please log in to view this image Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 22nd January 2012 in the 22nd round of Premier League matches in the 2011-12 season. City come into the match as Premier League leaders on 51 points with Spurs in third place on 46 points. This will be the 144th time the two teams have met. The first meeting came on 16th January 1909 in the FA Cup 1st round (today's 3rd round) at Hyde Road in Ardwick (City's original name) in a match which Spurs won 4-3. The first League meeting came in the First Division in December 1910 at White Hart Lane and resulted in a 1-1 draw. Walter Tull, who was the first black outfield footballer to play League football scored Tottenham's goal. City won the reverse fixture in January 1911 2-1. All the League meetings between Spurs and City up to season 1934-35 took place in the First Division. The clubs were drawn together in the 1913-14 FA Cup 2nd round with City wining 2-1 at Hyde Road (City would move to Maine Road in 1923 and stay there for the next 80 years) and also met in the 1921-22 FA Cup 3rd round with FA Cup holders Tottenham beating City 2-1 at White Hart Lane. The only League meetings between the clubs outside the Top Flight took place either side of the Second World War with City winning both Second Division matches in the 1938-39 season and taking three points out of four off Spurs in the Second Division matches played in 1946-47. Spurs and City resumed their Top Flight meetings in the 1951-52 season. The clubs contested the 1956 FA Cup Semi-Final at Villa Park with City winning 1-0 with a goal scored by Bobby Johnstone. City would go on to win the FA Cup that season, beating Birmingham City 3-1 in the Final at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City contested the centenary FA Cup Final in 1981. The match finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time after Tommy Hutchison had put City ahead but also scored an unfortunate own goal. The replay was the first to be played at Wembley and Spurs won 3-2 with a brace from Ricky Villa and a goal from Garth Crooks. City goals were scored by Steve MacKenzie and Kevin Reeves. Ricky Villa's second goal was voted Goal of the Century and the match is one of the best remembered Finals of all-time. The first of three Football League Cup meetings came in the 1992 3rd Round with Spurs winning 1-0 at Maine Road with a Vinny Samways goal. Tottenham also won the other two matches - a 4th Round match in 2003 3-1 and a 5th round match in 2007 2-0. City had an amazing comeback in the 2004 FA Cup 4th Round replay at White Hart Lane after going three goals down to goals from Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege in the first half. City, who had been reduced to ten men after Joey Barton received a second yellow card, scored four second half goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jonathan Macken to win a memorable game 4-3. Both Spurs and City were founder-members of the Premier League, although City have only competed in 15 of the 20 seasons played in the competition so far, while Spurs have been one of seven ever-present clubs. Spurs have generally had the upper hand during this era with nineteen wins to City's five wins and five matches drawn. In fact, City have only won three times in the past 17 meetings between the clubs in all competitions. In 2009-10, Spurs did the 'double' over City with a 3-0 win at the Lane with goals from Nico Kranjcar (2) and Jermain Defoe followed by a vital 1-0 end of season win at Eastlands, which secured fourth place and Champions League football for Spurs thanks to a Peter Crouch goal. Last season's fixtures featured an opening day of the season match at White Hart Lane which finished in a 0-0 draw and a late season game at Eastlands which City won 1-0 thanks to a Peter Crouch own goal. During the summer, Spurs secured the services of Manchester City's Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor on a season's loan. The match at White Hart Lane earlier this season ended in a comprehensive 5-1 win to Manchester City with Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko scoring four goals for the visitors, who were 2-0 up at half-time. Sergio Aguero also scored for City while Tottenham's goal came from Younes Kaboul. Overall, Spurs have won 57 games, City have won 52 games and the remaining 34 matches played have been drawn. please log in to view this image Full History of Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City Matches 1909-2012 please log in to view this image They Played for Spurs & City.... Emmanuel Adebayor Clive Allen (Player with both clubs, Spurs development manager) Jamie Atwell Kevin Bond (City player, Spurs asst manager) Ivor Broadis Michael Brown Jock Chaplin Vedran Corluka Bill Felton Márton Fülöp Foster Hedley Chris Jones Neil McNab Bobby Mimms Joe Moffatt John Sainty (Spurs player, City coach) Bert Sprostson Alex Steel Paul Stewart Perry Suckling (City player, Spurs coach) Ben Thatcher Paul Walsh Charlie Williams Clive Wilson Alex Young please log in to view this image Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 1993-94 to 2010-12 Manchester City Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 1993-94 to 2010-12 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
When I first clicked on this thread, I imagined the music to go along with my anticipation for the match... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzslGuSQC8 This match will be an open game, completely different to our game against Wolves yesterday and so should suit our style better. City will be without Kompany and the Toure brothers so that's good news as Savic will be in central defence. We'll be without Adebayor though so unless we sign Loic Remy between now and next weekend, I imagine it'll be Defoe (hopefully not Pav) upfront. I'd hope the players are up for this one after the 5-1 drubbing at the start of the season.
