A monumental clash is going to take place in London as Manchester City, the leaders of the pack with six wins out of six visits a young yet resilient Tottenham Hotspur who are the leaders of the chasing pack in second place. A top of the table clash guarantees goals and this game may not be any different as two of the biggest and smartest minds in football go head to head first time in England.
The two managers have a history as they lined up against each other back in Spain in the hotly contested Catalan derby. Pochettino's Espanyol had caused an upset back then by beating one of the best Barcelona sides ever but Sunday will be a more level playground. Let's take a look at the combined eleven from the sides in the top of the table clash at White Hart Lane.
Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris
The Frenchman is one of the best keepers in the league and the newly signed Claudio Bravo has looked nervous at times and obviously will take some time to settle in a new league. City's deadly attack will surely test Lloris as the Frenchman has to be at his best against the fellow title contenders.
Defenders
Right back: Kyle Walker
Walker has established himself as a core player in Pochettino's team as his attacking output has improved under the Argentine. He already has two assists this season and will be up for the challenge against the blistering pace of Raheem Sterling.
Centre back: Toby Alderweireld
The Belgian is arguably Spurs' best signing in recent years as he has formed a solid partnership with fellow countryman, Jan Vertonghen. Spurs have the meanest defence this season with just three goals conceded and one of the main reason for this is the solidity that Alderweireld offers.
Centre back: Jan Vertonghen
Though Guardiola has improved the likes of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi significantly, there seems to be no reason to change the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League for them. The Belgians are playing together for years and that understanding is showing on the pitch as Spurs have one of the best defenses in the league.
Left back: Aleksander Kolarov
Guardiola has deployed the Serbian on the left flank and also as a centre back and Kolarov has justified the manager's decision on playing him. Kolarov has come back after a disappointing last season and his attacking output is the reason that he keeps Danny Rose out of this team.
Midfield
Defensive midfielder: Fernandinho
The Brazilian is one of the first names on the team sheet for Guardiola as Fernandinho has established his place in the starting lineup for City. He works hard, tracks back and every attack seems to start from the Brazilian. Guardiola is moulding him to be his Busquets or Alonso during his time in England.
Centre midfield : Moussa Dembele
Dembele is integral to Pochettino's tactics at Spurs as his resurgent pressing and passing range has always been a feature in Spurs' play. He returns from a suspension and a minor injury and will play in any given lineup considering his contribution to the team.
Centre midfield: David Silva
The Spaniard is one of the best playmakers in the Premier League and has become more dangerous with him being deployed in a more central role by Guardiola. Silva has played well this season as he has been an impact player for the Citizens as his role often go unnoticed because of the exploits shared by Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero.
Forwards
Right wing: Heung-Min Son
With five goals in his last five games, the South Korean has been able to replace the injured Harry Kane effectively. Son is in great form and will be a huge threat to the City fullbacks on Sunday. He is expected to play on the right wing as City must restrict the space given to him as he has proved to be a match-winner for Spurs lately.
Left wing : Raheem Sterling
Sterling is playing every game as a man on a mission as he has proved his worth under the Spaniard. The youngster is in great form scoring five goals this campaign and is playing with a swagger this season. With Kevin De Bruyne set to miss two weeks of action for City, Sterling has even a bigger role to play now as Guardiola will look to his pace to damage the opponents.
Striker: Sergio Aguero
One can't keep one of the best strikers in Europe out of the team at any cost. Sergio Aguero has already scored 12 goals this season in 8 appearances and has a good scoring record against Spurs. Though he will be up against the best defense in the country, the Argentine has proved it time and again that he can punish any team on his day.
