Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki each begin towards Spurs with Bernardo and Jeremy Doku dropping to the bench – the one adjustments from final weekend’s opening day win over Wolves.
Which means James Trafford, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri will all make their first begin on house soil.
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On the bench, their are welcome returns for Rodri, Phil Foden and Ederson.
Groups
CITY: Trafford, Lewis, Stones, Dias (C), Ait-Nouri, Nico, Reijnders, Bobb, Cherki, Marmoush, Haaland
Subs: Ederson, Ake, Doku, Rodri, Bernardo, Nunes, O’Reilly, Khusanov, Foden
SPURS: Vicario, Porro, Romero (C), Van de Ven, Spence, Palhinha, Sarr, Bentancur, Kudus, Johnson, Richarlison
Subs: Kinsky, Danso, Tel, Grey, Bergvall, Vuskovic, Solanke, Odobert, Davies
POSSIBLE TACTICS
We all know that Ruben Dias and John Stones will companion in central defence, with Rico Lewis and Ait-Nouri our attacking full-backs.
Nico retains his holding midfield function, with Reijnders and Cherki taking over the attacking mantle from the centre.
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Marmoush and Bobb will flank Erling Haaland in what seems to be like a really attacking formation.
It is truthful to say the joy has been constructing amongst Metropolis followers for the reason that summer season.
The arrivals of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and James Trafford have added aptitude and vitality to the squad which was evident in abundance towards Wolves final weekend.
Now that quartet will make their house debuts towards Spurs – and they’re going to need to impress.
All 4 made glorious begins at Molineux with their motion, drive and expertise bringing a brand new dimension to this Metropolis staff.
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The Etihad is their new house – and our supporters cannot wait to see what they will do.
Blues search for payback?
Final season’s 4-0 humbling at house to Spurs was certainly one of our heaviest house losses on the Etihad.
Two James Maddison targets inside the primary 20 minutes gave the guests a agency grip on the sport, with Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson including additional targets after the break.
It was a chastening expertise towards a facet who all the time appear to show up on the Etihad.
There isn’t a Maddison this afternoon and no Dejan Kulusevski – a participant who all the time appear to attain on the Etihad.
Thomas Frank additionally masterminded Brentford’s double over the Blues in Treble season – the one facet to take action, so this recreation shall be something however simple!
TALENT: Rayan Cherki
Stats, information & milestones
Metropolis have gained simply 4 of their final 12 Premier League video games towards Tottenham Hotspur (D2 L6), although beat them 1-0 of their final assembly in February. They final secured consecutive league wins towards Spurs between December 2017 and April 2019 (4).
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Spurs have gained two of their final 4 Premier League video games on the Etihad (D1 L1), greater than they did of their earlier 11 visits mixed (D2 L8). Following their 4-0 victory final season, they’re on the lookout for consecutive wins away at Metropolis for the primary time since Might 2010.
The final 4 Premier League conferences between Metropolis and Tottenham on the Etihad have produced 21 targets (9 for Metropolis, 12 for Spurs), with the away facet netting no less than twice in all 4. The final facet to attain 2+ targets in 5 consecutive top-flight away video games towards Man Metropolis had been Sunderland between 1980 and 2000.
For the reason that begin of April, Metropolis have picked up extra factors than another Premier League facet (26), and are the one ever-present facet to stay unbeaten in that point (W8 D2). In addition they have essentially the most clear sheets (7) and have confronted the fewest photographs per recreation of any facet within the division since April (7.6).
Tottenham Hotspur need to win their first two Premier League video games in a season for the primary time since 2021-22, which was additionally the final time a supervisor gained his first two league video games with Spurs (Nuno Espirito Santo then). They’re winless of their final 11 video games towards non-newly promoted sides, nonetheless (D2 L9), since a 1-0 win over Man Utd in February.
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In all competitions, Pep Guardiola has misplaced 9 video games towards Tottenham Hotspur in his managerial profession, solely dropping extra towards Liverpool (10). Spurs are additionally certainly one of three groups he’s confronted 10 or extra occasions and gained fewer than half of his video games towards (11/23, 48%), together with Liverpool (6/24, 25%) and Actual Madrid (13/27, 48%).
Spurs’ Thomas Frank led Brentford to a 2-1 victory on the Etihad when he was Bees boss in November 2022. Solely two managers have overwhelmed Pep Guardiola away within the league with two golf equipment – José Mourinho (Actual Madrid in 2012, Man Utd in 2018) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea in 2016, Spurs in 2022).
Erling Haaland has scored 48 targets in 48 house Premier League appearances for Metropolis. The one participant to hit 50 Premier League house targets in fewer than 50 appearances is Alan Shearer, who scored his fiftieth house objective in his forty seventh recreation.
Tijjani Reijnders each scored and assisted in Manchester Metropolis’s 4-0 win over Wolves on his Premier League debut – no participant has ever achieved this of their first two Metropolis appearances within the competitors, whereas Reijnders or teammate Rayan Cherki may very well be the primary participant since Emmanuel Adebayor in August 2009 to attain of their first two Premier League video games for the membership.
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Richarlison netted a brace in Spurs’ 3-0 win over Burnley on MD1, already hitting 50% of his complete for the whole lot of the 2024-25 Premier League season (4 in 15 video games). The Brazilian has the very best minutes per objective ratio of any participant who has featured throughout the final two Premier League seasons (objective each 95 minutes), additionally having fun with a 27.3% conversion price.