Aguero is back in the matchday squad for the first time since suffering an injury against West Ham United last month, whilst Sterling has recovered from the problem he picked whilst on England duty.
Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez return to the starting XI in place of Ilkay Gundogan and City’s No.7, but otherwise it is the same team which started in our draw with Liverpool two weeks ago.
Fernandinho misses out with a stomach problem, whilst Nathan Ake is injured and Oleksandr Zinchenko is not fully fit.
Teams
CITY: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Torres, Jesus.
SUBS: Steffen, Stones, Sterling, Gundogan, Aguero, Foden, Garcia.
SPURS: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon, Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Bergwijn, Ndombele, Son, Kane.
SUBS: Hart, Davies, Rodon, Lo Celso, Bale, Lucas, Vinicius.
Formation
With Bernardo and Mahrez like for like replacements for Gundogan and Sterling, it looks like we will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in North London.
Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo will be at full-back, either side of Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte, with Rodrigo sitting deepest in midfield.
Bernardo and captain Kevin De Bruyne will be just ahead of the Spaniard, whilst Mahrez and Ferran Torres will flank Gabriel Jesus in the forward line.
Defensive test
Aymeric Laporte acknowledged City will need a steely focus against if we’re to keep a clean sheet against one of the Premier League’s in form teams.
Spurs are unbeaten in seven and are the second highest scorers in the competition, whilst City boast the joint-meanest defence, along with today’s opponents, Leicester City and Wolves.
Laporte is playing alongside Dias for just the fourth time and whilst it is very much a fledgling partnership, the defensive duo will have a big role to play in today’s contest, as they try to keep Spurs talismanic striker Harry Kane quiet.
Stats and facts
- City have lost just one of our 12 matches in all competitions this season.
- Gabriel Jesus has been involved in 11 goals in his last 11 matches in all competitions, with eight strikes and three assists. The Brazilian has scored in his last three appearances for, last scoring in four in a row in April 2018.
- Spurs have trailed for a total of just 58 minutes in the Premier League so far this season. We have the next best record with 88 minutes.
- Jose Mourinho has lost five league matches as a manager versus Manchester City, his joint most against a single opponent - along with Spurs.
- Mourinho is aiming to win successive competitive fixtures against Pep Guardiola for the first time.
- In both of our previous visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Son Heung-min has scored, Hugo Lloris has saved a penalty and we have failed to score.
