Manchester City train for Premier League season opener
Manchester City’s players were on the training ground preparing for the start of their Premier League title defence at Tottenham on Sunday (August 15).
Tottenham vs Manchester City: Line-ups
Tottenham
Manchester City
Cagey One to be Expected
#1
Man City will be looking to defend the title that they reclaimed last term, while Spurs will be aiming to push closer to the top four in 2021-22, having finished a disappointing seventh in the top flight last season.
#2
Now under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, it will be fascinating to see what Tottenham achieve this season, and as expected, talk of Harry Kane has dominated the build up to this contest; the England captain trained alongside his teammates on Friday, but Nuno has refused to reveal whether the striker will play against the side that are desperate to sign him in the current market.
#3
Spurs have managed to boost their squad this summer with the arrivals of Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero, but it would be a monumental blow to the North London club if they were to lose Kane, who is thought to be valued by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in excess of £160m.
#4
Pep Guardiola’s side certainly had their problems during the 2020-21 campaign, but a record of 27 wins, five draws and six defeats from 38 matches saw them collect 86 points, which left them 12 points clear of second-place Manchester United, showing the gap that potential challengers need to make up this term.
#5
Man City have broken the British transfer record this summer to sign Jack Grealish, while they are still said to be actively pursuing Kane, despite Guardiola refusing to discuss the England captain when questioned on the situation during Friday’s pre-match press conference.
DPP Verdict
It is always difficult to know exactly what to expect on the opening weekend of the new campaign, and it would not be a surprise to see a home win, an away win or a draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Man City are the favourites, but Tottenham’s squad is still full of quality, and it could mean a low-scoring draw here.
