Man City Face Tottenham Without Key Stars Rodri and Foden in Starting XI
Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur in their first home fixture of the 2025–26 season, with memories of last campaign's crushing loss to Spurs still lingering.
The Citizens have secured victory against Tottenham at their North London ground since suffering that remarkable 4–0 thrashing under Ange Postecoglou's guidance last November, a performance driven by the currently injured James Maddison.
That match highlighted significant weaknesses in Pep Guardiola's tactical setup, and City ultimately concluded the season empty-handed. The transformation the serial Premier League winners have experienced in 2025 comes as little shock, as they seek to regain their title.
Thomas Frank's Tottenham present a challenging proposition for the home side, who impressed at Wolverhampton in their previous outing. Here's how Manchester City might set up this Saturday afternoon.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham (4-3-3)
GK: James Trafford—Guardiola revealed before City's season opener that Ederson would be unavailable for the campaign's beginning due to an "injury", which essentially means his return awaits the transfer window's conclusion.
RB: Matheus Nunes—While Rico Lewis deserves to retain his spot following last week's excellent display, Guardiola enjoys rotation, and Nunes could return to the starting eleven here.
CB: John Stones—With contract negotiations and World Cup aspirations ahead, expect the England international to showcase his abilities for Thomas Tuchel's consideration for next summer's competition.
CB: Rúben Dias—The central defensive partnership should remain unchanged. City are missing several defenders, while Manuel Akanji faces transfer speculation. Dias will be crucial in neutralizing Tottenham's attacking threat, with added determination following his recent four-year contract extension.
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri—The ex-Wolves defender brings greater attacking impetus to City's wide play. He's expected to be a consistent starter this season.
CM: Bernardo Silva—Inevitable as always, Bernardo continues his relentless presence in City's midfield.
CM: Nico González—With Rodri managing muscle problems following his ACL recovery and potentially sidelined again Saturday, Guardiola might utilize his deputy Nico to anchor the midfield.
CM: Tijjani Reijnders—Pressure mounts on the Dutch midfielder after his exceptional Premier League bow. He'll aim to satisfy the countless Fantasy Premier League managers who've selected him.
RW: Oscar Bobb—The young Norwegian's injury absence last season was keenly felt, given Bobb's considerable ability, demonstrated excellently in the previous match. He may establish himself as City's primary right-wing option this campaign.
ST: Erling Haaland—Haaland's Golden Boot pursuit began with two goals at Molineux, though he's drawn blanks in Tottenham's last two visits to the Etihad.
LW: Omar Marmoush—The Egyptian showed promising signs during his initial six months at the club, and his long-range shooting ability could prove valuable against Tottenham's resolute backline.
