What: English Premier League
Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City
When: Sunday 21st April, 2013, at 13:30 UK Time
Where: White Hart Lane, London, England
Responding to Arsenal and Chelsea Challenge
It is fair to say most Tottenham fans have pinned their hopes on Gareth Bale recovering in time for this game with Manchester City and the rest of their season. The Welshman, with 22 goals this season, was in superb form before his untimely injury against Basel in the Europa League. While it is unfair to label the club with the often naively used accusation of being a one-man team, Bale has the ability to win tight games on his own and this is likely to be one of those matches.
Andre Villas-Boas will be hoping his team are over their defeat to Basel in the Europa League following an agonising penalty shootout. It may help that they have had the time to get over the loss to face Manchester City, and Spurs must pick themselves up quickly to keep their top four charge alive. Arsenal are resurgent and Chelsea are also now ahead of them in the Premier League.
Tottenham must end a poor recent record against Manchester City – they have lost the last four against the reigning champions. And last time Manchester City came to White Hart Lane they won 5-1. A repeat is unlikely, but Tottenham’s four points from their last four games in the league does not inspire confidence – it only reminds them of the misery of last season, when they let a commanding lead slip to finish fourth and miss out on the Champions League due to Chelsea’s heroics in Munich. If Tottenham cannot secure a top four spot this year the psychological damage will be huge, and they could lose Bale permanently, too.
Too Little Too Late For Impressive Manchester City
Recent wins over Manchester United and Chelsea have propelled Roberto Mancini’s side into the FA Cup final and delayed the popping of champagne corks at Old Trafford. Manchester City had a barely deserved 1-0 win over Wigan in midweek and they have now won eight of their last nine in all competitions. Why weren’t they playing like this earlier?
The truth is that the Citizens have been playing like that, but only in really big games, against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. But with the Premier League all but gone will they really have the motivation to rise to the challenge against Tottenham? Mancini may hope they do if he wants to keep his job, although his players may see that as a reason not to waste their efforts given the fractious relationships at the Etihad Stadium.
More likely is that this is Mancini’s last hurrah in what has to be acknowledged as a successful stint for the Italian in Manchester, in the context of where the club were when he arrived. But it may not just be Mancini fighting for his future. Players like Edin Dzeko, Gareth Barry and Samir Nasri are potential departures in a summer clear-out after unimpressive campaigns. Nasri has certainly been playing like a man who has decided he wants to stay recently, but his form is somewhat reminiscent of that of Manchester City overall this year – just a bit too little, too late.
Recent form
Tottenham Hotspur:
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Basel (04/04; Europa League)
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Everton (07/04; Premier League)
Basle 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur [AET; Basel 4-1 on pens] (11/04; Europa League)
Manchester City:
Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City (08/04; Premier League)
Manchester City 2-1 Chelsea (14/04; FA Cup)
Manchester City 1-0 Wigan Athletic (17/04; Premier League)
Key absences
Tottenham Hotspur: Aaron Lennon (doubt); Gareth Bale (doubt); Sandro; William Gallas
Manchester City: David Silva (doubt); Sergio Aguero (doubt); Maicon (doubt); Jack Rodwell (doubt)
Players to watch
Tottenham Hotspur – Emmanuel Adebayor: The Togolese forward is up against the team he joined from last summer on a permanent deal, and this is the type of game that he relishes. Adebayor is usually wound up well when he faces a former club, as he has shown against Arsenal, and he can cause Manchester City’s defence a real headache. He will know their weaknesses better than most and when he is on form Adebayor can be one of the league’s best strikers still. Therein lies his frustration – a lack of consistency. But this is a game where he may well make an impact.
Manchester City – Samir Nasri: Manchester City’s own former Arsenal man could be decisive at White Hart Lane. With David Silva out and Sergio Aguero also probably missing, Nasri will take on creative responsibilities for Mancini’s side. He has a good record against Tottenham too, and given his recent upturn in form, Nasri could be decisive for the Citizens and during the rest of the campaign.
Match Prediction
Manchester City have a very good recent record in London, having kept four clean sheets on their last four visits to the capital, aside from last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. Tottenham also boast an impressive defence, which have given away few chances to opponents throughout the season. They are not an easy team to break through and can counter attack with speed and precision.
However, much of that counter attacking ability comes down to Bale and Lennon’s skill out wide. Even if they both return here, they may not be at full fitness. Moussa Dembele and Lewis Holtby may be the better route to goal for Tottenham, their passing and work-rate crucial in a game like this where Tottenham’s ability to keep possession will be tested severely.
Manchester City were outplayed for long periods in the week by Wigan and that will not have gone unnoticed by Villas-Boas. His team have had a longer break since their last game and will have far more motivation coming into this match.
Curiously, Tottenham have also drawn their last three games 2-2, but this is a huge game which they have to win, and they have the tools to do exactly that. Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Manchester City.
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