Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the International Champions Cup! Preparations for the new Premier League season are now well underway, and this one could act as a dress rehearsal for the real thing as two of the main title contenders go head to head in Nashville. Both are still in contention to win a trophy before the season even begins, but to do that they must win tonight. Before we take a closer look, though, let's first check out the team news...

MANCHESTER CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Stones, Otamendi, Danilo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Fernandinho, G Jesus

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Trippier, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Dembele, Winks, Eriksen, Dele, Kane

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Vorm, Whiteman, Austin, Carter-Vickers, Walker-Peters, Wimmer, Dinzeyi, Brown, Miller, Oakley-Boothe, Georgiou, Onomah, Nkoudou, Janssen

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, the headline news comes from the Manchester City camp as Kyle Walker is handed a reunion with his former teammates a little sooner than he might have expected. A little over a fortnight after completing a £50m move to the Etihad Stadium from Spurs, he lines up against his former employers in the right wing-back role. He is by no means the only major summer signing City have made during this transfer window, but the majority of the eyes will be on him tonight.

Indeed, Walker is one of three new arrivals in Pep Guardiola's starting lineup tonight, with Ederson - the most expensive goalkeeper of all time - continuing between the sticks and Danilo operating on the opposite flank. Bernardo Silva is still away after his Confederations Cup exploits and Benjamin Mendy is currently injured and could miss the start of the new Premier League season as a result, while Douglas Luiz is very seen as one for the future, so Guardiola has put all of his available new faces on show tonight for this Nashville crowd.

That was also the case during the victory over Real Madrid, but despite the impressive nature of that result, Guardiola has made a few changes to his side from that one. David Silva is one of those to come in as Yaya Toure drops out, while Sterling's goal against the European champions has earned him a starting role. Fernandinho also comes into the team, while Sergio Aguero drops out of the starting XI.

Foden was very impressive against Real Madrid, but the youngster does not start tonight, dropping out in one of those three changes. Kevin De Bruyne does keep his place, though, having earned lavish praise from Pep Guardiola for his performance against Real Madrid. The Belgian was a creative force in the Premier League last season, ended the campaign with a league-high 18 assists, and he laid on two more against Los Blancos to suggests that he will pick up where he left off.

As for Tottenham, Kieran Trippier fills the void left by Walker at right-back, as was expected. Tripper was actually chosen ahead of Walker on a few occasions towards the end of last season following an alleged fall-out with manager Mauricio Pochettino, so both of them will be keen to outshine the other tonight. Looking at the season ahead too, they could be battling it out for the starting right-back berth for England at the World Cup, so their competition has not ended just because Walker has moved on.

Elsewhere for Spurs, they start pretty much all of their availble big-hitters, with Son and Rose currently sidelined through injury. There are no new faces in the Tottenham camp yet - as has been well documented - but this crop which starts the match today put up a very good title challenge last season and, if they continue to improve as much as they did last term, then Spurs may not even need any new signings despite the level of activity going on around them.

Harry Kane is, of course, the star man for Spurs at the moment having won the Golden Boot for the second season in a row last term. Having well and truly blown away suggestions that he might be a one-season wonder, it is not too farcical to suggest that Kane could be a Premier League legend in the making. Indeed, such has been the level of his performances so far that there have even been suggestions that he could threaten Alan Shearer's all-time goalscoring record in the division.

Spurs are far from a one-man team, though, and Kane was ably backed up last year. Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen both had brilliant seasons last term, while behind them Dembele once again ran the middle of the park alongside the likes of Dier and Wanyama. He will be with Winks in midfield today as Pochettino looks like he is going for a 3-4-3 system with Trippier and Davies as wing-backs, flanking the central defensive trio of Vertonghen, Dier and Alderweireld.

There is quality throughout that Tottenham team, then, but the big question is whether they need more to make the next step up. Last season's runners-up are yet to make their move in the transfer market - something I will talk about more a little later - but Man City have been the antithesis of that and have really splashed the cash in an attempt to make up for last season's failings.

