Manchester City will look to extend their winning streak to three when they take on Tottenham next Saturday. They will face a Spurs side who are riding high after their victory over Southampton that snapped their four-game winless streak.
Who will emerge victorious in this Premier League clash? Read on for a complete preview of this matchup and while you’re at it you can check out our complete overview of the biggest upcoming Premier League fixtures here.
[sc:Soccer ]Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City Betting Preview
Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
When: Saturday, October 18, 7:45 AM ET
Line: Tottenham Hotspur (+650) at Manchester City (-300); tie: (+340) – view all EPL lines
What’s at Stake
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Manchester City can close the gap on leaders Chelsea to just two points with a win over Tottenham next Saturday. Spurs, on the other hand, can barge into the top four with a rare away win at the Etihad.
Betting on Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham finally returned to the win column last Sunday, hacking out a tough 1-0 victory over Southampton last Sunday. Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen was the man of the match, driving in a low and hard shot past Saints goalie Fraser Forster to give Tottenham the three points and ended their run of four League games without a win.
It was vindication for manager Mauricio Pochettino who was bombarded with abuse from visiting Southampton fans still enraged with his sudden departure from the club last season. He will now turn his attention to their upcoming match against Manchester City with the Spurs boss fully aware that a win against the defending champions will provide a big boost to their Premier League campaign this season.
Pochettino can take heart in how Tottenham played against Southampton. There was more solidity and purpose in their gameplay last Sunday, a key attribute that was sorely missing in their previous four matches. After allowing seven goals in those four assignments, they were able to keep a clean sheet against a Southampton team that had already scored 11 goals this season.
That defensive mindset is what they will need to bring when they travel to the Etihad next week. The Citizens have already scored 14 goals this campaign, the second-best mark in the entire Premier League just behind leaders Chelsea and they are expected to dominate possession against Spurs next week.
Tottenham must pack the midfield to stop Manchester City’s attacks and that’s where Etienne Capoue will come into play. The midfielder was immense against Southampton, repeatedly breaking the Saints attacks in front of the back four. His battle with Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure will be one of the key matchups in the game next week.
Tottenham are unbeaten in their three away games this season, winning once and drawing twice.
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Betting on Manchester City
Manchester City grabbed their second victory in a row with a 2-0 win on the road against Aston Villa last Saturday.
It wasn’t smooth sailing for Manchester City, though, as they looked headed for another frustrating stalemate after being held scoreless for 81 minutes. Big clubs only need one opening, however, and they got one in the 82nd minute when Yaya Toure cracked open the Aston Villa defense, bending a shot between Alan Hutton and Philippe Senderos.
From then on, it was one-way traffic as Sergio Aguero doubled the advantage in the 88th minute for the final scoreline. The Argentine striker has been on fire to start this season, scoring a total of six goals in this year’s campaign so far, five in the English Premier League.
He will fancy his chances on adding to that tally when Manchester City lock horns with Tottenham next week. In this similar fixture last season, Manchester City demolished Tottenham 6-0 with Aguero bagging two goals.
In fact, Manchester City dominated Tottenham in the Premier League last season outscoring Spurs 11-1 in their two encounters last season. If their performance against Aston Villa is any indication, then it will be a very long day for Tottenham once again. The Citizens had 68 percent of the possession and had a whopping 27 shots against Aston Villa.
Surprisingly though, Manchester City have struggled at home this season. They have won just once in their three games at the Etihad Stadium this campaign, grabbing just four points out of a possible nine.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester City cruise to a two-goal win.
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