Fresh from a run of decent victories against the likes of Chelsea and West Brom, Tottenham Hotspur enter this weekend’s huge clash with Manchester City in a strong position- whilst the same cannot be said for their opponents.
Spurs, currently second in the Premier League, are three points ahead of the Citizens and could put the final nail in the coffin of any small hope Pep Guardiola’s side have of lifting the title this season – whilst also strengthening their own push for success.
Having already beaten Manchester City back in October, ending the Citizens’ unbeaten run at the time, Spurs will be confident of securing another victory at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, and Mauricio Pochettino has plenty of options to choose from.
For this game though, our landlord believes adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation would give Spurs the best chance of victory and he’s scribbled out his ideal line-up on a napkin for the punters to glance at…..
GK: Hugo Lloris
The French goalkeeper is the obvious choice between the sticks for this weekend’s clash and the Spurs captain will have a huge say in who emerges victorious. You can expect City to put more pressure in attack this weekend after their horror show against Everton, which will call Lloris into action.
Spurs have nine clean-sheets this season and to get that figure to double figures, they’ll need to be at their best.
RB: Kyle Walker
With Everton taking apart Manchester City on the counter-attack last weekend, Kyle Walker will be a crucial asset for Tottenham this weekend as he could run riot if given the right tactics and opportunities. With his surging pace, City’s ability to push forward in numbers will be hindered.
The 26-year-old has featured in 20 of Spurs’ Premier League matches this season, securing five assists, but is yet to find the net this term.
CB: Toby Alderweireld
One half of Spurs’ excellent Belgian duo at the heart of the defence, Toby Alderweireld will need to be alert this weekend to restrict the impact of the likes of Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne- who can all cause problems.
Having missed chunks of the season through injury, Alderweireld has returned well with three consecutive clean-sheets to start 2017.
CB: Jan Vertonghen
The other-half of Spurs’ Belgian duo has excelled this season, featuring in all 21 games of the campaign- 20 from the start. Reunite with Alderweireld after the former Atletico Madrid defender’s injury problem, Spurs have received a timely boost.
With Spurs defence keeping four clean sheets in their past five matches, the Lilywhites have been excellent defensively and no side has conceded less goals than Spurs in the Premier League this season.
LB: Danny Rose
The 26-year-old Spurs academy graduate has developed into one of the finest full-backs in the Premier League and, like Walker on the opposite side, will be important for Spurs going forward this weekend. However, he’ll be equally as important at the back.
Having picked up a yellow card in eight of his 16 Premier League appearances, Rose is treading a fine line this season and needs to be careful as an early booking in this clash could leave him vulnerable.
CM: Victor Wanyama
25-year-old Kenyan international Victor Wanyama hasn’t set the world alight with his performances this season but he has started every single one of Spurs’ Premier League matches, scoring two goals. This weekend, his involvement in the middle of the park will be crucial.
The midfield battle will be incredibly important to how the game against Manchester City pans out this weekend and Wanyama, along with his midfield partner, need to ensure they emerge triumphant.
CM: Mousa Dembele
The experienced Tottenham midfield provides a level-head in a fairly young Spurs side and, alongside Victor Wanyama, he’s proved to be a key asset for Spurs this season- although he has missed quite a few games for various reasons.
Man of the Match against Arsenal back in November, Dembele is a player who can perform to his best in a big game and he was decent against Chelsea two weeks ago.
LM: Son Heung-Min
Premier League Player of the Month at the start of the season, Son Heung-Min has seen his performances decline but he stills remains an important part of Mauricio Pochettino’s side- securing 18 Premier League appearances, including 11 starts.
Over the past month, his opportunities in the Premier League have been limited but he can punish Manchester City on the counter-attack this weekend, making him the ideal choice for this spot, and he’ll be full of confidence after scoring against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
CAM: Dele Alli
The man of the moment, Dele Alli has fought back valiantly from a slow start to the season and is the Premier League’s in-form man at this time. The 20-year-old has scored seven goals in his last five Premier League matches, making him a potential match-winner this weekend.
Alli’s fine scoring run was brought to a close against West Brom at the weekend but he did secure an assist, only his second of the Premier League campaign. Having put Chelsea to the sword previously, Alli can do the same against Manchester City.
RM: Christian Eriksen
The 24-year-old has only missed one Premier League game for Spurs this season and has impressed in his performances, scoring five goals and boasting eight assists. Only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has more this season, which shows the class of the Danish international.
With four assists in his last four appearances, Eriksen is in fine form this weekend and has remarkably only failed to directly contribute to a goal in three of his ten appearances since the end of November.
ST: Harry Kane
After missing the early stages of the season through injury, Harry Kane has continued where he left off last term and now boasts 13 Premier League goals from just 16 appearances- a number only Alexis Sanchez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa can better.
Fresh from a hat-trick against West Brom, Kane will be looking to put City to the sword and Pep Guardiola’s struggling defence will not be looking forward to coming up against a forward who has netted six goals in just four matches.