The Citizens have become the first Premier League club to ever spend £200m in a single transfer window, with Guardiola bringing in the likes of Ederson, Walker, Danilo, Mendy, Luiz and Bernardo Silva, and there could still be more to come. City are still being linked with Kylian Mbappe - who could cost them £161 on his own - while Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez remains a long-term target and will not come cheap either. Add to that City's apparent desire to add more centre-back cover too and they could well go beyond £300m - maybe even £400m - in this window alone.

There have been wholesale changes to the squad, but Guardiola will argue that they were needed. City last season were an ageing squad, but Guardiola is turning them into a young, vibrant and exciting group - as hinted at by the front three of Sane, Sterling and Jesus last term. The likes of Zabaleta, Caballero, Clichy, Navas, Sagna, Nolito and Kolarov have all left this summer and, while it may take some time for it all to gel given the level of upheaval, City's business this summer certainly seems to leave them in better stead for the future.

Whether Guardiola is given the time to oversee that future could depend on his performance this season. The Spaniard willingly admits that last term was not good enough and, while he has also insisted that it will take time for him to have an impact at the club, the City board will also be expecting a return from such a huge investment. Guardiola went through a season trophyless for the first time in his managerial career last term, but he may not survive another one without silverware.

City ended up third in the Premier League table when all was said and done, but for the vast majority of the second half of the campaign they were more concerned with looking over their shoulder at fifth place than looking ahead to the top. City finished just three points clear of Arsenal, who ended up missing out on Champions League football, while they were a full 15 points adrift of Chelsea and eight behind today's opponents. City's owners will expect more on all fronts, but it has to start with an improved performance in the Premier League.

City will have three of last season's top seven in their opening seven games of the new campaign, but they have been handed a relatively kind first fixture against new boys Brighton & Hove Albion. They then take on Everton, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Watford, Crystal Palace and champions Chelsea, so it is somewhat of a mixed bag for Guardiola's side in the first couple of months. Before that, though, they take on Tottenham tonight and then West Ham United in Iceland next Friday in this final pre-season games.

City have only played two pre-season games so far this season, winning one and losing one on their tour of the United States. The defeat came at the hands of local rivals Manchester United, who ran out 2-0 winners last week before City responded with that impressive 4-1 triumph against Real Madrid. All of the goals came in the second half of that match, and the result also kept their hopes of winning this trophy alive. Victory tonight would see them draw level with Barcelona at the top of the standings, although the Catalan giants would have a game in hand - which comes against Real Madrid in a pre-season El Clasico in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Spurs are in the same boat as City when it comes to their ICC position. One win and one defeat has left them on three points, and victory here would also take them level with Barcelona. Should Barcelona then lose and Roma draw with Juventus later on Sunday then Spurs would win the trophy, which would be quite the achievement considering the calibre of opposition they are up against. Of course, pre-season trophies must be taken with a pinch of salt, but it would still be a promising sign for the season ahead.

In truth, Spurs would probably take any trophy they could get right now, even if it is only a pre-season one. A piece of silverware has been conspicuous by its absence during the team's recent improvement, with the 2008 League Cup still the last time they won any trophy. Tottenham's league performance under Pochettino has been increasingly impressive - they have amassed more points than any other side over the past two seasons - but in terms of trophies they have nothing to show for it just yet.

That is the next major milestone for Pochettino and his players - be in the League Cup, FA Cup or one of the big ones like the Premier League and Champions League - they just need some trophy success. Glory in the latter two is, of course, a lot less likely, but Spurs have been the closer title challengers in each of the past two seasons and if they continue on their upward trajectory this term then you would expect them to be right in the mix once again.

The concern for Tottenham fans right now will be that they are being left behind in the transfer market. Pochettino's side are the only Premier League club yet to make a single signing this summer, with the construction of a new stadium probably having a substantial impact on that. Chairman Daniel Levy has insisted that is not the case and that he has simply not found a player who would improve his side, but while City spending more than £200m and the others around them also splashing lots of cash, it is perhaps optimistic to expect the current crop of players to continue keeping up - as talented as they are.

