Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Undoubtedly, the match of the round. It's intriguing not just because of the clubs' names. Can Pep Guardiola find the way to secure a win without the absentees? Tottenham Hotspur are the opponents who initiated Manchester City's four-match losing streak.
Manchester City
The list of clubs Manchester City have lost to isn't exactly fearsome. Alongside Tottenham Hotspur (1:2), there's Bournemouth (1:2), Portuguese side Sporting (1:4), and Brighton (1:2). All these matches shared the traits of both teams scoring, the total going over 2.5, and Manchester City having played away. Surely the champions won't embarrass themselves in front of their home crowd? However, anything is possible given Manchester City's heavily extensive injury list—10 players are unavailable, including Ballon d'Or winner Rodri Hernández, whom we won't see again this season. As for the rest, there's a chance defenders Rúben Dias, John Stones, and Manuel Akanji will recover by Saturday, though Nathan Ake is likely to be fit only for the Champions League clash with Feyenoord. Imagine, all the main central defenders are sidelined. That's part of the reason for such results. In attack, they hope for the return of Phil Foden. If most of them recover, it will be somewhat easier.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have seven absentees, but not all are as crucial as Manchester City's. The absence of defender Micky van de Ven, a threat not only at free kicks and corners but also with his runs across the field, is noteworthy. He also provided significant assistance in defence. This was evident in the results—they conceded three against Galatasaray (2:3). More concerning was the home defeat to Ipswich Town, a team that had been unable to beat anyone prior (1:2). Two consecutive losses have overshadowed the emphatic victory over Aston Villa in the 10th round (4:1). Then, 2.44 xG and six shots on target sufficed. The Dutch central defender isn't expected to return for the Manchester fixture, nor are most of the injured players.
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur Prediction
These defensive absences on both sides reduce reliability, meaning both teams are likely to score. There's no doubt about Manchester City's ability to score, but given their injury list, it's uncertain if they'll all be fit, so we're backing both teams to score.
