Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Allergy and Pep Guardiola's "Kryptonite"

LONDON, SATURDAY - It is difficult to determine which team benefits more from Manchester City's visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. City manager Pep Guardiola arrives with the worst meeting history against Tottenham, while the home team seems to be allergic to playing at home.

Tottenham and City only have three days to rest after winning their final group stage match in the Champions League. The two teams will face each other in a Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, on Sunday (1/2/2026) at 23:30 WIB.

City should be concerned about the upcoming visit. While in need of points to chase the league leader Arsenal, they are set to face the opponent that Guardiola despises the most. Tottenham is the team that has most frequently defeated City in the league during Guardiola's era (8 times).

Guardiola's poor record was once again evident in the first meeting at the Etihad Stadium in August 2025. City suffered a 0-2 defeat against the team coached by Thomas Frank. This was City's only home loss of the season. "Their team is quite fluid (in attacking and defending)," said City assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders.

The City press conference was represented by Lijnders as Guardiola was attending to personal matters. The day before, the Spanish manager had attended a charity event for Palestine in Barcelona. Guardiola returned on Friday local time and will still lead the match.

Interestingly, Guardiola's team has always managed to secure full points in their last two league visits. This record further burdens Frank, considering Tottenham's home record this season has been very poor. "The Lilywhites" have only managed to win twice out of 11 league matches.

Tottenham has the second-worst home record in the league, only better than the relegation zone team Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, Frank currently holds the position of Tottenham's coach with the lowest average points in home matches (0.82 points). This problem has caused them to sink to 14th place.

Indeed, it is not perfect, but we have been more consistent in the last 10 matches. We have played better, especially over the full 90 minutes.

One of the main factors contributing to the anticlimax of the home match is the negative energy from the fans. Frank has lost the support of the majority of fans due to a series of poor results during his seven-month tenure. The negative energy from the stands has transmitted onto the field.

Nevertheless, the Tottenham public is likely to soften in the upcoming big match. Frank has just led the team to qualify directly for the round of 16 in the Champions League after winning against Frankfurt. In their last home match, Tottenham successfully defeated Borussia Dortmund.

Tottenham has managed to win twice in their last three matches across all competitions, after being caught in three consecutive defeats. "It is not perfect yet, but we have been more consistent in the last 10 matches. We are playing better, especially over the full 90 minutes," said Frank.

Regardless of the positive and negative aspects of both teams, there is one factor that can be a differentiator. That is the depth of the team and the fitness of the squad. Both Tottenham and City must contend with time due to the closely scheduled matches. They have just fought fiercely in the middle of last week.

From that perspective, the home team is at a greater disadvantage. Frank has limited options due to the injury storm. Nine of their players are still sidelined, including key defender Micky van de Ven, whose participation is in doubt due to a minor injury. In the away match against Frankfurt, midfielder Joao Palhinha even had to be played as a center-back.

City can rotate their squad. Their two new players, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, did not participate in the Champions League due to registration issues. Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri was also rested last week due to a red card suspension from the previous match.

Three key players for City can return to the starting lineup in excellent condition. Coincidentally, defender Ruben Dias and midfielder Nico Gonzalez have also recovered from their injuries. Guardiola has a wealth of options to showcase away from home.

Frank stated that this is the advantage of a team that can effectively utilize the transfer window. He expressed some envy towards Guardiola for missing the opportunity to acquire Semenyo. Tottenham had been interested in the Bournemouth player, but Semenyo preferred City.

"Fans certainly want the best for the club, just like I do, the owner, the staff, and the players. However, regarding the transfer window, that is not the authority of a coach. There are certainly many quality players that we are targeting to improve this squad," said Frank. (AP/REUTERS)