Ange Postecoglou insists he will relish the prospect of taking injury-hit Tottenham to Premier League champions Manchester City this weekend.

Spurs make the trip to the Etihad on a three-match losing run and with their list of absentees into double figures with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur among those sidelined.

Tottenham boast a good record against Pep Guardiola’s City with five wins from their last eight meetings, but that has come from playing a more pragmatic style compared to Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy.

Even with a growing injury list, the Australian is not about to ditch his possession-based, front-foot tactics any time soon despite a seemingly daunting visit to last season’s treble-winners.

“It’s always a challenge playing against City or any team Pep manages. You love that, you relish that, that’s the arena you want to be in, measuring yourself against the very best,” Postecoglou stated.

“Yeah, great if things were a bit smoother for us but it is what it is and I still think during this period for us, even last week, there were moments in the game when we played some fantastic football.

“We’ve got to crack on, we’ve got to get on with it. We can’t take our eyes off what we’re trying to achieve here. For me that’s always paramount to everything I do, every decision I make.

“Every time we put a team out there it’s about us becoming the team we want to become. Through that process there’s going to be some challenges, as there is now, some tough times and you just have to stay focused on what you’re trying to achieve.

“For me these are the important times because this will show what kind of football team we want to be. You can sort of shy away, say we have injuries, we’re playing Man City away but you’re either going to be a club that tries to knock off the big clubs or you are a big club. You are one or the other.

“My hope and my ambition for this club is to make it a big club and to do that you have to be successful and win things. To win things you have to have a plan, stick to it and believe in it.”

Manchester City win a high-scoring encounter. Manchester City 4-2 Tottenham

John Stones could be fit to start for Manchester City after making a midweek return from injury off the bench, while Mateo Kovacic is also back fit to bolster Pep Guardiola’s options. Kevin de Bruyne remains out.

Spurs suffered another blow last weekend with Rodrigo Bentancur, only just back from an injury lay-off, set to miss another significant period of football with an ankle injury. Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero are back available after suspension in much needed good news for Ange Postecoglou, who remains without Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Richarlison. Pape Matar Sarr is also not yet fit to feature.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Gvardiol; Rodri, Stones; Foden, Silva, Alvarez, Doku; Haaland.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Davies, Udogie; Bissouma, Hojbjerg; Kulusevski, Lo Celso, Johnson; Son.

When is Manchester City vs Totenham?

Manchester City vs Tottenham is due to kick off at 4.30pm GMT on Sunday 3 December at the Etihad Stadium.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 4pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via Sky Go.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Man City vs Tottenham.

We will be bringing you all the action from the Etihad Stadium including build up, team news and some of the wider stories involving the two teams.

Manchester City will be wanting to return to winning ways following their draw against Liverpool, while for Spurs, who have lost their last three matches after a high-flying start, it is an important chance to lay down a marker to the others in the race for a Champions League spot.