Of course, whether it is a case of can't or won't compete in the transfer market this summer, Spurs do already have some £50m and above players at their disposal which they have either brought through themselves or signed for a much smaller fee in the previous years. Crucially, Walker is the only major name they have let go this season, and you have to think that is because Pochettino rates Trippier just as highly. There has been talk of Manchester United going for Eric Dier, but he doesn't look like he will be going anywhere and Alli, Eriksen and Kane also look set to stay.

Spurs have got a big act to follow next season having registered their highest league position since 1963 last term, and their stats show just how impressive they were. Pochettino's side scored the most goals, conceded the fewest goals and lost the fewest games, yet still didn't win the title. The stats are impressive for sure, but without the silverware at the end they mean very little. Spurs begin their new campaign away to promoted Newcastle, and their first match at their adopted home of Wembley is a corker against last season's champions Chelsea.

How Spurs adapt to Wembley could be key this season too - their home record at White Hart Lane was excellent last term but their European record at Wembley was poor. Curse or no curse, it is a problem Spurs must find a solution too if they are to challenge not just for the title, but also for the top four, for which there will again be fierce competition this summer. Spurs do have a pre-season game at Wembley before the campaign begins, taking on Italian champions Juventus there next Saturday.

Tottenham, like Man City, have also kept their pre-season schedule short and sweet, with three games on this United States tour and one more back in Europe before the beginning of the new season. Things started well for Spurs out here with a 4-2 victory over PSG - helped by a red card for goalkeeper Kevin Trapp - and it looked like they had forced penalties against Roma on Wednesday too with a couple of goals in the final three minutes to bring it back to 2-2. However, there was to be one final twist as Roma scored an even later winner to deny Pochettino's side in New Jersey.

PREDICTION: Right, we're nearing kickoff now, which means that it is time for a prediction! Both of these sides have had a bit of a mixed bag in pre-season so far with a win and a loss apiece. City were excellent against Madrid and, if they play like that again, will be confident of winning here. Spurs, though, are close to full strength and that could be the difference tonight. I am going for a 2-1 Tottenham victory.

Tottenham have been something of a bogey club for Man CIty in recent seasons, going four games without defeat against the Citizens having lost each of the previous four before that. Spurs have scored at least twice in each of those last four meetings too, netting 10 goals overall compared to City's four. Considering City hit 16 past Spurs in the four games before that, it is a significant swing in fortunes for this fixture.

Indeed, Man City are Tottenham's favourite opponent in the Premier League era having beaten them on more occasions than they have any other club. Their victory at White Hart Lane in October of last year was their 23 win over City in the Premier League, although City did manage to stop a three-game losing streak with a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture.

Dele Alli scored in both of those meetings between the two clubs last season, netting the second goal in a 2-0 win at White Hart Lane and Tottenham's first in the 2-2 reverse at the Etihad Stadium. Of the players in action today, only De Bruyne also managed to get on the scoresheet in those two games.

We're nearing kickoff at the Nissan Stadium now, so here is a short video of Man City warming up for the game. There are blue skies in Nashville as these two bring their American tours to a close.

Final match preparations in Nashville!

All of the behind the scenes matchday action on Instagram Stories and Snapchat! #cityontour pic.twitter.com/meNin4dODO — Manchester City (@ManCity) July 29, 2017

The first Premier League meeting between these two sides this season does not take place until December, so they have a while before their renew hostilities again after tonight. This game might give some idea as to where both sides are with just a couple of weeks left before the start of the new season, though.

Right, the players are on their way out to the Nissan Stadium now and we're almost ready to go for this one. A reminder of the two teams before we get started:

MANCHESTER CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Stones, Otamendi, Danilo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Fernandinho, G Jesus

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Trippier, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Dembele, Winks, Eriksen, Dele, Kane

KICKOFF: Manchester City get us underway in Nashville!

CHANCE! Huge chance for Spurs to take an early lead as Trippier floats a ball into the box which finds its way all the way to Alli at the back post thanks to come statuesque defending from City. Ederson does spot the danger, though, and he is quickly off his line to thwart the Tottenham midfielder.

