Manchester City take on Tottenham Hotspur in their opening home game of the 2025–26 campaign, and last season’s emphatic defeat to the Lilywhites will be fresh in the memory.
City have beaten Spurs in N17 since their stunning 4–0 battering at the hands of Ange Postecoglou’s side last November, one that was inspired by the currently stricken James Maddison.
It was a contest that exposed the distinct vulnerabilities within Pep Guardiola’s framework, and City eventually ended the season without silverware. The evolution the perennial Premier League champions have undergone in 2025 has thus come as no surprise, as they aim to reclaim their crown.
Thomas Frank’s Spurs have all the makings of a tricky out for the hosts, who purred in Wolverhampton last weekend. Here’s how Man City could line up on Saturday afternoon.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham (4-3-3)
GK: James Trafford—Guardiola confirmed ahead of City’s opening game that Ederson would miss the start of the season due to an "injury", which basically means we won’t be seeing him until after the transfer window closes.
RB: Matheus Nunes—There’s no reason to drop Rico Lewis after his fine performance last week, but Guardiola loves to tinker, and we could see Nunes come back into the team here.
CB: John Stones—It’s a contract/World Cup year for Stones, so expect the Englishman to play his way into Thomas Tuchel’s plans for next summer’s tournament.
CB: Rúben Dias—There shouldn’t be any movement at centre back. City are without a couple of defenders, while Manuel Akanji has attracted transfer interest. Dias will play a key role in shunning Spurs’ direct threat, with extra motivation stemming from a newly sealed four-year contract.
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri—The former Wolves full-back adds a more dynamic element to City’s play out wide. He’ll be a regular starter throughout the campaign.
CM: Bernardo Silva—Dread it, run from it, Bernardo arrives all the same.
CM: Nico González—Rodri has been dealing with muscle injuries after recovering from his ACL tear, and could miss out again on Saturday. Thus, Guardiola could deploy his second-in-command, Nico, to provide stability at the base of midfield.
CM: Tijjani Reijnders—Expectations are now sky-high for the Dutchman following his utterly superb Premier League debut. He won’t want to disappoint the thousands of managers who have drafted him into their FPL squads.
RW: Oscar Bobb—The Norwegian starlet’s absence last term was hard-felt, because Bobb has bags of talent, and he was superb last weekend. He could well emerge as the main man down City’s right this term.
ST: Erling Haaland—Haaland’s quest to reclaim his Golden Boot started with a pair of strikes at Molineux, but he failed to find the back of the net the previous two times Spurs visited the Etihad.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham: Rodri, Foden Not Ready to Start.
