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Ange Postecoglou talks to Sky. “A lot of internationals are coming back … Madders has been training with us and is probably one of the fresher ones … we’re mindful of the fact we’re going to have to have a little of the ball today … start well that way … Brennan will play a huge part when he comes on … when you play City, if you give them too much of the ball they’ll cause you problems … we’ll probably move Kulusevski wide … he’s done well against City in that area.”
Pep Guardiola is asked by Sky Sports whether his new contract will give his team a positive boost. “Positivity depends on the way we play … it is how you have to perform … winning games … we have had many injuries … many are now coming back which is good news for us … it is nice to see players available to play.”
He’s also asked who will take up the Rodri role in the Ballon’ d’Or winner’s absence now Mateo Kovačić is out for a month. Rico Lewis? Pep smiles enigmatically. “You will see it.”
The 3pm kick-offs have finished, and it’s getting tight at the top. Arsenal have beaten Nottingham Forest 3-0 while Brighton won 2-1 at Bournemouth. Throw in Chelsea’s earlier 2-1 victory at Leicester, and the chasing pack are closing in on second-placed City. Meanwhile ten-man Brentford’s staunch goalless draw at Everton pushes Spurs into the bottom half of the table, for a couple of hours at least.
Manchester City make three changes in the wake of their 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion. John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji are back in; Matheus Nunes and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey drop to the bench, while Mateo Kovačić is absent through injury.
Tottenham also make three changes after their 2-1 loss against Ipswich Town. James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Ben Davies return to the starting XI, with Brennan Johnson dropping to the bench, Cristian Romero injured, and Rodrigo Bentancur suspended.
The teams
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol, Lewis, Gundogan, Silva, Savinho, Foden, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Ake, Grealish, De Bruyne, Nunes, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, O’Reilly, McAtee.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie, Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski, Son, Solanke.
Subs: Forster, Spence, Hardy, Gray, Bergvall, Olusesi, Johnson, Werner, Lankshear.
Referee: John Brooks
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Preamble
We’ve just had an international break, and yet it feels like these two never went away. They’ve hardly been out of the news all week: Pep Guardiola with his new two-year extension to his Manchester City contract, Spurs dealing with the Bentancur Imbroglio. In that sense there’s more of a feel-good vibe around City right now … but then Spurs have only lost their last two matches, while City have lost their last four. Six and two threes.
Thing is, lads, look, listen mate, it’s Dr Tottenham, they’ve found themselves in this sort of state before; City, in their modern guise, not so often. Pep not at all. So it’s going to be interesting to watch the gilded champions attempt to bounce back. They don’t particularly enjoy playing Spurs, either, and that’s not even 1981 FA Cup final-infused DNA: Spurs beat City’s reserve team last month in the League Cup, while dealing them last-minute blows on two of their last three visits to the Etihad, here and here. Those two matches were sandwiched by this one, to be fair, and that’ll be the peg on which City today hang their hat. All of which is a long-winded way of saying, this could be great fun, because recent history – and indeed both matches of that epic 1981 clash - suggests pretty much anything could happen. Kick-off is at 5.30pm GMT. It’s on!
