Can I add something to this talk about City’s bad record at this stadium, at the risk of sounding like I’m making excuses? Apart from the first game here, when City missed a penalty and lost 1-0, they have generally come here when not at their best or in a bad run of form.

• In 2019-20, every four or five games they would create chances, miss them and concede on the break, which was no different here.
• In 2020-21 it was the same thing, because they didn’t click into form that season until December.
• In 2021-22 it was the first game of the season and most of City’s players had been with their national teams all summer and half of them weren’t ready to play (they lost the Community Shield to Leicester the weekend before).
• Last season is less cut and dried but it was a bit like 2019-20 in that they did not win three league games in a row until April, and the kind of performance they put in against Spurs was not really a shock.

None of those results, then, apart from the first one, came as too much of a surprise. Tonight’s would do, of course, given City are playing at close to their best.

TL;DR: City have generally been performing badly whenever they have lost here.

A muted response to the stadium announcer Paul Coyte giving it his customarily big ‘Up the Spurs’.

Quite a few empty seats with kick-off just a few minutes away.

Across the past five Premier League seasons, Manchester City have held an expected goals advantage of 20.4 to 6.4 over Tottenham in their head-to-head meetings. That stands in stark contrast to actual goals, where Spurs lead City 16 to 14.

City have suffered five losses alongside two draws and two wins during that time. Will today’s match follow this unlikely script once again?

Manchester City are playing their strongest team possible today. I don’t sense them feeling any pressure.

I expect a demolition job, something like 6-0 to City, but this could also wind up being 4-4!

Despite never seeming to do it over a full season, Tottenham are one team that frighten the “big clubs” with their front-foot attacking football over the years.

This will be an entertaining affair for sure.

Brennan Johnson made no secret of him and his team-mates being exposed to the unique pre-match discourse.

“There is a lot of noise about it and we have seen little bits of it, but for us, it’s full focus on the game,” he told Sky Sports. “As professionals, we know there’s a job to do and we’ve still got an opportunity to finish in the Champions League places and that’s most important for us.

“Our record here against Manchester City has been really good recently and we got a point there (at the Etihad) this season and played really well. It’s just exciting to test ourselves against them again.”

Kyle Walker had a slightly different opinion of today’s game to his manager.

“We’ve always had tough games here and it’s going to be a very tough game tonight,” he told Sky Sports. “We just need to treat this game like a final, which it is.

“We’ve played in big games like this before. It’s about keeping your composure, making sure that any slight mistake doesn’t happen. We’re used to playing in title-deciding matches and have been for a number of years, so we’re just going to be ourselves.”

And Man City fans are also giving their pre-game thoughts in The Athletic‘s discussion page at the top of the page and clickable here.

Michael G says: I’m shaking like a leaf!

ManCity Ultra L adds: I’m extremely optimistic about our chances of winning. Come on City.

Wonder if that’s his real name.

While Brian D posts: 3 points. Proper defending. Don’t get sucked into a chaotic game. Grab back control of the race. A boringly high dosage of pausa with no individual errors would be great. That’s all I ask. Three matches. Three finals. Win ’em all and lift the silverware.

Sounds so simple when he says it like that…

Agree? Disagree? Let us know! Get involved in the discussion or email us at: livebloguk@theathletic.com.

Tottenham supporters have been getting involved in our ‘Discuss’ tab at the top of the page and clickable here.

Scott W asks: New Tottenham fan here: since 2020. I know we’re supposed to hate Arsenal but Man City has won every title since we started watching. Am I wrong rooting for Arsenal to win the title?

Yes, Scott, you are wrong.

David R says: Honestly, I’d like to see them play hard for the shirt, and make City prove they deserve the title. But if the team turns up, plays hard, and actually get something from the game, after having blown off half-a-dozen games this season, I’m going to be mightily annoyed.

While Will F jokes: A perfect game to play the kids. The same ones who accompanied their dads on the pitch after Saturday’s game.

Classic.

Let us know your thoughts by joining the conversation!

No change in Pep Guardiola’s demeanour as he faced the cameras a few moments ago.

“It’s a normal game,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s the same as normal.”

He was then asked if the processes are any different for his players in the build-up to such a decisive game.

“They know what we are playing for at this stage,” said Guardiola. “There are no secrets. It’s just looking at Tottenham’s strengths, what we have to do to avoid that as much as possible, impose our strengths and win the game.

“Everyone knows how important it is today.”

Looking at that Spurs team I wonder if their shape will be slightly different tonight, with James Maddison pushed forward, as Charlie mentioned, into an inside-left role? He’s only ever played in the No 8 position this season but Spurs have three other central midfielders in the line-up tonight.

Micky van de Ven starts at left-back for Spurs tonight as Tottenham make three changes: Radu Dragusin, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur come in for Oliver Skipp, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski.

So it looks like James Maddison will be in the front three with Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson, with Pape Matar Sarr in midfield.

Van de Ven starting makes sense – he was excellent in his cameo at left-back on Saturday, and neither Skipp nor Emerson Royal were fully convincing in that role.

Pep Guardiola goes with the line-up that most Manchester City fans would feel most comfortable with.

Nathan Ake is fit enough for the bench after being forced off injured on Saturday, which means that the line-up is as it was once Ake went off. That means Kyle Walker at right-back with Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji centre-backs, and Josko Gvardiol roaming the left.

The rest picked itself, really. It is City’s best players at this moment in time, and they will most likely be funnelled down the middle of the pitch where they can control the match, guard against counters and cause the most damage.

Starting XI: Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland.

Subs: Ortega, Stones, Ake, Grealish, Doku, Alvarez, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis.

Just the one change for Manchester City as Nathan Ake is only passed fit for the bench after an injury sustained against Fulham on Saturday.

He drops out of the starting XI and is replaced by Kyle Walker who captains the side.

Only around 10 minutes until the two team line-ups are revealed.

Will both managers rotate after their weekend exertions?

Who plays at left back for Tottenham, and will Nathan Ake or Jack Grealish be fit enough to start?

Stick with us and find out.