Premier League
Manchester City vs Tottenham Preview
Spurs Take on Goliath City at the Etihad
- Date: Saturday, August 17, 2019
- Time: 12:30 p.m. (est)
- Network: NBC, Telemundo
- Location: Manchester, England
- Venue:Etihad Stadium
- Seating Capacity: 55,097
Matchweek 2 of the 19/20 Premier League season will see the Etihad Stadium witness an epic clash. Defending champions Manchester City will take on Tottenham Hotspur in what is most certainly the tastiest fixture of the week. Pep Guardiola’s men will head into the game with a lot of confidence after their 5-0 drubbing of West Ham in the first game of the season. Mauricio Pochettino’s side came back from 1-0 down to eventually grab a 3-1 win. A win for Manchester City will further stake their claim towards retaining the title for record equaling third season in a row. Spurs however, have a very fresh look and feel about them. They will mount a formidable challenge and may very well pull off a win themselves. Michael Oliver will officiate this huge fixture.
Rejuvenated Squads
City and Spurs have been rather busy in the summer transfer window. Both sides have heavily reinforced their roster with some really smart transfers. Man City have invested in two wonderful new players. The first of them is midfielder Rodri Hernandez who they signed from Atletico Madrid to bolster an already world class midfield. The other signing is Portuguese right back Joao Cancelo from Juventus who arrived as part of a swap deal with Danilo going the other way. Both signings have added real depth and substance to the City squad. Rodri, who is seen as a long term Fernandinho replacement is a terrific ball winner and distributor with great physical attributes. City have brought in Cancelo as a deputy and eventual replacement for the capable Kyle Walker. Like his counterpart, Cancelo is also rapid and energetic with good positional awareness and superb crossing ability.
Tottenham have also spent heavily to reinforce their midfield and defense this season. After spending no money last season, Spurs cashed in on Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham and Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis (on loan). They now have a terrific ball winner and distributor in Ndombele who can also carry the ball forward at pace. With Lo Celso they have a tremendous passer among their ranks. Incredible vision and great dribbling will add a new dynamism to the Spurs midfield. The young Sessegnon will provide a burst of energy at left back and with his ability to deputize at left mid, will be a handy tool for Pochettino.
Spurs Woes Against City
Tottenham do not have the best of records against the current champions. They are winless in their last four Premier League games against Manchester City. In fact, their last league win against City came way back in October 2016. Coupled that with City’s terrific record at home, Spurs have a really tough task on their hands. The defense will be tested more than anything else when they visit the champs. Alderweireld and Vertonghen aside, Spurs have a rather shaky defense and considering the potent and in-form City attack, they may just have to rely on a deep block and swift counters.
Important Absentees
The new boy Ryan Sessegnon and Dele Alli are both suffering from hamstring issues and will miss this game. Heung Min Son and Juan Foyth are also unavailable due to suspensions. This leaves Spurs rather short handed and that is not ideal against such difficult opposition.
Prediction (Manchester City vs Tottenham Preview)
While City have a very good home record in the Premier League and are on a good run of results against Spurs, this will not be an easy task by any means. Spurs have tons of quality even with all their absentees. We can expect to see a strong lineup from Pochettino and Lo Celso may very well make his first PL appearance. If Spurs manage to grab a goal early on that may set up the rest of the game really well for them. City will have to be patient and be wary of the counter at the same time when in possession. This will be a pulsating encounter between two very exciting attacking sides. One thing is certain, that the team controlling possession from the off will decide which direction the game flows in. However, based on statistics and recent history, Manchester City will head into the game as favorites but it is highly difficult to predict a sure shot winner.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Written by Aaryan Parasnis
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