Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur
Date: 16/12/17
K.O: 17:30
Venue: The Etihad
TV: Sky Sports Main Event
Man City will look to extend their winning run to 16 Premier League games as they host fourth place Spurs on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola will once again rotate his team, with this game the Citizens’ third in seven days. Kyle Walker and Leroy Sane will likely return, while Gabriel Jesus could replace Sergio Aguero.
Captain Vincent Kompany is expected to be fit after suffering a muscle injury in the Manchester derby, and will play alongside Nicolas Otamendi in the continued absence of John Stones.
Tottenham will play their toughest game of the season so far without Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez. Alderweireld remains injured, while Sanchez will serve the third game of a three-match ban.
Embed from Getty ImagesMidfielder Victor Wanyama is still on the sidelines, but Spurs are at full strength otherwise. Kieran Trippier, Moussa Dembele, Ben Davies and Dele Alli will all return to the starting eleven after being given a rest in the win over Brighton in midweek.
The blue half of Manchester can be forgiven for looking ahead at the rest of season with such excitement, many fans believe that if their team can overcome Tottenham, that there are no likely obstacles to stop them extending this winning run to 20 matches, with a visit to Liverpool on the 14th January preceded by very winnable fixtures.
The Champions League will still not have resumed, and only an FA Cup 3rd round and EFL Cup quarter final represent any sort of distraction for City in that time. But we all know how football never quite goes exactly how we expect.
Tottenham’s team contains far less unpredictability than City’s, forced through injury. With Sanchez and Alderweireld out, Spurs are forced to play a back four. With Wanyama out, Eric Dier playing in defence and Moussa Sissoko as consistent than Eduroam’s internet coverage, Harry Winks and Mousa Dembele will play ahead of them.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat we have learnt in recent weeks, is that to (nearly) keep City out, you need to defend well, and take your chances. With a team spine of Dier, Vertonghen, Winks, Dembele, Alli and Harry Kane, Spurs are capable of that. The problem is that every single one of them is going to have to play brilliantly to achieve it.
Predicted Lineups:
Man City: Ederson/Walker, Otamendi, Kompany, Delph/Fernandinho, D Silva, De Bruyne/Sane, Jesus, Sterling.
Spurs: Lloris/Trippier, Dier, Vertonghen, Davies/Winks, Dembele/Eriksen, Alli, Son/Kane
Prediction: Manchester City 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0
Written by Sam Hanys.
