Manchester City have a tough start to their Premier League fixtures and one of their early games could have an added threat
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Erling Haaland and Phil Foden of Manchester City look dejected during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester City were thrashed at home to Spurs last season
"Big game, big players." It felt like a statement of intent from Morgan Gibbs-White rather than a distress call.
Nottingham Forest had asked all of their players which Premier League fixture they were most looking forward to after the schedule came out, and Gibbs-White did not hesitate to suggest the visit of Manchester City. The playmaker had assisted Forest's winner over the Blues at the City Ground last season, but then suffered disappointment at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final.
That's before the transfer developments of the early summer, with City putting work into landing a player that Pep Guardiola admires before moving instead to sign Rayan Cherki. It didn't fully close the door on Gibbs-White, but it considerably lowered the chances of City signing Gibbs-White.
Picking City as the game he was most looking forward to felt like a chance for Gibbs-White to show City what they are missing out on, and he would have been absolutely entitled to. He may still get the chance, but only after a dramatic week in the transfer market.
Tottenham looked to have quickly sorted a £60m deal for the 25-year-old, only for Forest to sensationally complain about an illegal approach and consider the deal off. As of the weekend, it remains unclear if Spurs will be able to complete the transfer.
Should Thomas Frank get his wish though, it is safe to say that Gibbs-White won't have lost any of his motivation to prove himself against City. It will still be a big game with big players, just with one team wearing different shirts.
For Guardiola, it would add to the alarm around what is their opening home game of the season. City host Spurs in August a week after kicking off their Premier League campaign at Wolves, and the television broadcasters have given them an early Saturday spot that can catch players sleeping.
City were out of the traps quickly when they played Tottenham at the Etihad last year, and it ended up in one of the most embarrassing nights of their season. Ange Postecoglou's team won 4-0 against a shellshocked Blues before going on to finish just above the relegation places.
That match was the end of an unbeaten home record that had spanned more than two years, and the ground hasn't had the same feel about it since. Teams no longer come to the Etihad fearing the worst.
With a new manager, Tottenham will head up north with optimism in August - especially if they have been able to land Gibbs-White. A fixture that was already dangerous in the calendar for City could now have added threat to it if one of their former targets is able to find a new home in North London.
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