Manchester City Seeks to Break Spurs' Curse at the Etihad Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur will travel to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday for a highly anticipated clash against Manchester City in the second round of Premier League fixtures.

The North London club began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over newly promoted Burnley at home, with Richarlison netting a brace. Spurs have already shown their prowess against City, having beaten them twice last season and knocking them out of the EFL Cup in the round of 16.

However, City are overwhelming favourites to continue their winning start, with a 61.7% chance of victory according to Opta data. The Citizens currently sit at the top of the standings after a 4-0 win at Wolves in the first week. Since the start of April, Manchester City have picked up more points than any other top-flight side and are the only ever-present side to remain unbeaten in that time.

Erling Haaland has been instrumental in City's success, scoring 48 goals in 48 home Premier League appearances for Manchester City. Another brace by Haaland on Saturday would see him hit a landmark of 50 home goals. However, it's worth noting that only one of Haaland's four goals in six previous appearances against Tottenham in the league came at home.

Spurs have not won their first two matches of a league campaign since 2021-22, but they have proven a tough test for Pep Guardiola during his managerial career. Spurs have won two of their last four Premier League games at the Etihad, more than they did in their previous 11 visits combined.

Mohammed Kudus provided two or more assists on his Premier League debut for Tottenham, which could give them a boost against City. Richarlison has the best minutes per goal ratio of any player who has featured across the last two Premier League seasons, further highlighting Spurs' potency in attack.

Despite these positives, Spurs are given an 18.7% chance of earning a surprise victory, with their hopes of a draw slightly higher at 19.6%. The match promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams eager to claim a valuable three points in the early stages of the season.