Not exactly a friendly reception for a certain Kyle Walker, who has been roundly booed every time he has touched the ball so far.

If the start of the new Premier League season comes and you think Manchester City have re-signed Stephen Ireland, with an added bit of Spanish flair, then don't panic - it is only David Silva. The little magician is sporting a new shaved head look, I can only imagine in homage to Ireland.

Just the one chance to speak of in these opening exchanges so far - that Alli one which was well saved by Ederson. The crowd is very much behind Spurs, though.

First chance for City to test Lloris here as Dembele levers Silva off the ball. It is perhaps in a better crossing position, but it is a dangerous free kick nonetheless...

Two goals in two games for John Stones as he breaks the deadlock nice and early here in Nashville. Pochettino will not be happy with his side's defending, though, as the centre-back escapes his marker in the box to nod home from De Bruyne's free kick. The delivery did get a nick off the wall on its way through, but Spurs still should have dealt with it better.

Lloris is pressured pretty much on his own goalline by De Bruyne, forcing him to concede a throw-in deep inside his own half. City are very much on top right now.

SAVE! City this time win the ball back in an advanced position and it is given to De Bruyne, who only has one thought in his mind. His drive is on target, but it is a fairly routine stop for the Spurs keeper.

CHANCE! City are creating chances at will here! Danilo plays the ball forward to Sterling, whose pass into the box is cut out by Dier. The Tottenham man makes a mess of it, though, gifting it to Jesus in the box and he in turn gives it back to Danilo. The full-back's eyes light up, but he puts his finish over the crossbar.

CHANCE! Spurs are fortunate to only be one behind here! City have another chance as Jesus finds space inside the area this time, but he powers it straight at Lloris who beats it away.

De Bruyne and Walker combine as City come forward once again, this time down the right flank, but Sterling seems to be caught in two minds and only succeeds in putting the ball behind for a goal kick.

Spurs just seem to have stemmed the tide a little now, and they will be thankful to have got out of that spell having only conceded once. It could have been a lot worse for them.

CHANCE! Another chance for City and Danilo as he finds space down the left channel and is duly found by Silva. He tries to get around the ball with his right foot, though, and can only scuff a tame effort into the arms of Lloris.

Tottenham just cannot build any attacks of their own right now. City come forward again through Danilo, who takes the ball into his path brilliantly before winning a corner which comes to nothing.

You always have to take pre-season matches with a pinch of salt and there is still a long way to go in this match, but if it carries on like this then Spurs could find themselves out of this one by half time. Would a big defeat today perhaps convince Spurs to go out into the transfer market?

As long as this match remains 1-0, Spurs are still in it. In truth they should be further behind than that, but they certainly have the quality in their ranks to overturn this one-goal deficit.

Indeed, they may have a chance to do so right now as Kane goes down under a challenge from Fernandinho. Free kick in a dangerous position...

SAVE! It is a brilliant effort from Eriksen from a long way out, but Ederson is across there to make the save.

On the half-hour mark we will have a drinks break - perhaps not needed as much as other occasions but these players will take it. It should give Spurs in particular a chance to regroup after a difficult opening half an hour.

We're back underway in Nashville - John Stones's early goal remains the difference so far.

There has been a bit of needle between a few of the players already today, and it is perhaps no surprise that Alli has been involved. He has already had run-ins with both Kompany and now Otamendi.

Intricate football from Man City on the edge of the Tottenham box as they push and probe for a way through, but Spurs hold firm and are eventually able to clear the danger. It is still City who look the most likely to score here, though.

Almost a second for City as Walker drops a fine ball over the top of the defence, but it is just a couple of inches too far in front of Jesus, who can't get a foot to it.

Kane thinks for just one moment that he is in behind following good work from Vertonghen, who strode out of defence before playing the pass through the defence. The offside flag is correctly raised, though.

City come forward down the left this time and SIlva gets into a bit of crossing space down the left channel, but his powerful cross does not pick out a blue shirt in the middle.

