Tottenham confirmed XI vs Manchester City — Fans ‘shocked’ by ‘brave’ Thomas Frank call
Tottenham will face Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday as one of the biggest games of the season is upon us.
Spurs are coming off a 3-0 win over Burnley on 16 August, with Thomas Frank getting his tenure in North London off to a perfect start in the English top flight.
Fans in N17 are still reeling over missing out on Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, but a win over Pep Guardiola’s team at the Etihad Stadium on 23 August will undoubtedly placate things a bit.
The Danish manager has been without a few key players due to fitness issues, but his team selection against the Clarets worked wonders.
Thomas Frank surprises with back four against Manchester City
Frank has made two changes to his starting lineup against Man City, with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur coming in for Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.
The Danish manager has stuck with the same backline that started against Burnley, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence starting.
Some fans have been surprised by the 51-year-old head coach’s decision to play four players at the back, with one supporter calling it “brave”.
It looks like many were expecting Frank to play Kevin Danso as well against Guardiola’s team for better protection.
However, the Danish manager has decided against playing a back five, which undoubtedly means Palhinha will have a significant role to play in stopping Man City’s attacks.
Brennan Johnson and Mohammed Kudus will certainly have a challenging task falling back to support the defence when needed, as the hosts will look to dominate the proceedings, with one fan “shocked” by Frank’s decision at the back.
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Spurs record vs Manchester City should be encouraging for Thomas Frank
Man City have been predicted to beat Spurs by Opta’s supercomputer, with the North London outfit the underdogs going into the fixture.
Supporters have seen encouraging signs from Frank in the opening few games of the season and will expect a tough fight on their visit to M11.
Despite the loss against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, the North Londoners looked dominant for most of the game.
Richarlison seems to have returned to his best at Tottenham, and the Brazilian will certainly be key to their success this season as they face a reinforced Man City.
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