Tottenham vs Manchester City: Lineups and latest updates from League Cup
.webp "Tottenham vs Manchester City: Lineups and latest updates from League Cup")
### Team News Recap
**Tottenham Lineup:**
Starting XI: Vicario; Gray, Romero, Dragusin; Van de Ven, Sarr, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Johnson, Solanke, Werner.
Substitutes: Forster, Pedro Porro, Davies, Udogie, Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison, Moore, Richarlison.
**Manchester City Lineup:**
Starting XI: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Ake; Gundogan, McAtee, O’Reilly; Savinho, Nunes, Foden.
Substitutes: Ederson, Kovacic, Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Gvardiol, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, Alfa-Ruprecht.
### Travel Delays for Manchester City
Despite facing M25 traffic and a closed junction, Manchester City’s team arrived on time at Tottenham’s stadium, allowing the 8:15 PM kickoff to go ahead as scheduled. Had they been delayed, fans were left wondering how a postponed start would have impacted their journey home.
### Team Strategy and Selection
After City's third-round victory over Watford, Pep Guardiola mentioned his intent to prioritize squad rotation in the EFL Cup, pledging to field a “second team.” Nevertheless, he has retained five starters from Saturday’s Premier League match against Southampton, with the remaining players available as substitutes.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has kept six players from the lineup that faced a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace last Sunday. Notably, both James Maddison and Yves Bissouma are available on the bench tonight.
### Pre-Match Thoughts
**Pep Guardiola to Sky Sports:**
"Facing Tottenham under Ange [Postecoglou] has always been challenging. They’re aggressive, dynamic, physical, and they play with well-defined patterns. It’s a fantastic test for our younger and experienced players alike. We need to perform at our very best.”
**Ange Postecoglou’s Remarks:**
"Tonight’s game is one to be excited about, a chance to measure ourselves against an elite opponent with a quarter-final place in the Carabao Cup on the line. City has started the season well and have a strong record in this tournament. We aim for that level, and though it takes time to build, our youthful and promising squad is set on achieving sustained success for the club."