ALLSPORTS – Manchester City and Tottenham have officially announced their line-ups for the second matchweek of the 2025/26 Premier League, Saturday evening (August 23, 2025) local time. The clash at the Etihad Stadium brought several surprises in both teams’ starting XIs.
Pep Guardiola once again made a bold call. Despite Ederson being fully recovered from injury, James Trafford was handed the starting spot in goal.
Meanwhile, two key names, Ilkay Gundogan and Manuel Akanji, were left out of the squad entirely. Both players are strongly rumored to be on the verge of leaving the Etihad.
On the other side, Thomas Frank’s Tottenham approached the game with confidence. Spurs stuck with the back-four system that worked well in their opening win over Burnley. The inclusion of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield was expected to provide extra strength for the North London side.
Surprise in Manchester City’s Line-up
City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Trafford started between the posts, protected by a back four of Rico Lewis, John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Rayan Aït-Nouri.
In midfield, Tijjani Reijnders partnered Nico Gonzalez as holding midfielders. Further forward, Oscar Bobb, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush operated behind star striker Erling Haaland.
The bench was packed with talent as well, including Ederson, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Jeremy Doku.
However, the absence of Gundogan and Akanji stole the spotlight. Reports suggest the pair are close to finalizing moves away from the club. Ederson, meanwhile, had to settle for a spot among the substitutes despite regaining fitness.
Tottenham Rely on Richarlison, Kudus, and Johnson
Tottenham kept faith in their 4-3-3 system. Guglielmo Vicario guarded the net, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Djed Spence forming the defensive line.
The midfield trio consisted of Pape Matar Sarr, Joao Palhinha, and Rodrigo Bentancur, tasked with competing against City’s engine room.
Up front, Mohamed Kudus and Brennan Johnson flanked Richarlison, who led the line as the central striker.
From the bench, Frank still had plenty of attacking firepower with Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, and Arnaut Danjuma ready to come on. Their presence underlined Spurs’ determination to challenge the reigning champions.
Confirmed Line-ups
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): James Trafford; Rico Lewis, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Rayan Aït-Nouri; Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders; Oscar Bobb, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush; Erling Haaland.
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Tottenham (4-3-3): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence; Pape Matar Sarr, Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur; Mohamed Kudus, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson.
Manager: Thomas Frank
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