The Premier League returns on Saturday after the end of the final international break of 2024, and the biggest match of the day is Manchester City at home against Tottenham Hotspur.
Before the break, City allowed Liverpool to jump into first place on the table after Pep Guardiola's men lost their two most recent league matches (and four matches across all competitions). It's an unprecedented run of poor form for City under Guardiola, but Saturday provides an opportunity to start another winning streak.
As for Spurs, they are the side that kicked off City's losing skid with a 2-1 victory in the Carabao Cup on Oct. 30, but their form has been anything but consistent and they return from the international break in 10th place in the Premier League.
Manchester City vs. Tottenham: Head-to-head and recent statistics
- All-time meetings: 172
- Manchester City wins: 68
- Draws: 37
- Tottenham wins: 67
Manchester City have the slightest overall advantage with 68 wins in the teams' 172 all-time matches in all competitions.
However, Spurs have enjoyed the better results in recent league meetings between the sides, with five wins, two draws and three losses in the last 10 Premier League match-ups.
Manchester City vs. Tottenham: Team news
Manchester City
- Injured: Ake, Rodri, Bobb
- Doubtful: Foden, Dias, Grealish, Stones, Akanji, Nunes
- Suspended: None
Tottenham
- Injured: Richarlison, Odobert, Moore
- Doubtful: Romero, Van de Ven
- Suspended: Betancur
Manchester City vs. Tottenham: What the pundits are saying
Mark Lawrenson
“I can only see a Manchester City win this weekend against Tottenham. The only way I can see Spurs getting a result is if loads of the players who have been away on international duty are injured, but I don’t think that’s the case."
Harry Redknapp
"What a game this could be. Two sides who can score plenty, but two sides who’ve been sloppy at the back. I can’t believe Manchester City’s form right now; it shows how much they miss Rodri. I don’t care how good he is, a side with this talent should manage to survive. I think they’ll improve as the season goes on, particularly because I think they’ll be busy in the January window."
Manchester City vs. Tottenham: Prediction
Neither team were in a particularly good run of form prior to the international break, which came at just the right time for both sides.
City are the favoured side due to their overall success and their superior position on the table, but Spurs have proven to be a thorn in Guardiola's side in recent years and could continue to do so this weekend.
A 1-1 draw seems a fair result given how both teams have looked lately.