Manchester City FC
Tottenham Hotspur FC
Tottenham Hotspur FC
Manchester City aiming to extend lead at the top against out of sorts Tottenham
Manchester City to win 3-1
Coming straight after another big clash between Leicester and Liverpool, two other Big Six sides go head-to-head with plenty at stake for both sides.
Manchester City are sitting pretty at the top of the table with nine league wins on the bounce and aiming to extend their five-point lead over close rivals Manchester United who don’t play until the following day.
There appears little that can stop City right now, and with a cup win in midweek taking their total winning streak in all competitions to 15, something special will be needed to change matters.
Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup in midweek, going down in a 5-4 classic against Everton. It’s a result which means four defeats from their past five games.
Sitting in 8th position in the league, Spurs fans must be wondering whether they’ll achieve anything after what was a promising start to the season.
Form Guide (all comps): WWWWW
Reasons to be cheerful:
Dismantling of Liverpool was a joy to watch last weekend
Will have the lion’s share of possession against a negative Spurs
Reasons to be fearful:
Jose Mourinho will have a game plan for how to stop them
Winning run will have to end at some point
There appears very little chance of Manchester City failing to win the Premier League this season.
Having dragged themselves into such a commanding position, five points ahead of 2nd placed United with a game in hand, seemingly only a huge slip up can end their dominance.
In their win over Swansea in the FA Cup, they were able to rotate their entire back four plus the goalkeeper, ensuring their first-choice players will be fresh for this one.
They will be wary of that 2-0 defeat in their last meeting against Spurs earlier in the season, with Mourinho’s side then at the top of the table. Here, the two sides’ fortunes have reversed, with Spurs now fearing they may not make the top four for next season.
City are favourites for sure, but must be wary of a Mourinho masterclass.
Star Man – Raheem Sterling
Scored in the win over Liverpool last weekend, with the attacking winger in absolutely blistering form. Another performance like that could blow Tottenham away here.
Form Guide (all comps): LLLWL
Reasons to be cheerful:
Win over City back in November will be their inspiration
Hit goalscoring form in their 5-4 defeat to Everton
Reasons to be fearful:
Had to play extra time against Everton in midweek
Could be seven points off the top four if they lose here
Slowly but surely, we are starting to see the bad habits of a Jose Mourinho team come to the fore: the snidey comments in the press, the negative tactics on the field – ultimately one poor result following another.
They face the best team in the league themselves in a period of poor form, where as well as crashing out of the FA Cup in midweek, they have just two league wins from their last six.
It is too early to think about Mourinho losing his job, but the club can surely not afford another season away from the Champions League. Currently in 8th, and with Aston Villa closing in fast from below, they are running out of time to mount a serious challenge for those top four positions.
Mourinho must be positive here, though this is highly unlikely against a team as a good as City.
Star Man – Harry Kane
Came on to score in the defeat to Everton, Spurs’ best player will be desperate to better his tally of two goals from 10 matches against City.
City are likely to see over 65% possession here
If the Sky Blues play as they did against Liverpool, they’ll win
Spurs must be positive and look for the win here
This game will not have a huge impact on the title race – win, lose or draw Pep Guardiola’s men are still favourites to claim the crown.
It could, however, have a massive impact on Spurs’ season, and more importantly Mourinho’s future as their manager. Should they be thrashed here, which is a possible outcome, there will be cries for his dismissal.
While it’s too early to think about that, Spurs require a huge effort to earn anything from this game. City just look too strong in every department.
Manchester City to win 3-1
