Tottenham Hotspur will aim for their first back-to-back wins over Manchester City when the defending champions visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 26th.
Things haven’t been going as planned for the North London club. They’ve been eliminated from the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and are currently outside the top four, leaving the Europa League as their only chance of silverware this season.
Ange Postecoglou now faces a significant challenge in achieving his trophy-laden second-season success in the Europa League, which would be Tottenham’s only path to European football next season. However, their current form makes this goal seem unrealistic.
The victory over Brentford in Matchweek 24 ended a run of seven league matches without a win, during which they suffered six defeats. It also marked their first triumph since the 5-0 demolition of Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on December 15.
While Postecoglou’s matches have been entertaining, the team’s performances have not consistently met expectations. However, his 62 Premier League games have averaged 3.6 goals per match—the highest among managers with at least 50 top-flight fixtures (120 scored, 98 conceded). This is the fastest any manager has reached 100 goals both for and against, a record previously held by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.
It’s no surprise they’ve netted 48 goals—the third most in the league—trailing only Liverpool (56) and Arsenal (49) at the time of writing.
Unfortunately, their EFL Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool proved insufficient, as Postecoglou’s hopes of delivering silverware in his second season suffered another setback at Anfield in midweek.
Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk all found the net in a ruthless Liverpool comeback, sealing their place in the EFL Cup final at Spurs’ expense.
Fans with Tottenham tickets were handed another harsh reality check when Spurs were eliminated from the FA Cup, losing 2-1 away to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
On a positive note, they’ll be facing a City side that have become one of their favorite opponents in recent years.
Pep Guardiola has already lost the two games his side has played against Spurs this season, including a humiliating 4-0 defeat, his heaviest since losing by the same scoreline in April 2014 against Real Madrid.
The Spanish manager will hope to avoid another defeat to Spurs, as a loss would mean he has now lost ten games against them, the most he has lost against any team in his managerial career.
On a positive note for the Premier League defending champions, they’re in much better form than Spurs. While the 5-1 loss to Arsenal exposed their defensive vulnerabilities, they addressed their reinforcement needs in the winter transfer window.
They had started to build momentum after a difficult spell from October to December last year. The 2-2 draw against Brentford was a setback, but it remained their only league match without a win in 2024 until their defeat to Arsenal.
However, the Cityzens have struggled against stronger opposition this season, with their only victories against top-eight sides coming against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham now sit in a distant 14th place in the Premier League table with 27 points, indicating their struggles this season.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Man City Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, 26th February 2025
- Location: London, England
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Kick-off time: 07:30 PM GMT
- Tickets: Supporters can purchase Tottenham vs Man City tickets at trusted online reseller Seatsnet.com.
Match Stats and Head-to-Head
• Tottenham’s win over Brentford on Matchweek 24 ended a run of six defeats in their last seven league games. It was also their first victory since a 5-0 thrashing of Southampton on December 15.
• Tottenham have kept only one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games.
• City have scored in their last 13 matches across all competitions. The last time they failed to find the back of the net was in the 2-0 loss against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.
• The Cityzens have failed to win any of their four games against North London opponents this season, earning only one point against Arsenal.
• Guardiola has lost more games (nine) against Tottenham than he has lost against any other team in his managerial career.
Team News
Tottenham’s forward, Richarlison, picked up a calf injury in the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals and is doubtful for the City clash.
Summer signing Mathys Tel scored his first goal for the club in the FA Cup loss to Aston Villa and will be hoping to earn a starting berth against City.
Tottenham’s injury list includes Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Timo Werner, and Brennan Johnson.
Man City’s latest midfield recruit, Nico Gonzalez, suffered an injury in the FA Cup victory and joins Oscar Bobb, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku, and Ederson on the doubtful list, while Rodri remains a long-term absentee.
Kevin De Bruyne is eyeing a piece of Champions League history, as his next goal or assist against Real Madrid would be his ninth in the competition, more than any other player.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Tel, Son.
Manchester City: Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland.
Prediction
Tottenham’s struggles this season have left them in a distant 14th place, making a fight for relegation survival a more realistic goal than a top-seven finish.
A win against City would be a massive boost, but it’s a tall order given Spurs’ inconsistent form. On the other hand, City will be determined to avoid a third consecutive defeat against Tottenham.
Our prediction: Manchester City to win 3-1.
