Tottenham welcome Manchester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a mouthwatering Premier League encounter.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League struggles continued last weekend as they drew 2-2 with relegation-battling Burnley. A 90th-minute header from Cristian Romero saved an almighty embarrassment for Thomas Frank’s Spurs at Turf Moor.
The stalemate with Burnley saw them stay stranded 14th in the table and winless in the Premier League in 2026. The north Londoners provided Thomas Frank with temporary relief in midweek when they prevailed 2-0 over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. By doing so, Frank and Co. directly entered the Champions League last 16, escaping a double-leg playoff.
Tottenham’s next assignment is a home game against Manchester City in the Premier League. The Sky Blues haven’t been at their best this season, yet find themselves second in the standings. Securing a result against Manchester City will be an uphill task, even though they aren’t firing on all cylinders.
Thomas Frank's Tottenham will be aiming to do a league double over Man City
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham will be aiming to do a league double over Man City
Tottenham face a tough test against Man City at home
Tottenham’s home form has been woeful, giving supporters anxiety ahead of facing Pep Guardiola’s Man City. They last won in the league at home was back in December against Brentford. Since then, Spurs have dropped points every time in north London, leaving the fans extremely frustrated.
With so many injuries to contend with and a demanding schedule, Frank and Co. could be vulnerable if Pep Guardiola plays his cards right on Sunday. However, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Tottenham will get a 2-2 draw from this fixture as they “always play well” against City.
“Even I’m cheering for Tottenham this weekend! Spurs always play well against Manchester City. And I’ve said this before, I don’t think City are a great team,” Paul Merson wrote in his column for Sportskeeda.
“I thought City played the same game against Wolves on Saturday and against Galatasaray in the Champions League last night. They started well, looked like they would go on to score four or five but didn’t, and towards the end, they were troubled by their opponents!
“Micky van de Ven against Erling Haaland will be an interesting matchup. Haaland will be relieved to have scored against Galatasaray. But he has been missing a lot of chances lately. It’s very unlike him because he’s such a good finisher.
Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush could cause Tottenham problems
Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush could cause Tottenham problems
“I’m not worried about Haaland because he is the kind of player who can score seven goals in the next seven games. I’m expecting him to regain his form, and when he gets hot again, teams will have to be cautious, especially Arsenal.
He then went on to name one key player who could get things done for City. Merson added:
“Antoine Semenyo has hit the ground running at City. He will definitely start this game against Tottenham. Whatever happens, Haaland and Semenyo will be in that line-up. Then it’s down to whether they choose Omar Marmoush or Rayan Cherki. I think it’s getting Cherki on the pitch that will make things happen for City.
“Arsenal could be seven points ahead by the time City face Tottenham. I doubt City can bring that lead down to four points again. This is a must-win game for City, but I expect a draw. So, Arsenal will open up a six-point lead at the top this weekend.”
Merson highlighted that City are “not a great team” and remain dependent on Haaland’s goals. He expects an interesting battle between Haaland and Van de Ven, but for that to happen, the Tottenham defender has to regain full fitness on time. As per Frank, Van de Ven is “touch-and-go” for the City showdown. Ultimately, he has predicted a 2-2 draw.
For Frank, this fixture arrives at a pivotal moment, as it could shape how the remainder of the season unfolds. It is a must-win game for Tottenham as they look to climb the table and push for European qualification.