CHANCE! Lovely football from City again, but it all looks too easy for them. Fernandinho lifts a clever pass over the top of the defence for Jesus, who is able to take the ball down inside the area and keep it while it is bouncing about before turning and getting a shot away which draws a save from Lloris.

SAVE! Lloris is called into action again as Danilo looks to pick out the far corner from the edge of the box. The Spurs keeper is at full stretch, but gets a strong hand to the ball and pushes it away.

SAVE! Another save for Lloris to make, although this one is more routine and he drops on top of Silva's side-footed effort from 25 yards. The Spaniard was trying to just pass the ball into the corner, but it was easy for the keeper.

CHANCE! Having been on the back foot for the majority of this half, Spurs also nick an equaliser right at the end! A ragged offside line sees Kane break in behind the defence but, with only the keeper to beat, he lifts his finish over the top when you would have expected him to score.

CHANCE! Oh my word, how have we not seen another goal in the closing stages of this half?! This is the worst miss of the lot - it may even be the worst miss of the season already. De Bruyne is released behind the defence in a two-on-one scenario, and he draws the goalkeeper before playing the ball to Jesus. It is a simple finish, but the Brazilian gets it all wrong and blazes it well off target. It was easier to score!

The referee brings an end to the first half, then, and despite there only being one goal it has been an action-packed affair so far. Quite how it is only 1-0 to Manchester City I'm not sure - in the last couple of minutes before half time alone both sides had glorious chances which they really should have scored. There is no doubt that City deserve to be in front, though - the only surprise is that their lead is not more comfortable.

The only goal of the game arrived after just 10 minutes when Kevin de Bruyne's free kick took a deflection on the way through before John Stones planted a header past Lloris from inside the area. The defending from Spurs left a lot to be desired, and that was a theme for much of the first half - not something you usually associate with a Mauricio Pochettino side.

That sparked a period of dominance for Pep Guardiola's side, with De Bruyne, Danilo and Jesus all squandering clear chances shortly after the opening goal. Danilo alone had three good openings in that first half, but the best chance of the lot came in stoppage time when De Bruyne laid the ball on a plate for Jesus. The Brazilian looked certain to score with the goal gaping, but he got his finish all wrong and somehow wasted the chance.

Spurs had squandered a chance of their own moments before when Kane only had the keeper to beat and lifted his finish over the crossbar, but openings like that were few and far between for Spurs. Indeed, their only other clear chance from open play came in the opening minutes when Trippier's cross found its way all the way through to Alli, who was thwarted by Ederson. Ederson has also kept out a good long-range free kick from Eriksen, but it is Lloris who has been by far the busier of the two keepers.

KICKOFF: Tottenham get the second half underway, and as expected there have been changes at the break. I will bring them to you as soon as I have deciphered them.

Deciphering done - there has only been the one change and it comes in goal for Spurs as Michel Vorm replaces Lloris. Thanks for making my job easy Pep and Mauricio.

City have quickly picked up where they left off at the start of this second half, looking to place incisive passes through the Tottenham defence. Again, we must be hesitant to draw too many conclusions from these pre-season games, but City do look good.

CHANCE! The first chance of the half falls the way of City as De Bruyne plays the ball through for Jesus, who drives a low strike wide of the near post. The Brazilian doesn't appear to have brought his shooting boots today.

It's getting a bit feisty now! De Bruyne seems to run in to Dier off the ball, prompting an angry reaction from the Tottenham man and a brief square-up. Players from both sides get involved, but the referee quickly calms the situation down.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Another change for Spurs sees Georges-Kevin Nkoudou replace Dembele.

YELLOW CARD! Nkoudou's first action is to skip past Kompany, who blocks him off and earns a yellow card for his troubles.

Stop-start period of the game here and Kane goes down under a challenge to win a free kick in a very dangerous position. Eriksen is over this one again...

Eriksen does indeed take it, but his effort slams into the wall.

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Here come the changes for City - Toure, Aguero, Foden and Nasri all come onto the field.

