Premier League
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview
Etihad Stadium, Manchester – Just three days after playing out an all-time classic in the Champions League, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur renew acquaintances again at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
Man City know that only victory will be enough to see them leapfrog Liverpool at the top of the table, whereas Spurs also need a win to guarantee that they remain in the driving seat during a fiercely-competitive top-four race.
Previous Encounters:
- Manchester City have won each of their last three Premier League games against Tottenham, the Citizens are looking to equal their competition best run of four successive wins versus Spurs.
- Tottenham have only won one of their last eight visits to the Etihad (W1 D1 L6), conceding 23 goals in this period.
- Manchester City won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Wembley back in October, courtesy of a goal scored by Mahrez.
View From Both Camps:
Pep Guardiola (Man City):
“I think the game against Spurs will be just as intense as the other day.”
“If you believe it doesn’t hurt, you’re wrong, but we have to live with that. We lost but I was so proud. The performance we did was incredible.”
“We are going to attack – it won’t be easy because they are an incredible top team, but we will try.”
“The title race for us is Tottenham. What Liverpool do at Cardiff I cannot control.”
Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham):
“We didn’t sleep too much but the happiness allows you to feel strong and with energy, and of course now we’re thinking about the game on Saturday.”
“We don’t have time to enjoy and we need to forget the Champions League now and try to be ready for Saturday because it’s going to be a battle.”
“It is our responsibility all together to try to make sure we are going to be there on Saturday with the capacity to fight and challenge them again.”
Team News:
Man City midfielder Fernandinho could be fit to start. He played as a substitute against Spurs in midweek on his return from a muscular problem.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has been out with a hamstring injury, will be assessed.
Spurs look likely to be without Moussa Sissoko, who was substituted on Wednesday because of a groin problem.
Eric Dier will return to training on Friday after a hip injury and could be involved this weekend.
Serge Aurier, Harry Winks and Harry Kane remain out.
Predicted Lineups:
Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Mendy; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Bernardo; Sterling, Aguero, Sane.
Spurs (4-4-2): Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Wanyama, Winks, Alli, Eriksen; Son, Lucas.
Match Prediction:
If this match is half as good as Wednesday’s contest then we are in for another treat. Spurs know that they can hurt Man City, but Guardiola’s men are the type of team who can respond to such a setback in emphatic fashion. It is a fascinating showdown considering the recent Champions League ties, but we’re backing Man City to continue their winning streak at home.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham
Photo credit Ly Nguyen via Flickr
