Manchester City vs Tottenham – Match Preview
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Just when you thought you had time to relax, we now have to go through it all over again and after Wednesday’s incredible Champions League meeting at the Etihad, Manchester City and Tottenham square off once more.
An incredible seven-goal thriller has thrown up a number of sub-plots for this Saturday and the big question is whether or not, Pep Guardiola can pick up his players to bounce back and pick up all-important league points.
Although City will no doubt feel aggrieved after seeing their progress to the Champions League Quarter-finals denied by two VAR decisions, they have absolutely no time in which to feel sorry for themselves and especially as they still have to hunt down Liverpool in the race for the title.
While it is arguably these next few days, that are going to be absolutely pivotal in the quest to be crowned champions and if City can clear the hurdles of both Tottenham and Manchester United, then they will find themselves in the box seat for these final few weeks.
However, another sub-plot is whether Tottenham can build on their progress to the Champions League Semi-finals and use that as a launchpad to further solidify their hopes of finishing in the top four at the end of the season.
Of course, it must also not be forgotten that Tottenham did actually lose on Wednesday night and although the North London outfit will be celebrating, there will be lessons to be learned from that special night in Manchester.
Lessons that come in the shape of being slightly more disciplined in defence and not leaving them overexposed at times. However, for all their defensive faults and there were plenty, they still showed plenty of spark in attack.
That spark came primarily from South Korean international Hueng min-Son and although he was rested against Huddersfield last weekend, he will be certain to spearhead Tottenham’s attack once again come Saturday.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino may well have to opt for a different shape in terms of starting eleven, as midfielder Moussa Sissoko looks set to miss out through the injury that he suffered on Wednesday night.
That will be a huge blow to Tottenham, a sentence that you could not have imagined being written last season and it just goes to show just how vitally important he has been to the club in these last few weeks.
The fact that Tottenham’s top four hopes are still in their own hands, means that this fixture is not necessarily do or die and whisper it quietly, they can even afford to lose this one and still finish in the top four.
That does come with the rather large caveat that they would then need to likely win all of their remaining four league games of the season and although this is a likelihood, it is by no means a given either.
It might well be that Tottenham’s relative heroics, means that they have nothing to offer on Saturday and City can take full advantage. The hosts quadruple hopes may well have ended, but a Premier League win will be a likely comeback.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
EPL
522127
1
3 - 2
2.67
22°-23°
1.27
1.27
6.50
11.39
1
1
-1
1 - 0(1 - 0)
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