Eliaquim Mangala was also amongst those to come on there, with Kompany, De Bruyne, Silva, Jesus and Fernandinho making way.

Sterling looks to get Aguero involved straight away with a searching ball towards the near post, but it is just a little too high for the Argentine.

Good work from Walker down the right as he fizzes a cross right across the face of goal, but there are no blue shirts waiting to take advantage.

CHANCE! Big chance for City to give themselves a cushion here! Aguero is released through on goal, but he fires his finish straight at Vorm with only the keeper to beat and the Tottenham shot-stopper collects it at the second attempt.

OFF THE POST! City are getting closer now! Aguero's initial touch is a little bit rusty as he gets the ball inside the box, but he then lets Danilo take over before receiving the ball back from the defender. Aguero languidly gives the keeper the eyes and tries to sneak his finish in at the near post, but it hits the foot of the upright.

The one negative from this City performance so far is their lack of a second - even a third or fourth - goal. They should be home and dry here, but as things stand Spurs are still very much in this game when they have no right to be.

OFF THE POST! This is quite incredible. Once again the Tottenham defence is nowhere to be seen as Aguero ghosts past one to find himself with only the keeper to beat, but he is denied by the very same upright as moments before. A player of his quality really should have scored there, but the ball just will not go in for City at the moment.

That Aguero chance came direct from a goal kick - not exactly the style you usually associate with Guardiola's team but it worked on that occasion. At the other end of the pitch Davies tries his luck but drags a poor shot wide for what will be a corner.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs make another chance here as Tashan Oakley-Boothe replaces Alli.

Man City finally have their second of the match! It has been a long time coming, but Sterling darts in behind the defence to latch on to Nasri's incisive pass, and this time makes no mistake with his finish. He gives Vorm the eyes and completely wrong-foots him with his finish into the bottom corner to give City a deserved cushion.

MAN CITY SUBS: That proves to be Sterling's last action of the match as he is one of three players to make way here. Danilo and John Stones also make way as Duhaney, Sane and Adarabioyo come on.

CHANCE! Good chance for Spurs to pull a goal back quickly as Janssen finds himself through down the left. Otamendi comes flying in with a stupid challenge inside the box and Janssen could easily go down under it, but credit to him he stays on his feet and Ederson is forced to come out and make the save from a tight angle.

Time for another drinks break in Nashville.

...and we're back underway once more.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs made a change during that break, with Kyle Walker-Peters replacing Trippier.

SAVE! Eriksen lets fly from range after finding a bit of space around 25 yards from goal, but new goalkeeper Muric parries the ball away.

This may only be 2-0, but Pochettino will know that it could have been a lot worse for his side. They have been utterly outplayed tonight and worryingly their defence has looked all at sea.

Spurs almost pull a goal back in fortuitous style as Walker-Peters breaks down the right flank before putting a cross into the box that deflects through the hands of the keeper, but out for a corner.

SAVE! Muric keeps City's clean sheet in place, atoning for his own initial error by clawing the ball away. The goalkeeper was a long way off his line and Janssen almost made the most of that with a lovely piece of skill to flick the ball over both his head and the keeper, but Muric gets back and crucially gets something on it. Inventive from Janssen.

There will be a minimum of three additional minutes at the end of this match.

City add a third late on through Brahim Diaz, who also makes it two in two - as Stones and Sterling have done tonight. Vorm could only parry Nasri's initial effort straight to the feet of the youngster, and he made no mistake from close range to put the icing on the cake.

That was hugely impressive from City, but equally worrying from a Tottenham standpoint. They were played off the park tonight and, while the 3-0 scoreline may look bad enough, it could easily have been double that or more. Goals from Stones, Sterling and Diaz take Man City to the top of the ICC table, but City could have had plenty more through Danilo, De Bruyne, Silva or Aguero - the latter of whom hit the post twice. Spurs have work to do before the new season!

Right, that is all we have time for this morning! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as Man City brush Tottenham aside in Nashville. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to switch over to our live coverage of the El Clasico meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid, which has just kicked off. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!