Man City vs Tottenham: Preview, Team News and Predicted Lineups as Pep Guardiola Faces Thomas Frank Test

Manchester City host Tottenham in a crucial early Premier League clash, with both teams looking to build on winning starts.

Premier League giants Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are set to face off in a highly anticipated early-season clash at the Etihad Stadium.

The match, scheduled for August 23, 2025, at 2:30pm will be officiated by referee Peter Bankes as both teams look to build on their winning starts to the 2025/2026 campaign.

This Round 2 fixture brings together two sides with title aspirations, making it a crucial early test of their credentials in what promises to be another competitive Premier League season.

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Preview

Manchester City currently sit second in the Premier League table with 3 points after their emphatic opening day victory, while Tottenham occupy fourth position, also with 3 points from their first match.

Both teams demonstrated their attacking prowess in their season openers, with City scoring 4 goals and Spurs netting 3, while neither side has conceded a goal yet in league play.

This early-season encounter could prove significant in establishing momentum, particularly for City who are looking to maintain their reputation as title favorites. Tottenham, under new management, will view this as an opportunity to make a statement about their own ambitions for the campaign ahead.

Manchester City have been in formidable form, winning four of their last five matches across all competitions. They kicked off their Premier League campaign with a commanding 0:4 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers (on 16.08.2025), following an impressive 0:3 win over Palermo FC in a friendly (on 09.08.2025).

Their only recent setback came in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they narrowly lost 3:4 to Al Hilal (on 01.07.2025), but they bounced back with convincing victories against Juventus (2:5 on 26.06.2025) and Al-Ain (6:0 on 23.06.2025).

Tottenham, meanwhile, began their Premier League season with a comfortable 3:0 win against Burnley (on 16.08.2025) and earned a respectable 2:2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup (on 13.08.2025).

Their pre-season form was mixed, suffering a heavy 4:0 defeat to Bayern Munich (on 07.08.2025), drawing 1:1 with Newcastle United (on 03.08.2025), and securing a 0:1 victory over Arsenal (on 31.07.2025).

The recent history between these two sides has been intriguing, with Manchester City winning three of their last five meetings across all competitions, while Tottenham have claimed two victories.

Their most recent encounter saw City secure a narrow 0:1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February 2025, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal in the 12th minute.

However, Spurs delivered a stunning 0:4 thrashing of City at the Etihad Stadium in their previous Premier League meeting in November 2024, with James Maddison scoring twice and Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson also finding the net.

Tottenham also eliminated City from the EFL Cup with a 2:1 victory in October 2024, while City claimed a 0:2 win at Spurs in May 2024 with Haaland scoring both goals, including a penalty. Their FA Cup meeting in January 2024 ended in a 0:1 win for City thanks to a late Nathan Ake goal.

Team News

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola faces a mixed selection picture. Mateo Kovacic and Kalvin Phillips are both sidelined with Achilles issues, while Savinho, Josko Gvardiol and Marcus Bettinelli are also unavailable.

On the positive side, Rodri, Phil Foden and Ederson are all fit again and in line to feature, with Ederson likely to reclaim the gloves from James Trafford after the youngster’s debut clean sheet against Wolves.

Gvardiol’s absence means Rayan Ait-Nouri should continue at left-back, while John Stones is set to partner Ruben Dias in central defence – the latter fresh from committing his long-term future to the club. Guardiola’s main dilemma comes at right-back, where Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis are vying for selection.

In midfield, Bernardo Silva, Nico González and Tijjani Reijnders could once again form the trio, with Reijnders chasing history by attempting to both score and assist in his first two Premier League outings.

Should he be given freedom to attack, Foden may have to compete with Oscar Bobb for a starting role out wide, while Erling Haaland, who boasts 48 goals in 48 Premier League home appearances, will spearhead the attack as he hunts further records.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs are contending with a lengthy injury list. James Maddison (ACL), Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Bryan Gil (all knee problems), along with Manor Solomon (calf) and Kota Takai (foot), are all ruled out. Destiny Udogie has returned to training but is not yet ready for a matchday comeback, while Yves Bissouma also misses out.

Manager Thomas Frank is weighing up a tactical adjustment. After deploying a back four against Burnley, he could revert to a three-man central defence, with Kevin Danso joining Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. That would push Pedro Porro and Djed Spence into wing-back roles.

In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur is pressing for a recall, though Joao Palhinha and Pape Sarr remain strong candidates to start.

Up front, Mohammed Kudus is expected to continue his partnership with Richarlison, who Frank describes as his “first-choice nine.” Brennan Johnson provides another attacking option but might make way if Spurs opt for a more defensive shape.

Predicted Lineups

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