Galatasaray by the same scoreline in the Champions League, as did Spurs against Eintracht Frankfurt to ensure that they would join City in the last eight of the competition.

However, Thomas Frank is yet to mastermind a Premier League win in 2026, most recently overseeing a miserable 2-2 draw with newly-promoted Burnley, after which he was met with a cacophony of boos from the away fans.

Ahead of Sunday's showdown, Sports Mole looks at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 175

Man City wins: 69

Draws: 37

Spurs wins: 69

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have faced each other a total of 175 times across all competitions, and there is nothing to separate the two clubs as they have both won 69 matches each, while there have also been 37 draws between the two sides.

However, Tottenham have fared slightly better in cup competitions, winning 11 times and drawing three of their 22 encounters across the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League, while in the Premier League era (since 1992-93), they have beaten Man City on 30 occasions across 56 meetings, and have also played out eight draws.

One of the most memorable fixtures between these two clubs was the Champions League quarter-final clash in 2019 when Spurs edged past Man City via the away goals rule following a 4-4 aggregate draw.

The Citizens suffered VAR heartache in the second leg despite winning a thrilling contest 4-3 at the Etihad. Man City got their revenge in the EFL Cup final two years later, though, with Aymeric Laporte scoring eight minutes from time to seal a 1-0 triumph at Wembley.

Since 2004, 43 of the last 49 encounters between these two teams have taken place in the Premier League, and Spurs enjoyed an impressive spell of dominance at the beginning of this run as they won 11 games out of 12 between December 2004 and May 2010, including seven wins by a 2-1 scoreline.

However, Man City responded in emphatic fashion by winning eight of the next 10 between August 2010 and May 2015 - scoring 27 goals in the process - including two 5-1 away victories and a 6-0 thumping on home soil.

Since September 2015, there has been nothing to separate these two clubs, as both Man City and Spurs have won 11 of the last 26 meetings in all competitions, but Spurs have won nine of the last 19 encounters (D2 L8) across all competitions.

At the Etihad, Tottenham have won three and drawn one of their last five visits to the Etihad (L1), scoring at least two goals in all five of those games. The North Londoners have in fact come out on top in their last two trips to the blue side of Manchester under two different managers, with an emphatic 4-0 win under Ange Postecoglou in November 2024 followed by a 2-0 success under Thomas Frank in August 2025.

Meanwhile in North London, Man City did not enjoy any of their first five visits to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, losing all five without scoring, before winning back-to-back matches in 2024 - a 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win in January of that year followed four months later by a 2-0 Premier League win, courtesy of two goals from Erling Haaland and a heroic goalkeeping display from substitute Stefan Ortega.

Only Jermain Defoe (seven) has scored more goals for Tottenham against Man City than both Harry Kane and Robbie Keane (five), but the highest-scoring player in this fixture is Citizens legend Sergio Aguero, who netted 12 times in 18 games, including all four in a 4-1 home victory in October 2014.

Last 20 meetings

Aug 23, 2025: Man City 0-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Feb 26, 2025: Spurs 0-1 Man City (Premier League)

Nov 23, 2024: Man City 0-4 Spurs (Premier League)

Oct 30, 2024: Spurs 2-1 Man City (EFL Cup Last 16)

May 14, 2024: Spurs 0-2 Man City (Premier League)

Jan 26, 2024: Spurs 0-1 Man City (FA Cup Fourth Round)

Dec 03, 2023: Man City 3-3 Spurs (Premier League)

Feb 05, 2023: Spurs 1-0 Man City (Premier League)

Jan 19, 2023: Man City 4-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Feb 19, 2022: Man City 2-3 Spurs (Premier League)

Aug 15, 2021: Spurs 1-0 Man City (Premier League)

Apr 25, 2021: Man City 1-0 Spurs (EFL Cup Final)

Feb 13, 2021: Man City 3-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Nov 21, 2020: Spurs 2-0 Man City (Premier League)

Feb 02, 2020: Spurs 2-0 Man City (Premier League)

Aug 17, 2019: Man City 2-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 20, 2019: Man City 1-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 17, 2019: Man City 4-3 Spurs (Champions League Quarter-Finals)

Apr 09, 2019: Spurs 1-0 Man City (Champions League Quarter-Finals)

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering signing a multiple-time Premier League winner to strengthen their squad as the January transfer window enters its final days.

