The Premier League obtained again underway with a bang final weekend, and the second spherical of fixtures guarantees simply as a lot intrigue.
One of many standout matches will happen on Saturday as two groups who made a successful begin in Manchester Metropolis and Tottenham, face off on the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s facet sit high of the standings after week one, with a 4-0 win at Wolves propelling them above the opposite sturdy starters.
Spurs usually are not far behind, although, after starting life within the Premier League underneath Thomas Frank with a 3-0 victory over newly promoted Burnley on house soil.
Tottenham have typically confirmed a tricky check for Guardiola throughout his managerial profession, and they are going to be hoping they’ll pull off one other shock as they try and construct some early momentum.
With each groups trying to make it two wins from two this weekend, who will come out on high in Manchester?
Right here, utilizing Opta information, we delve into the important thing insights forward of Saturday’s conflict.
What’s anticipated?
Unsurprisingly, Metropolis are anticipated to be within the combine for the title this yr, placing final yr’s struggles behind them, and they’re overwhelming favourites to proceed their successful begin right here.
Metropolis got here out on high in 61.7% of the Opta supercomputer’s 10,000 pre-match simulations and earned a win of their first house match of the marketing campaign.
Spurs, in the meantime, are given simply an 18.7% probability of incomes a shock victory, with their hopes of a draw barely increased at 19.6%.
Nevertheless, latest historical past suggests Spurs could possibly overturn the chances.
Spurs have gained two of their final 4 Premier League video games on the Etihad (D1 L1), greater than they did of their earlier 11 visits mixed (D2 L8).
And following their 4-0 victory final season, they’re in search of consecutive wins away at Metropolis for the primary time since Could 2010.
And Metropolis have gained simply 4 of their final 12 top-flight matches towards Spurs (D2 L6). Although they beat them 1-0 of their final assembly in February, they haven’t secured consecutive league wins towards them since December 2017 and April 2019 (4 in a row).
Spurs beat Metropolis twice in all competitions final season, additionally knocking them out of the EFL Cup within the spherical of 16 with a 2-1 win at house, and the Residents may not be as assured regardless of their favourites tag.
Can Metropolis overcome Spurs hoodoo?
Throughout Man Metropolis’s torrid run of type in the course of the season, one of many lowest moments got here again in November with their heavy loss at Spurs’ fingers.
Ange Postecoglou’s facet blew the hosts away, with James Maddison scoring an early brace earlier than Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson piled on the distress.
That match marked the primary time Guardiola had misplaced a house sport by 4 objectives in his managerial profession, however it isn’t the one time Spurs have pulled one over the Spaniard.
In all competitions, Guardiola has misplaced 9 video games towards Tottenham in his managerial profession, solely dropping extra towards Liverpool (10). They’re additionally one in every of three groups he has confronted 10 or extra occasions and gained fewer than half of his video games towards (11/23, 48%).
The opposite sides to do equally are Liverpool (6/24, 6%) and Actual Madrid (13/47, 48%).
Away from house towards Spurs, Metropolis are inclined to have extra luck, however it’s on the Etihad the place they wrestle to include their opponents. They haven’t stored a clear sheet towards Spurs on house soil since a 3-0 win in February 2021.
In actual fact, the 4 Premier League conferences between Metropolis and Tottenham on the Etihad since then have produced 21 objectives (9 for the hosts, 12 for Spurs), with the away facet netting at the very least twice in all 4.
However type is on Metropolis’s facet. Because the begin of April, they’ve picked up extra factors than another top-flight facet (26) and are the one ever-present facet to stay unbeaten in that point (W8 D2).
In addition they have essentially the most clear sheets (seven) and have confronted the fewest photographs per sport of any facet within the division since April (7.6), one thing that Spurs will certainly be aiming to check.
Metropolis’s new signings have began strongly, although, with Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki each getting on the scoresheet on their Premier League debuts for the membership.
