2020-21 Premier League – Tottenham vs Man City Extended Preview & Match Prediction

After an eventful international break, the Premier League returns this weekend with BetFred offering odds on all the biggest games. One of the standout ties sees Manchester City make the trip to north London to take on Tottenham Hotspur.

At the start of the season, many expected a two-team title race involving City and Liverpool but that is not how things have gone so far. Going into this one, Pep Guardiola’s side sit in 10th, five points adrift of second-placed Spurs - albeit with a game in hand. Because of this, Saturday’s game could have big implications in the race for top spot.

Team News

In terms of team news, both sides have a few injury problems. Japhet Tanganga is a long term absentee for Spurs, while Erik Lamela is a doubt with a muscle problem. Tottenham were also dealt a blow over the international break when it was revealed that Matt Doherty had tested positive for COVID-19 following an outbreak in the Republic of Ireland squad. This means that backup right-back Serge Aurier should be handed a start.

Meanwhile, Manchester City will be sweating over the fitness of several key players. Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling will all face late fitness tests with none of them likely to complete a full 90 minutes, even if they are deemed healthy enough to play. Nathan Ake also picked up a knock on international duty so could miss out. This swathe of fitness problems comes soon after Guardiola criticised the Premier League for not affording players adequate recovery time.

Recent Form

Spurs come into this one in red-hot form. Since losing to Everton on the opening day, they are unbeaten in the Premier League, with their finest hour being a 6-1 victory over Manchester United. Since then, they’ve ground out tough wins over Burnley, Brighton and West Brom and are currently second in the table.

City on the other hand have made a stuttering start to the campaign. Despite being tipped as title favourites they have failed to win four of their opening seven league games. A 5-2 home defeat to Leicester City was particularly poor but draws against Leeds and West Ham were also disappointing. .

Previous Meetings

History suggests that City should take all three points on Saturday. They have won four of their last six meetings between the two sides in league and Guardiola has enjoyed a historical advantage over Mourinho as well. The City boss has only lost six of his 23 encounters against his old adversary and will be desperate to cling onto this fine record.

Prediction

Whatever happens on Saturday it is likely to be a great game for the neutral. In Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Gareth Bale, Spurs have one of the most dangerous frontlines in Europe, while City have an array of their own attacking talent. In terms of a tip, we are thinking that this one will probably end all square - but it definitely won’t end 0-0!