After a shocking defeat to Manchester United in the English League Cup (though they have advanced to the final), Manchester City will be keen on returning to winning ways when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Sky Blues are more or less out of the title race, but they will still be keen on putting the pressure on third-placed Leicester City. And a win against Spurs could serve as an ideal confidence booster as they look to impress in the Champions League this season.
Here is how Man City could lineup against Jose Mourinho’s men this weekend.
Predicted 4-3-3 Manchester City Lineup Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Formation: 4-3-3
Defence
Guardiola could be boosted by the return of three key defenders in Fernandinho, Aymeric Laporte and Benjamin Mendy. Fernandinho is most likely to receive a clearance to feature against Tottenham this weekend while Laporte and Mendy could face a late fitness test. But, we do expect all three of these defenders to recover in time.
The return of Laporte and Fernandinho mean Guardiola could revert to a four-man backline, with these two operating at the heart of the defence. Kyle Walker should shift into a right-back, with Mendy starting on the opposite flank, ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who didn’t even feature in the last game.
Ederson, meanwhile, is set to return in goal, at the expense of Claudio Bravo.
Midfield
The presence of an extra man in defence could force Guardiola to send Ilkay Gundogan back to the bench. But, Bernardo Silva could once again start after putting in excellent performances in recent weeks, especially in the defeat to Manchester United.
The Portuguese international could pair up with Kevin de Bruyne in central midfield, with Rodri operating as the lone holding midfielder. It will be interesting to see whether these two can infiltrate the rather weak looking Tottenham defence, though a lot could depend on the performances of their wingers.
Attack
Raheem Sterling hasn’t been firing, of late. But, the English international could look to exploit Aurier’s lack of discipline on the far side against Tottenham this weekend. Riyad Mahrez, however, could face a daunting task of overcoming Japhet Tanganga on the opposite flank.
The Spurs youngster is known for his defensive solidity, and it will be interesting to see whether he can cope with the trickery of the Algerian superstar this weekend. And finally, the Manchester City attack should once again be led by Sergio Aguero, ahead of Gabriel Jesus.
