We’ve seen two sides to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the 2025–26 season, and a visit to Manchester City will likely see the Dane return to the UEFA Super Cup playbook.
The idealism of the previous regime is no more, with Frank’s flexibility quickly coming to the fore. He surprised many with his usage of a 3-5-2 against Paris Saint-Germain, before reverting to the 4-2-3-1 we saw throughout preseason for Spurs’ Premier League opener at home to Burnley.
There’s been transfer disarray in north London over the past week, but their start to life under Frank has at least supplied some optimism over Spurs’ fortunes this term. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the current squad isn’t cut out to compete on multiple fronts for the season’s duration.
A tough trip to the Etihad beckons, and here’s how Frank could set his team up in Manchester.
Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Man City (3-5-2)
GK: Guglielmo Vicario—The Italian shouldn’t be anywhere near as busy as he was over the previous two seasons, but a slick City outfit could force Vicario into an active Saturday afternoon.
CB: Kevin Danso—Danso and his long throws are expected to return this weekend, after Frank opted for an alternative approach for their Premier League opener.
CB: Cristian Romero—Spurs may be struggling to sign a No. 10, but they did complete perhaps their most important piece of business of the summer ahead of this game. New captain Romero has extended his stay until 2029.
CB: Micky van de Ven—The Dutchman will be a shoo-in when fit and available, with the club yet to sign adequate cover this summer. He has, however, lost his crown as the Premier League’s ultimate speedster.
RWB: Pedro Porro—Porro has been a mainstay at the start of Frank’s tenure, with the new manager valuing the full-back’s playmaking abilities from deep. His distribution could trouble the Cityzens.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur—Frank is an admirer of Bentancur, and the Uruguayan should soon pen an extension. He, too, was out of the team for Burnley’s visit after impressing in the Super Cup.
CM: João Palhinha—The summer arrival earned some respite last week, but there’s no doubt he’ll be back in Spurs’ XI on Saturday. This is the sort of fixture Palhinha thrives in.
CM: Pape Matar Sarr—Sarr has been the star of Spurs’ summer, and, at this rate, he’s going to be Spurs No. 10 for the entirety of 2025–26.
LWB: Djed Spence—Spence signed a new deal earlier in the week, and is poised to retain his place on the left side of defence with Destiny Udogie likely to miss out again.
ST: Mohammed Kudus—The former West Ham United star has made a great early impression in Lilywhite, beginning the season with a pair of assists last weekend. Kudus shone from the right against Burnley, but he’ll be asked to form part of a strike pairing at the Etihad, as he did in Udine.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Man City: Frank Returns to Super Cup Playbook.
