Manchester City vs Tottenham
Premier League
Sunday
3rd December 2023
Etihad Stadium
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the Premier League fixture between Manchester City and Tottenham.
Manchester City vs Tottenham: Preview
Manchester City form analysis
City have been in excellent form recently, winning three and drawing once in their last four Premier League matches. On October 21st they narrowly beat Brighton 2-1 at home, with Julián Álvarez and Erling Haaland on target. City then cruised past rivals Manchester United, dispatching them 3-0 at Old Trafford as Haaland grabbed another brace. This was followed by a rampant 6-1 thrashing of Bournemouth on November 4th, with Phil Foden also amongst the goals.
However, City’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed in an eight-goal thriller against Chelsea a week later. But despite twice losing the lead, Pep Guardiola’s side showed resilience to claim a 4-4 draw. Most recently, City maintained their unbeaten start by holding league rivals Liverpool to a tight 1-1 draw at home, with Haaland again finding the net. With the prolific Haaland leading the line, City look formidable going forward. Tightening up at the back seems the final puzzle to solve if Guardiola’s side are to retain the league title this season.
Tottenham form analysis
Tottenham’s form has dipped after an impressive start under Postecoglou. On October 24th, they beat Fulham 2-0 at home to make it three straight wins. This run continued with a 2-1 victory away at Crystal Palace the following week. However, Spurs were then dismantled 4-1 at home by London rivals Chelsea, collapsing after Conor Gallagher’s penalty brought the Blues level. Tottenham then suffered late heartbreak away at Wolves on November 11th – Benjamin Bourigeaud’s early opener overturned by two stoppage time goals to lose 2-1.
This difficult spell continued on November 26th as Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Aston Villa, with goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins sealing Villa’s impressive comeback win. Overall Tottenham have struggled defensively, keeping just one clean sheet and conceding 11 goals in this poor run. Finding the right balance in midfield seems key to getting Spurs back on track and sustaining a top four push.
