Nearly a year after their exhilarating 3-3 Premier League clash at the Etihad, Manchester City and Tottenham find themselves meeting again under less than ideal circumstances. City’s quest for a fifth straight Premier League title faced a major setback prior to the international break, suffering two 2-1 defeats away to Bournemouth and Brighton, marking manager Pep Guardiola’s first-ever four-game competitive losing streak.
Before embarking on a potentially season-defining visit to league leaders Liverpool, City have an opportunity to regroup as they host Tottenham, the team that initiated their losing streak in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. At the Etihad, where they have remained unbeaten in the Premier League since November 2022 (winning 28 and drawing 6), they should feel assured of reducing, if not closing, the gap on Liverpool with a victory here.
Tottenham face a challenging task in disrupting their opponents’ title aspirations, despite having secured points in most of their last nine Premier League trips to the Etihad (winning two, drawing three, and losing four). Their recent 2-1 defeat at home against newly-promoted Ipswich raises concerns about their form. Head coach Ange Postecoglou is likely to request patience as he works on developing a young team, currently struggling with numerous injuries.
Richarlison and Micky van de Ven are doubtful for the upcoming match, with van de Ven’s absence potentially being significant. As a result, it may be difficult for Tottenham to improve on their solitary Premier League away clean sheet this season (a 3-0 win at Manchester United), especially given City striker Erling Haaland’s return to England boasting four additional UEFA Nations League goals.
Key players to keep an eye on: In late October, Matheus Nunes made a significant impact by contributing to five goals in just eight days, including scoring against Tottenham in City’s EFL Cup defeat. Meanwhile, Son Heung-min from Spurs played a crucial role in maintaining South Korea’s World Cup campaign by netting a goal against Kuwait last week. He also played a pivotal role with a goal and an assist in the previous season’s thrilling 3-3 draw at this venue.
Notable statistic: Manchester City has seen more than 2.5 goals scored in eight of their last ten league matches, mirroring the trend in six of Tottenham’s last seven games.
