After an emphatic start to their 2019/20 Premier League campaign, Manchester City will look to continue their winning momentum as they host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The Sky Blues are coming on the back of a comfortable 5-0 opening day victory over West Ham. But, things could get tricky against a Spurs side that came from behind to win 3-1 versus Aston Villa.
Here is how Pep Guardiola’s men could line up in this fascinating Premier League encounter this weekend.
Defence
Ederson is set to retain his place in between the sticks for Manchester City. The Brazilian international will be expecting a much busier game than the one he had against West Ham on the weekend. His pass distribution will be key as Spurs will try their best to put pressure on the Man City defenders.
Speaking of defenders, John Stones is expected to get the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi. The English international will be partnered by the ever-present figure of Aymeric Laporte at the heart of Man City’s four-man backline. Both of these defenders must remain fit at least till Christmas, especially following the departure of Eliaquim Mangala and Vincent Kompany.
Elsewhere in defence, Kyle Walker has performed well and is likely to start ahead of new signing Joao Cancelo. Oleksandr Zinchenko, meanwhile, will retain his place at left-back, with Benjamin Mendy still a doubt.
Midfield
Rodri impressed against West Ham and is set to continue on his role as the lone holding midfielder at the base of Man City’s 4-3-3 setup. The Spaniard will be in charge of disrupting the flow of the opposition, and it will be interesting to see how he copes with Tanguy Ndombele.
Rodri will be partnered by Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva, who will captain the side. The duo will be given the responsibility of providing the creative essence in the final third. De Bruyne, in particular, has shown great form and will likely play a key role in this encounter.
Attack
The Manchester City attack will be led by Gabriel Jesus, who will once again start ahead of Sergio Aguero. The Brazilian is looking like the real deal this season. But, he certainly needs to perform against a disciplined Tottenham backline.
Jesus will be supported by the wide duo of Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, who will return to the starting lineup, replacing Riyad Mahrez in the right-wing slot.