However Erling Haaland, who scored the opposite two objectives of their Wolves thrashing, can be aiming to steal the headlines.
He has scored 48 objectives in 48 house Premier League appearances, and one other brace on Saturday would see him hit a landmark. The one participant to hit 50 house objectives in fewer than 50 appearances is Alan Shearer, who scored his fiftieth house purpose in his forty seventh sport.
Haaland has scored 4 objectives in six earlier appearances towards Spurs within the league, however solely a kind of got here at house, again in January 2023, which he can be keen to vary.
Frank trying to construct momentum
Spurs shortly put their UEFA Tremendous Cup disappointment behind them of their opening Premier League sport, with Frank getting off to an ideal begin.
Previous to that win over Burnley, Spurs had not stored a clear sheet in any of their earlier 13 league matches and had misplaced their final three house video games within the top-flight.
However a convincing efficiency, with the spotlight being Richarlison’s beautiful scissor kick, ensured Frank shortly ended each of these runs and kick-started their season on a excessive.
Now he faces the problem of ending a distinct streak, as Spurs haven’t gained their first two matches of a league marketing campaign since 2021-22. That was additionally the final time a supervisor gained his first two league video games accountable for the membership (Nuno Espirito Santo, then).
Nevertheless, they’re winless of their final 11 video games towards non-newly promoted sides (D2 L9), since a 1-0 win over Manchester United in February.
Spurs solely gained 5 video games on the highway within the Premier League final season (D2 L12), although their first two victories away from house each got here in Manchester.
Frank led Brentford to a 2-1 victory on the Etihad in November 2022. Solely two managers have overwhelmed Guardiola away within the league with two golf equipment, and he can be trying to be a part of Jose Mourinho (Actual Madrid, Man Utd) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea, Spurs) on that checklist.
In an effort to do this, he’ll as soon as once more be counting on his ahead gamers to do their jobs, with Richarlison not the one influential determine towards Burnley.
Mohammed Kudus grew to become simply the second participant to offer two or extra assists on his Premier League debut for Tottenham, after Maddison towards Brentford in August 2023.
On the opening weekend, solely Pedro Neto tried extra crosses (12) than Kudus (10), whereas his 5 possibilities created have been the joint-most, together with Burnley’s Josh Cullen and Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes.
As confirmed within the Tremendous Cup, although, Spurs can get objectives from wherever, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero liable for scoring towards Paris Saint-Germain.
The Dutchman gathered the second-highest anticipated objectives (xG) amongst Spurs gamers final weekend (0.6), whereas each he and Djed Spence, who, like Romero, has lately signed a brand new deal, had two photographs every.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester Metropolis – Tijjani Reijnders
Reijnders each scored and assisted in Manchester Metropolis’s 4-0 win over Wolves on his Premier League debut – no participant has ever achieved this of their first two Metropolis appearances within the competitors.
Reijnders could possibly be the primary participant since Emmanuel Adebayor in August 2009 to attain of their first two Premier League video games for the membership.
In opposition to Wolves, solely Nico Gonzalez (25) tried extra passes within the remaining third than Reijnders (22), with the Dutchman finishing 90.9% of these. He additionally tried the joint-most duels (14), although he accomplished simply 4.
Tottenham – Richarlison
Richarlison netted a brace in Spurs’ 3-0 win over Burnley on MD1, already hitting 50% of his complete for the whole lot of the 2024-25 Premier League season (4 in 15 video games).
The Brazilian has the most effective minutes per purpose ratio of any participant who has featured throughout the final two Premier League seasons (a purpose each 95 minutes), additionally having fun with a 27.3% conversion charge.
He gathered simply 0.8 anticipated objectives (xG) towards Burnley, having 5 photographs general. Solely three gamers had extra makes an attempt on the opening weekend than Richarlison (six), whereas he had the joint-most photographs on track (three, degree with Man Utd’s Matheus Cunha).
