Manchester City Opposition Watch: Tottenham will provide a test for Pep Guardiola’s new look team

Manchester City faces their first significant challenge of the 25/26 season as they host Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium. Following a comfortable 4-0 victory over Wolves, Pep Guardiola's side now confronts a higher-quality opponent. Under new manager Thomas Frank, Tottenham appears stronger than last season, and despite several injury absences, they are expected to provide a rigorous early test in the Premier League.

Tottenham began their season impressively with a 3-0 win over Burnley, courtesy of a brace from Richarlison and a goal from Brennan Johnson. This performance demonstrated their capability against a newly promoted team, setting a positive tone for their campaign.

Key threats for Tottenham include Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison, who could exploit Manchester City's high defensive line on counter-attacks. Additionally, the width provided by Pedro Porro on the right and Djed Spence on the left, combined with a solid center-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Mickey Van de Ven, enhances their defensive and offensive structure.

Tottenham might adopt a five-at-the-back formation to frustrate City, a tactic Thomas Frank successfully employed against them during his tenure at Brentford. This approach could be particularly relevant given the team's current injury crisis.

Significant creative absences for Tottenham include Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, both sidelined with serious knee injuries. They are joined by Destiny Udogie, Radu Dragusin, Manor Solomon, Kota Takai, Bryan Gil, and potentially Yves Bissouma, weakening the squad's depth and threat.

Manchester City aims to build on their opening victory but must overcome a team that has historically challenged them, including a memorable 4-0 loss to Spurs at home last season. Despite Tottenham's injury issues, Frank's past success against City and Spurs' tendency to upset Guardiola's side mean City will need to be at their best to secure a positive result.