Can Pep Guardiola and Manchester City end their losing streak against the inconsistent Spurs?
The international break couldn't have come at a better time for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Between the Carabao Cup, the Champions League, and the Premier League, City has lost four straight games, first time ever in the Pep Guardiola era.
Back-to-back losses on the road to Bournemouth and Brighton pushed Man City five points behind Liverpool in the league standings. Man City, chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League title, is in a deeply unfamiliar and uncomfortable position.
With Liverpool under Arne Slot showing no signs of slowing down, Man City can't afford to drop any more points, especially at home. Another draw or loss on Saturday would be devastating for Guardiola's side who will play Liverpool at Anfield the following week.
They have a difficult task at hand when they host the Tottenham Hotspur. Ange Postecoglou and the Spurs are continuing their up-and-down season as they lost to Galatasaray in the Europa League and to bottomfeeders Ipswich at home in their previous two games.
Yet, the Spurs are notably dangerous playing against other contenders in the Premier League. They defeated Man City only three weeks ago in the Carabao Cup, and had impressive victories against Man Utd and Aston Villa already this season.
Last season, the league fixture in Manchester was a barn burner that ended in a 3-3 draw. Tottenham's intense pressing and high defensive line going up against City's possession-obsessed style always makes for fascinating tactical battles and exciting games. This one should be no different.
Manchester City has uncharacteristically been struggling to get on the scoreboard in recent games, only scoring five goals in their last five games. Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne's absences are deeply felt as they lack creativity and precision to their attack.
Fortunately for them, De Bruyne should be back in the starting lineup. This should give City a much-needed boost, making them a more dangerous team with the ball and on the counter.
Plus, City's struggles mainly came on the road this season. Their four straight losses all came away from home as they are still undefeated at Etihad Stadium.
At the same time, giving their recent form, Manchester City is hard to trust against a very dangerous Spurs side.
Tottenham showed signs of running out of gas against Galatasaray and Ipswich. Their press was lackluster and their passing was unconvincing as they turned in two of their weakest performances of the season.
Spurs fans are hoping that the international break gave the team a chance to re-group and re-discover their early-season intensity.
In soccer, styles make fights and Tottenham has some stylistic advantages over Manchester City. Sure, City is adept at breaking the press, and Tottenham's high line will be vulnerable against Erling Haaland. However, the Spurs are one of the best counter-attacking teams in Europe, deploying the likes of Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, and Brennan Johnson. Fed by Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison, these speedsters will not struggle to find themselves in goal-scoring opportunities.
How well they will be able to convert those opportunities will determine whether they can escape Etihad with a point or more. With how shaky Manchester City has looked in recent weeks, Tottenham getting something out of this game is much likelier than the +160 odds suggest.
Pick: Double Chance- Draw or Tottenham: +160
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.