The Lilywhites have been active in the market this month following the high-profile arrival of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid to bolster the engine room.

However, head coach Thomas Frank is understood to be seeking further experienced reinforcements to assist the club’s push for a top-half finish and success in the Champions League.

With several primary attacking targets proving difficult to secure this month, the hierarchy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have reportedly turned its attention to a high-profile domestic option.

The rumoured pursuit of a seasoned Premier League winner would represent a significant statement of intent as the season enters its most critical phase.

Frank reportedly gives green light for four-time Premier League winner

According to reports from TEAMtalk, Spurs are seriously considering an approach for Raheem Sterling.

The 31-year-old became a free agent on Wednesday after mutually agreeing to terminate the remaining 18 months of his contract with Chelsea.

Frank is reportedly open to the move, as he is looking to add proven quality and big-match pedigree to his squad following the player’s disappointing loan spell at Arsenal last season.

Sterling is believed to be keen to remain in London for family reasons, which could give Spurs a distinct advantage over other domestic and European suitors.

While several clubs, including West Ham United and Crystal Palace, are monitoring the situation, the lure of elite European football in north London remains a significant factor.

Significant Sterling demands could complicate potential Spurs agreement

It remains uncertain whether the two parties will be able to strike a deal that satisfies the player’s considerable financial demands.

Sterling is thought to have been earning more than £300,000 per week at Stamford Bridge and would almost certainly need to accept a significant wage cut to secure a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The four-time Premier League champion has scored 123 goals in the competition but has not played a competitive fixture since May 2025.

Given his lack of recent game time, any agreement is expected to be on a short-term basis while the club evaluates his readiness to make an immediate impact.

Ultimately, the final call lies with the Spurs hierarchy, who must balance the financial risk of a high earner against the potential upside of recruiting a hugely experienced international.

Fresh from securing last-16 spots in the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City lock horns in the Premier League this weekend.

The two teams meet for the first time since August when Spurs claimed a 2-0 victory over the Citizens at the Etihad Stadium.

Here, Sports Mole provides details of how to tune into this fixture.

What time does Tottenham vs. Man City kickoff?

Tottenham vs. Man City will kick off at 16:30 UK time on Sunday.

This Premier League fixture will take place after three 14:00 kickoffs - Manchester United vs. Fulham, Aston Villa vs. Brentford and Nottingham Forest vs. Crystal Palace.

Where is Tottenham vs. Man City being played?

This Premier League match will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which holds a capacity of 62,850 spectators.

Only basement club Wolverhampton Wanderers (five) have picked up fewer Premier League points at home this season than Spurs (nine), who suffered a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United in their most recent home league fixture.

How to watch Tottenham vs. Man City in the UK

TV channels

Tottenham vs. Man City will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League for viewers in the UK.

Sky Sports Premier League is available on channel 402 for Sky customers, 405 for Virgin Media subscribers and 402 for EE TV/BT viewers.

Online streaming

Sky's NOW TV streaming service will also be offering live coverage of the match between Tottenham and Man City

A day pass costs £14.99, while the monthly subscription is £34.99, and the service can be accessed on mobile phones, computers and games consoles.

Highlights

Match highlights of Tottenham vs. Man City will be available on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel, as well as both clubs' official YouTube accounts.

Match of the Day will also show the best of the action, with the long-running programme scheduled to begin at 10:30pm on BBC One on Sunday night.

What is at stake for Tottenham and Man City?

Tottenham enter this contest in high spirits after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 away from home in the Champions League on Wednesday to finish fourth in the 36-team League Phase table and automatically qualify for the last 16.

Spurs are unbeaten in their last three games in all competitions (W2 D1), but they currently sit 14th in the Premier League table and are without a top-flight win in five matches (D3 L2), most recently drawing 2-2 with Burnley last weekend.

While Thomas Frank’s side are eight points above the relegation zone and also eight points behind the top six, second-placed Man City currently sit four points behind leaders and title rivals Arsenal, although that gap could increase to seven if the Gunners beat Leeds United on Saturday.