Through 11 matches, the theme of the season thus far for Tottenham Hotspur is missed opportunities. With six points squandered away from winning/even positions, plus inexcusable losses to Palace and Ipswich, Spurs are all the way down in 10th instead of comfortably in the top four. The bright side is that just about everyone this season has stumbled a ton, leaving plenty still to play for.
Manchester City is not loving its start either, shockingly having lost four straight fixtures across all competitions. This includes a defeat at the new Lane last month in the League Cup; though Pep Guardiola rotated heavily in that match, he is not getting the results he wants even with his regular XI. Both clubs need this one coming out of the international break, and nothing is ever guaranteed whenever these clubs meet.
Manchester City (2nd, 23pts) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (t-10th, 16pts)
Date: Saturday, November 23
Time: 12:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm UK
Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
TV: NBC (USA), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
The season started well for City, winning seven of its first nine league matches, with draws against Arsenal and Newcastle understandable. However, recent defeats to Bournemouth and Brighton are baffling, and with the loss to Sporting in the Champions League as well there are some questions starting to bubble up. Still, Guardiola has had plenty of modest autumns followed by dominant springs, so no need to fully panic quite yet.
These squads added another dramatic chapter to their head-to-head history last season, with Tottenham equalizing twice in the second half at the Etihad, including Dejan Kulusevski’s 90th-minute header. Following that was a City FA Cup win, Tottenham’s not-so-sorry defeat in London, and the aforementioned League Cup tie a few weeks ago. Who knows what this weekend will bring?
Cut right through
City’s problems seemingly revolve around missing Rodri, with the middle of the park not a strength despite decent possession numbers. The return of Kevin de Bruyne will certainly help, as will being at home, but it does feel like there might be an opportunity for Spurs to win the midfield and use the advantage here to snag a result.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s suspension makes Ange Postecoglou’s decision a little bit easier, with just four options now available for three spots. I have advocated for James Maddison to be involved, and indeed someone of his caliber could be the difference maker against top teams, but his form leaves a lot to be desired. Starting Pape Sarr — who scored against City last month — and Yves Bissouma provides good coverage for the backline while potentially allowing for some counters to be sprung. That would be my hope beside Kulusevski to begin the match.
Dr. Tottenham?
These four straight losses have featured just one goal each for City, and while the xG has not been impressively high, this is clearly an underperformance. Meanwhile, Tottenham is seemingly allergic to clean sheets and conceded twice against Ipswich before the break. With Erling Haaland getting back on the scoresheet before the break, and Radu Dragusin too shaky to feel confident, there is not a lot of comfort going up against the loaded City lineup.
Sadly, no one would be surprised if the City attack used this weekend to get back on track, bagging three-plus goals against the rocky Spurs defense. While the visitors have had trouble generating its own attack at times, I would be interested in Postecoglou taking a conservative approach and look to play more safely. There is a long way to go in this season, and Tottenham’s success is dependent on its ability to defend. Away to City is one of the hardest fixtures, and showing good defensive discipline could be a boost heading into a packed December.