Tottenham Hotspur will prepare themselves for one of their toughest games of the season as they visit Etihad Stadium to face champions Manchester City on Saturday. The Lilywhites came back from behind to secure a 3-1 win against newly promoted Aston Villa in their opening fixture and will be keen to use that momentum to salvage at least a point against the Citizens.
Here is how Mauricio Pochettino’s men could lineup in their second Premier League game of the season.
Formation: Pochettino is unlikely to meddle with his 4-3-1-2 shape, although we could expect one or two personnel changes to the lineup.
Defence
Hugo Lloris’ form in between the sticks will be crucial if Tottenham Hotspur are to salvage anything from this game. The Frenchman will be expecting a busy evening against a Man City side that scored 72 goals last season.
Pochettino could opt for experience and start with Serge Aurier ahead of Kyle Walker-Peters in the right-back slot. New signing Ryan Sessegnon is currently out injured, meaning the Ivorian will face no real competition. Danny Rose was impressive in the win over Aston Villa and will retain his place on the opposite flank.
In central defence, Davinson Sanchez will continue to partner Toby Alderweireld at the heart of the four-man backline. Juan Foyth, meanwhile, will be ruled out for this game as he is still facing a three-match suspension.
Midfield
Harry Winks is certainly going to retain his place as the holding midfielder in a 4-3-1-2, which could transform into a 4-1-2-1-2 during defensive phases. The young midfielder will be accompanied by new signing Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko.
Ndombele starred in Spurs’ win over Aston Villa on the weekend, and the Frenchman’s work rate and tenacity will be important in this fixture. It will be interesting to see how the ex-Lyon star stacks up against Manchester City’s Rodri. Sissoko, meanwhile, will be tasked with the responsibility of disrupting the flow of the opposition with his strong tackles.
Attack
Starting with Giovani Lo Celso could be a risk. Hence, we expect Christian Eriksen to replace the Argentine in the number ten position. The Dane will be providing creative support to the two attackers in Harry Kane and Lucas Moura.
Kane has already hit the ground running by scoring two goals in the opening day win against Aston Villa. But, he will be dealt with the real test this weekend as he looks to breach the strong Man City backline.
