Manchester City Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[chrissivad]

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Manchester City Vs Tottenham


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Barclays Premier League

Venue: Etihad StadiumDate: Sunday, 22 JanuaryKick-off: 1330 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day 2; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles​

For more on live coverage please visit Geez's Live Media Thread
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Spurs looking to go level with leaders

Manchester City will look to crush Tottenham's title bid before it gets going as the two sides kick off this weekend's Super Sunday.

On a remarkable Sunday afternoon back in August, City won 5-1 at White Hart Lane before Manchester United thumped Arsenal

8-2 at Old Trafford.

And there is even more at stake when the reverse fixtures are played this Sunday, with both games live on Sky Sports HD1.

The August goal-fest set the tone for the season, with the Manchester pair charging clear at the top of the Premier League.

But Spurs have regrouped and since Christmas have been recognised as genuine title contenders, looking to prevent it being a two-horse race.

With City playing on Monday, Tottenham and United had the chance to go level with the league leaders last Saturday.

And while United beat Bolton, Spurs could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves and City went on to win 1-0 at Wigan to restore their three-point lead.

Another City win on Sunday would leave Tottenham eight points behind and the Blues are yet to drop a point at the Etihad Stadium this season.

But Spurs know an away victory would put them just two points off the league summit. And although City have not lost at home in the league for 13 months, they have lost their last two there - against United in the FA Cup and Liverpool in the Carling Cup.


Team news

City have also been hit by the absence of midfielder Yaya Toure and his brother Kolo, who are at the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast.

The Blues were always going to miss a player as influential as Yaya but Kolo has been missed more than expected after Vincent Kompany picked up a four-match ban.

The City captain has to sit out another two games so Stefan Savic should continue in the centre of defence but right-back Micah Richards (hamstring) and striker Mario Balotelli (ankle) are available again after missing the win at Wigan.

Tottenham captain Ledley King only has a small chance of playing as he struggles to recover from the hamstring injury which has sidelined him for the last four weeks.

Jermain Defoe should partner Rafael van der Vaart up front as Emmanuel Adebayor is unavailable due to the terms of his loan move from City.

Sandro, William Gallas (both calf) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are unavailable.


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Tottenham are hopeful that Scott Parker will be fit to play against Wolves after missing the last three games with a knee injury.

Sandro, William Gallas and Ledley King all remain sidelined.

Wolves pair Steven Fletcher and Roger Johnson picked up minor ankle problems last weekend but both are expected to start at White Hart Lane.

Nenad Milijas is back from a ban, while Dave Edwards should be available after a groin problem.

I start to go all misty-eyed thinking about this fixture! From Spurs' 3-2 win in the 1981 FA Cup final replay, to City winning 5-1 at White Hart Lane at the start of this season - these two have played out many memorable games in my lifetime.

I'm obviously hoping that this time will be something special too, but can already sense a tension in the air around the Etihad Stadium. Roberto Mancini's almost carefree nature of the season's early weeks has given way to a sterner, card-waving persona - symptomatic of the pressure that leading the way for so long brings.


Last Monday's 1-0 win at Wigan will have brought just as much pleasure to the Italian as the win at Spurs or even the 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, because it got City back on track after a mini-wobble in the cups this month. I even heard it described as a 'Mourinho result' - and he won Premier League titles.

Harry Redknapp's never made any great play of his team's title credentials, merely answering in "why not?" fashion when the question has been posed. Currently on a run of seven league games unbeaten, if Spurs get their seventh win in 11 visits to City's 21st century home then the gap between the teams will be just two points. "Why not?" indeed.

The last two instances of this fixture have effectively been end-of-season eliminators for the final available Champions League place. They each finished 1-0, both decided by Peter Crouch goals - one in the right net, one in his own.

This time both clubs have designs on entering next season's Champions League as genuine champions.

If City maintain their 100% home league record by winning a game of this magnitude without Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure then my money's back on them. After Sunday, Sheik Mansour's got nine days left to gamble on their title bid with some real money.

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Head-to-head

• Manchester City are looking to complete their first double over Spurs since 1991-92.
• Spurs have lost just two of their last 11 league visits to Manchester City (W7, D2)
• Tottenham have won 11 of the last 15 league games between the two sides, but Manchester City won the last two (1-0 in May and 5-1 in August).

Man City

• City have won all 10 home Premier League games so far this season and their last 15 in total - a club record in the top flight.
• They have scored 57 league goals so far in this campaign - three shy of their total for last season.
• Victory would be their 200th in the Premier League.
• Eden Dzeko's goal gave City victory against Wigan on Monday - City have won all nine Premier League matches in which he has scored.
• Joe Hart has kept nine clean sheets in the Premier League this season - joint highest with Swansea's Michel Vorm.
• Gael Clichy could make his 250th club start, while Adam Johnson is on the cusp of his 100th career league start.

