Tottenham vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight

Pep Guardiola defended his decision to let Joao Cancelo leave Manchester City for the rest of the season and said he would rather bank the money than be criticised for wasting huge amounts on a replacement now.

Guardiola described the Portugal full-back as an “incredible” player in City’s last two Premier League-winning campaigns but nevertheless allowed him to join Bayern Munich on loan and without bringing anyone in.

City’s defensive resources were further depleted when John Stones was ruled out for up to a month with a hamstring injury, meaning he will miss Sunday’s game against Tottenham, the top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal and the first leg of their Champions League tie with RB Leipzig.

Guardiola said Cancelo, who lost his place after the World Cup and did not even get off the bench in City’s last three games, was desperate to play but did not guarantee the former Juventus footballer will be part of his plans for next year.

Tottenham’s board has strongly rejected claims it has failed to invest significantly in its football team in recent transfer windows in a letter to the supporters’ trust.

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust last month wrote to the board expressing its concerns over the direction of the club, with four key areas raised.

These included the medium to long-term strategy of owners ENIC and plans for the January transfer window.

A response was provided by Tottenham’s board on Thursday night after the conclusion of a winter transfer window where Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro were signed for Antonio Conte’s side, while Bryan Gil, Djed Spence and Matt Doherty departed on either temporary or permanent deals.

Pep Guardiola maintains that Harry Kane is one the best strikers he has ever seen.

Guardiola’s Manchester City failed in their protracted attempts to prise the England captain away from Tottenham in the summer of 2021.

The club instead turned their attention to Erling Haaland and this time landed their target, with the Norwegian moving to the Etihad Stadium last year.

In terms of goals, that deal has proved a huge success with the prolific Haaland having netted 31 times in 27 appearances this term.

Guardiola therefore has no reason to dwell on what might have been with Kane, ahead of facing him in north London on Sunday, but his admiration for him has not changed.

Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland has impressed him not only with his goals but his constant desire to improve.

Haaland has made a stunning impact at Manchester City, scoring 31 goals in just 27 appearances in all competitions since joining the club last summer.

It is a remarkable statistic but the 22-year-old, who also boasted prolific records at past clubs RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, does not yet see himself as the finished article.

City manager Guardiola said: “I think one of the attributes that has surprised me the most about Erling is the feeling of how he is aware that he can improve in many departments.”

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Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City would have faced stiffer criticism if they had spent like Chelsea and said the Premier League champions are the victims of double standards.

Chelsea broke the British record by paying £106 million for Enzo Fernandez and have committed to spend around £600 million in transfer fees in two windows since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club.

It is the biggest ever spending spree in a year in footballing history and Guardiola feels City are unfairly judged and thinks there is one rule for them and another for other clubs. “Where we come from for sure, definitely,” he replied.

He argued City’s net spend over the last five years is far from the highest, even as they have been the Premier League’s dominant side.

Hugo Lloris has confirmed to TV cameras that Spurs manager Antonio Conte will miss this afternoon’s match.

The boss is recovering from surgery after having his gallbladder removed last week and his assistant Cristian Stellini is standing in for him, Lloris revealed.

There had been a suggestion that Conte could make a quick return to the touchline but the medical staff were always set to make the final call.

Confirmed Man City starting XI, with Kyle Walker captaining the side:

Ederson, Lewis, Walker, Akanji, Ake, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Mahrez, Grealish, Alvarez, Haaland

Confirmed Spurs lineup as Porro and Danjuma start on the bench:

Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Royal, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic, Kulusevski, Kane, Son

Tottenham’s deadline-day arrival Pedro Porro has been described as a “great player” but he still may have to be content with a place on the bench for Sunday’s visit of Manchester City.

Porro completed a loan switch from Sporting Lisbon during the final minutes of the January transfer window after a month of speculation and talks between the two clubs.

Spurs had held a long-standing interest in the Spain international, who will join permanently in the summer for a 45 million euro (£39.5million) fee.

Antonio Conte will be involved in team selection for Tottenham’s fixture with Manchester City and has been watching training back despite recovering from surgery on Wednesday.

The Spurs boss is currently in Italy after he was forced to have his gallballder removed having been diagnosed with cholecystitis.

Conte was on the touchline during Saturday’s 3-0 win at Preston, but was not his usual animated self and severe abdominal pain forced him to have surgery in his home country this week.

Assistant Cristian Stellini admitted on Friday doctors will make the final decision on whether or not Conte can attend Sunday’s clash with Manchester City but regardless the Italian will still have an impact on the Premier League fixture.