Very important that we don't lose this game. A win would be fantastic, but a loss would put us right out of it, assuming that City win tomorrow. Time for Defoe to prove that he deserves to start.
Whats height got to do with it?, Aguero plays lone more than adequately, JD doesn't play it well because he's just plain **** at it....or have I missed something with 'VdV behind', will he be carrying a step ladder?
I think we should play a 4-3-3 with VDV up front flanked by Lennon and Bale, and have have LUka, Scotty and sandro/livermore in midfield, cant see it happening tho Realistically, I think arry will drop lennon even though hes been our best player recently, and play VDV on the right with Remy/Defoe/Pav up front. Bringing in sandro or livermore to solidify the midfield. Even though with citys backline likely to contain savic and clichy, we should try and just attack them, (if weve got the ball, they cant score right?) Even without Yaya toure the midfield of Barry, De Jong, Silva, Aguero and Milner looks scary, if not solid defensively Looking forward to this one, but Im nervous about the striker situation and arry's likely tactic if VDV playing wide right COYS!
Sandro and remy? Something you know that the rest of us don't mate? Last I heard, sandro was out with a calf tear and remy plays for marseille....
VDV is ineffective on the right! Lennon will need to play as he will stretch the defence and create more space in the middle. I am hoping Defoe is chosen over Pav. If he is unhappy about his opportunities it's about time he proved himself. Pav is too much of a passenger for most of the games he plays.
In my view, as has been said, the fact that City will attack will suit our style better. With no Ade, it's important that both Lennon and Bale play well. With no Ade to hold the ball up through the middle, we have to try and get behind them, and hope JD is on form that night.
LUKA LOOKS AHEAD TO CITY: Luka Modric insists the draw against Wolves was no more than a blip and the lads are already looking forward to Sunday's cracker at City. The men from Molineux became only the third team to take points off us at the Lane as it ended 1-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. Steven Fletcher struck midway through the first half for Wolves, Luka levelled six minutes into the second half and it looked then that we'd go on and take maximum points. But try as we might, we just couldn't find the winning goal on this occasion. "It was a shame we didn’t win," reflected Luka. "It was a hard game, especially when Wolves scored first. "It’s always harder when the opposition score first against us at White Hart Lane, they can then sit back and it’s hard to break them down. "In the second half we managed to score a goal and for 15, 20 minutes after that, we were all over them. We created chances but couldn’t score. "In the end, it’s a draw. It’s nothing (to worry about). We need to start again, do what we were doing before this game and start winning again." Luka was also convinced we'd go on to win after his equaliser. "The momentum was with us at that time, we created more chances but their goalkeeper did well and kept them in the game. "They fought for everything, defended well and took a point from us. "It can happen. No-one expected a draw but that’s why this league is so interesting. There are no easy opponents and every game is hard. "It’s not the end of the world. We need to pick ourselves up, we have a big game on Sunday and we have to be positive."
Formation wise I think Bale, VdV and Lennon should have 'free' roles with Defoe up front on his own. Modric and Parker playing in their 'standard' central roles should allow us to cover their midfield with Parker helping out in defence.
what ever formation we play, we MUST keep the ball on the deck. city are a much bigger side than us and we won't be able to complete aerially. does anyone know what the latest is with Silva's injury? fingers crossed for a set back....
Apparently he may be playing tonight, so should be available on Sunday. Unless Wigan are overly physical
I think JD has to play, I don't rate him as a line leader, but here's hoping somehow, something goes right. I'm not optimistic about this game, as I think without Ade, we'll lack physical presence, and generally speaking City will be bigger and stronger than us. One way forward might be a front six of Livermore Parker Bale VDV Modric Defoe. However, if Harry starts Lennon instead of one of those I can easily see an argument for that. I sure hope King is fit for this one, but don't want him 'wheeled out' if he's not up to it, a few games he's looked off the pace to me, though he gives us a great boost for sure when he starts a game. We're liable to be vulnerable at set pieces again, and while we continue to waste their value ourselves, well it's not a great chance we have up there.
I see where you're coming from here, but at the same time city look lost in MF and in DF at the moment with out yaya and kompany, respectively. We just need to play our passing game. City like to play football, but we've got more pace. It'll be an open game and as long as we keep it on the deck we stand a bloody good chance.
About how I see it. A 4-3-3 looks like a great idea in theory, but it won't happen for a few reasons. I'll be surprised if it's not Defoe, VDV, Lennon, Bale, Parker and Modric, though they'd be wise to use VDV and Bale to hold the ball up rather than Defoe.
