Ange Postecoglou to hand surprise start — Tottenham predicted XI v Man City
Ange Postecoglou could take a gamble with Mathys Tel as Tottenham face Manchester City in the Premier League.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will welcome Pep Guardiola’s team on Wednesday (26 February) as the Australian manager looks to build a winning run.
Spurs beat Ipswich Town 4-1 away from home on Saturday (22 February) in what was a resounding victory for the visitors.
Daniel Levy has been under pressure to sack Postecoglou after poor results this season, but it looks like the former Celtic boss is slowly turning the tide.
Tel to be axed in Tottenham v Manchester City
The Australian manager could seemingly axe Tel after his poor performance against Ipswich, with 63 per cent passing accuracy, zero per cent dribbling success and he was dispossessed once, as per FotMob.
Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are out injured, leaving Postecoglou with a dearth of options in the number nine position, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a youngster getting the nod.
Dane Scarlett should be in for a surprise start against Man City after fans were left impressed by his stint against the Tractor Boys, as he recorded 67 per cent passing accuracy and won 100 per cent of his aerial duels.
| Team | Competiton | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| Tottenham | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Oxford United | Championship | 20 | 4 | 0 |
The 20-year-old, who returned to Spurs from his Oxford United loan in the winter transfer window, provided the assist as Dejan Kulusevski scored the fourth goal for Tottenham at Portman Road.
Postecoglou to make three changes v Manchester City
Postecoglou could potentially make three changes to his starting lineup, with the first one being Scarlett’s inclusion in the team.
Guglielmo Vicario has been brilliant for the North Londoners since his return from injury and should once again start in between the sticks after making four saves against Kieran McKenna’s team.
Archie Gray and Kevin Danso look set at centre-back, with the Australian manager lacking too many options due to several fitness issues in the squad.
Djed Spence has been brilliant in recent weeks and got on the scoresheet against Ipswich, evidently cementing his place in the line-up after completing 87 per cent of his passes and 100 per cent of his dribbles at Portman Road.
The Englishman could arguably be deployed at left-back for Man City’s visit, with Pedro Porro replacing Destiny Udogie in the backline.
Rodrigo Bentancur should continue in the engine room, with James Maddison replacing Lucas Bergvall in the middle of the park.
The Englishman came on as a substitute against the Tractor Boys, providing one assist, recording 97 per cent passing accuracy and winning 100 per cent of his duels.
Kulusevski will probably continue in the team, and Brennan Johson and Son Heung-min pick themselves after their heroics at Portman Road.
The Wales international performed brilliantly, scoring a brace and recording a combined xG and xA of 1.15.
As for the Spurs captain, he has come in for a lot of criticism but silenced his critics with two assists, which will be expected of him again against Man City.