Tottenham

• Spurs have scored in each of their last 20 Premier League matches, their best run in the top flight since November 1986-April 1987 (26 matches).
• Tottenham have drawn three of their last six league games.
• Like Manchester City, Spurs have won six away league games so far this season. Only Manchester United (7) have won more.
• Harry Redknapp has lost 21 of his 25 Premier League trips to Manchester.
• Spurs have drawn 199 games in the Premier League.

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• Premier League. Man City v Spurs.
• Man City/Spurs. HT/FT Result.
• Man City/Spurs. Total Goals.
• Premier League. Arsenal v Man U.
• Arsenal/Man U. Total Goals.
• Total Season Points for Spurs.
• African Cup Of Nations: Outright Winner.

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[nedley]

Pumped.

 

[Delboy10]

Working tomorrow so missing out on the biggest game of the season so far.

COYFS!!!! lets take it to em!!

COYFS!!! :twisted:

 

[mpickard2087]

All ready for this. New TV set up, Armchair in best position, and copious amounts of alcohol chilling in the fridge!

COYS!

 

[Mr Pink]

Pumped beyond belief...getting the beers ready :grin:

 

[muel]

It really feels like a cup final for me today; nerves, excitement the lot. Helped in no small part by todays other game utd v scum!

Us and scum win we are 2nd right up citys arse and still 10 clear of le'arse

Us and united win still 3rd but 13 clear of scum

City and united win still 10 clear of scum but huge ground lost and arguably title race over

City and scum win title out of sight and they close the gap to 7!

The boys need to be pumped for this one! I certainly am COME ON YOU SPURS!!!!!!!!

 

[rebrab]

As far as I see it, in terms of results today:

If we win, I want Arsenal to win
If we draw/lose, I want Utd/Arsenal to draw

 

[CosmicHotspur]

I'll be watching this oh so very, very important match online.

I will try not to chew my fingers but I can't promise. There will certainly be a lot of shouting and there are bound to be a few expletives.

I want us to win every game of course but this one is absolutely crucial.

 

[Spurvert]

I feel all kinds of nervousness and excitement

This is a huge game

I have been saying for a long time on here we will beat City. I'm not prepared to change my mind

Hit them on the break with pace. Ledley and Kaboul to be rocks. Defoe and Rafa to be clinical. Modric and Parker to be commanding. Bale and Lennon to be electric. Walker to have a stormer. Benny to be Benny. Brad to be solid.

2-1 The Mighty Spurs

COYS

 

[Glasseye]

Am absolutely bricking it, but am convinced we can bring the game to them, who would of thought that 4 seasons ago, everyone is now talking about shitty v spurs as one of the biggest games of the season.

 

[Hot-Spur]

Feeling ok so far but no doubt that will change closer to kick-off.

How are we at lunch times games? is it a lucky time for us I wonder? :think:

 

[chrissivad]

How are we at lunch times games? is it a lucky time for us I wonder? :think:

Beat Liverpool 4-0 -Sunday 18th September
Lost to City 5-1- Sunday 28th August

 

[Hot-Spur]

Beat Liverpool 4-0 -Sunday 18th September
Lost to City 5-1- Sunday 28th August

Right, so basically a bit of both :lol:

 

[chrissivad]

0-0 on the cards :-D

 

[hughy]

Ironic really, this fixture was probably the most important game in our last 2 seasons. However it feels today, as significant as it is, it's probably our only game in the last 2 or 3 months in the league that hasn't been considered a "must win".


I'm fairly relaxed, to tell you the truth. I look forward to us battling for at least a point, but if it's a close game and Man City take all 3 then I wont lose any sleep. What I do ask though is that we fight. Just because they're top of the league, it doesn't mean they're not as vounerable as any other team on occasion. If we go in beat, we'll come out beat. Positivity please, Harry!

 

[rebrab]

I stuck 3 quid on a 3-3 draw at 50-1.

Fingers crossed I was wrong and we win 4-3!

 

[hughy]

I stuck 3 quid on a 3-3 draw at 50-1.

Fingers crossed I was wrong and we win 4-3!

I'm going to be honest, unless we hit them on the break I think we might struggle to score 1. :lol:

 

[mpickard2087]

This morning is going soooooooooo slowlyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy :lol:

 

[Hot-Spur]

I stuck 3 quid on a 3-3 draw at 50-1.

Fingers crossed I was wrong and we win 4-3!

Eek I'm not sure I could cope with all those goals, to much stress!

 

[tooey]

I'm soooooo excited. I know its unlikely, but if both we and the scum win today, it's going to be gooooood times.