Man City all but secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League courtesy of a stunning performance away to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening, running out 5-0 winners in the first leg of their last-16 tie, with Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling on the scoresheet.
The Citizens are also chasing FA Cup success this term, preparing to travel to Peterborough United in the fifth round of the competition at the start of March, while they are in a strong position to retain the Premier League title, sitting top of the pile with 63 points from 25 matches.
Pep Guardiola’s side are nine points ahead of second-placed Liverpool, but the Reds do have a game in hand, so the Manchester outfit cannot afford to take their eye off the ball and will be fired up to collect all three points against Antonio Conte’s team in Saturday’s late start.
Man City are unbeaten in the league since the end of October, winning 14 of their last 15 matches, which is a staggering run of form at this level of football, and they have been defensively excellent for much of the campaign, conceding just 14 times, which is the best record in the division.
The English champions lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the reverse match in North London earlier this season, but they have the best home record in England’s top flight this term, picking up 31 points from 12 matches, recording victories in 10 of their 12 matches at the Etihad Stadium.
Tottenham will be the underdogs heading into this weekend’s contest, but the capital side have won three of their last four Premier League matches against Man City, with each of the victories coming in London.
Spurs have not overcome the Citizens in Manchester since February 2016, and they will enter this match off the back of defeats in their last three Premier League games, losing at Chelsea on January 23 before home reverses to Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Links >> Stream 1 HD Stream 2 HD Stream 3 HD
Antonio Conte’s side currently sit eighth in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Man United, but they have three games in hand on the Red Devils, so a top-four finish is certainly still achievable, even if their recent form has been disappointing.
Tottenham have scored just 28 Premier League goals this season, though, with Harry Kane, who was denied a big-money switch to the Etihad Stadium last summer, finding the back of the net on just five occasions.
Recent comments from Conte will not have helped improve the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and there is certainly a possibility that the Italian could walk away from the club in the coming months, particularly if their form does not improve, but a positive result this weekend could be a springboard
