Tottenham vs Manchester City live: Latest score and updates from Premier League – UK Times

That is because it more felt like in recent weeks the door was ready to blow on an engine room full up with steam rather than the boat rocking such was the pressure building.

Their victory at Elland Road, a four-goal rout of the Premier League strugglers, put them back on course in the title race and eased fears they were starting to sink under the weight of apprehension which was building around North London after a three-game winless run gave Manchester City and Aston Villa more than a bit of hope.

Manchester City may have been the Premier League’s formidable force of the past decade, but Tottenham have more often than not proved a serious stumbling block for Pep Guardiola.

Despite Thomas Frank’s maiden season struggles, his Spurs tenure got off to a pretty impressive start as he secured a 2-0 victory over City at the Etihad in August, with first-half goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha sealing the win.

That was their second successive win at City after James Maddison scored twice last season to help the side to a 4-0 win.

In fact, Spurs have beaten City eight times since 2020, with the Lilywhites dealing Guardiola defeat more than any other opponent in his managerial career.

Thomas Frank has claimed he had no fears that he would lose his job after Tottenham succumbed to a home defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham earlier this month.

“No,” he responded when asked by Sky Sports if he had concerns for his job. |I would say it’s not about me, but I understand how football works, of course. It’s easier to only blame the head coach.

“I think the feeling we have is a very committed playing squad. It’s a very committed staff. It’s a very committed leadership at the top of the club, in Vinai (Venkatesham, Spurs chief executive) and Johan (Lange, Spurs sporting director).”

Spurs fans turned on the Dane after that match as they chanted for his sack, and Frank has admitted to taking notice of that.

He added: “Of course, that’s hard. Of course it is. When you feel that you’ve played a game where you could have gotten more out of it, and you don’t get it, that’s tough.

“There’s also a good study in English football culture because the whole end stand of Burnley was actually signing, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’, from everyone, from 12-year-old kids to 25-year-olds to 70-year-olds. But that’s the way it is. I understand that.”

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has contributed nearly £17m in tax over the past year, placing him at the top of the Sunday Times Football Tax List.

The Norwegian forward, whose basic weekly salary is understood to be £500,000, also earned an additional £10m from image rights and bonus payments, according to The Times.

Haaland, 25, extended his contract with City last January, committing to the club until 2034.

Liverpool’s Mo Salah followed closely, paying £14.5m in tax during the same period.

After being rested for last week’s win over Wolves, Erling Haaland is back in the team and leads the line against Tottenham.

Jeremy Doku is out injured meaning the Norwegian will be supported by Rayan Cherki and January recruit Antoine Semenyo, while fellow new signing Marc Guehi also starts.

Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence miss out on the matchday squad due to injury, meaning Radu Dragusin starts at centre-back while Archie Gray looks set to play right-back.

Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke start up top together, with Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha seemingly forming a midfield three.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Gray, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Bissouma, Palhinha, Gallagher; Simons, Solanke, Kolo Muani.

Manchester City XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Silva, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.

The days when Pep Guardiola’s rivalry with Jose Mourinho was toxic are long gone. They may never clash again.

But for a few minutes, they were linked again. A grateful Guardiola, who cursed his old enemy in the past, said he would send the Portuguese a message to thank him. It was Mourinho’s Benfica who spared Manchester City a return ticket to the Champions League’s knockout play-offs.

Some of the cheers at the Etihad Stadium came long after the City players had left the pitch. They greeted Benfica’s fourth goal against Real Madrid; scored, improbably, by goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. The 15-time European champions were down to nine men, condemned to ninth place by defeat.

Tottenham are exploring a move for former Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby as they look to boost their attacking options before the January transfer deadline.

Spurs would be required to rival Serie A giants Inter Milan for the 26-year-old’s signature, who plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad following his July 2024 departure from Villa Park.

After 18 months in Jeddah, the Frenchman now open to returning to a Champions League club, criteria which Spurs and Inter currently fall under. Spurs are into the competition’s last 16 after sealing a top-eight finish in the league phase’s final matchday, while Inter were forced to settle for a place in the knockout play-offs.

Tottenham want to sign Diaby this window but will need to act fast to get a move over the line before the 2 February deadline, while Diaby is currently assessing his options.

It might have been a scene from a training session over any of the seven seasons they were teammates. With a change of pace, Bernardo Silva darted past Ilkay Gundogan.

This time, it was on the Etihad Stadium pitch. Manchester City captains past and present are two of Pep Guardiola’s favourite ever players, a pair with the technical skills and footballing intellect to appeal to a manager who is both purist and theorist.