please log in to view this image Sunday 14th February 4.15pm Etihad Stadium Premier League It's a Valentines Day fixture, so I expect to see lots of love between the two teams. Or perhaps not! With only one point separating the sides, this one could be very important at the end of the season. We need another big performance to continue our impressive run. The game at the Lane seems like a long time ago and I think that the team was still finding it's feet. It was a great result but the team wasn't as settled and it showed, in my opinion. We've looked a lot better in recent weeks. City's form has been a little more erratic. They've gone from looking like title-winners to struggling and back again, often in the course of a week. If their big players are playing well, then they're very hard to stop. When the likes of Kompany, Aguero and Toure aren't on it though, they look pedestrian and week in defence. Our last visit to the Etihad was a demoralising 4-1 loss, filled with controversy. Jonathan Moss and his colleagues made a host of questionable decisions and Aguero punished us badly. He seems to love playing against us and his influence on the game will probably be key. We've played a lot of sides that have been happy to surrender possession to us in recent weeks. I don't think that this will be the case against City, so it'll be interesting to see how we adjust. Pochettino's selection may reflect this change in style. Lineups for the last league game: Spurs: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli; Kane. Subs: Vorm, Walker, Rose, Mason, Carroll, Alli, Son. League form: DLWWWW. City: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Delph; Silva, Toure, Sterling; Aguero. Subs: Caballero, Sagna, Clichy, Fernando, Serrano, Celina, Iheanacho. League form: WDWDWL. Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Would the defensive system that we used against Watford work or would it be exposed against City? Who should fill our constantly rotating fullback roles and why? Did our three behind the striker do enough to remain in the starting XI?
Act II of a three act PL season brings the curtain down with the top four playing each other. In each game it’s a title favorite versus a surprise package. Both games are very hard to handicap. Spurs and Leicester are the in form teams, but Man City and Arsenal will go right back to being favorites with wins, and should be as focussed as can be.. City were about the only team I remember who put us on the back foot for a half. It was a huge win for us, but it could very easily have been 1-4. A great save by Lloris was followed by Dier’s worm burner to even the score. Then the floodgates opened for us. It will be very interesting to see if either team departs in any way from trying to grab the initiative. I’d play Lamela over Son and Chadli in this one, and against Arsenal as well. I’d like to see him and Alli harrassing forwards on the right and left as they did the first game. A more open game also suits Lamela’s ability to find through balls. I would expect Walker and Rose to play, as it’s their turn in the rotation. I’d rather have Davies for this one, though, as he’s better defensively.
City are strong at home and this is a make or break game for them. Aguero is fit and firing and I fancy them to win narrowly - 2-1 - although I will be rooting for a spurs win. Er, no I won't. A draw is probably best for Utd's slim top 4 chances.
A Spurs win is surely better for your Champions league hopes if you win Saturday and we win Sunday you will just be 3 pts behind City with a Manchester derby still to play! Alli for Chadli would be the only change I would make and I think we can win this by the odd goal in 3
That assumes we might win the Manchester derby! It's 0-0 with De Gea MOM by a country mile, isn't it?
Almost precisely 4 years ago, an exciting, swashbuckling Tottenham came to the Etihad and produced an incredible display that saw them fight back from 2-0 down to draw level and then completely take charge against the league leaders. We were 3rd at the time, and a win would've closed the gap on City to just 2 points. The last minute defeat to a penalty taken by a player who should've been sent off twice, having been brought down by a legend who had the look of a player who knew time was against his career, was painful beyond belief. I saw that game as a turning point in Harry's final season in charge, and I think Sunday is just as important. If we win, I will for the first time start to believe that we can win the title. If we lose, we run the risk of being dragged back into the chasing pack.
I'm going to this game. Cannot wait, but I am ****ting it...I agree with CK's sentiments about the game, that's why I am ****ting it. P.s I'm sitting with the home fans...that is one painful thought because I'm far from subdued...but I could not miss an opportunity to see the mighty Spurs. COYS.
Good luck with that. I was in with the Chelsea fans for the 3-3 cup game at Stamford Bridge a few years back. When we scored our third I very nearly got a shoeing. Missed the second half as I was encouraged to leave the ground but it's impossible to keep quiet sometimes.
A lot like 2012 in that the performance will be a statement of intent, and whether W/L/D Citeh will know they have faced a good Spurs side. The difference is that this time Spurs : - come to Wastelands with the best GA and GD stats, and have not been beaten away since gifting Man Utd 3 pts on the first game of the season - a PL defeat in key games appears to be shrugged off and does not signal the start of a confidence-sapping slump
Top four all playing on Sunday and Chelski, Manure and Liverpool not involved! Brilliant! Shame the England players had to go to a get together last night. Of all the bad timing. They need to be concentrating on this match and nothing else. I wonder if going away with England actually sets them back!
Probably bores them to death, I doubt it sets them back mentally. If anything it may re iterate some of the rewards that await our English contingent if they carry on with their superb performances. Thus giving them a fresh motivation going forward into a massive few months for our club.
It's the fake celebration if City score you should be thinking about, that is even harder than shutting up if we score.
I've been thinking about that, I have no solution as of yet. Was thinking of doing 'the Poznan' if they do score. Sounds like a bad idea now, the things I risk to watch Spurs.
I don't drink my friend, if I did, I'd be the one getting beaten to a pulp if City score. You would spot me easily.
