Possession: Tottenham 50%, Manchester City 50%.
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Pellegrini will also bring back midfielder Samir Nasri, but City will be shorthanded with winger David Silva out again with a calf injury.
The stranglehold Spurs had over the club was remarkable.
With a League Cup defeat to Arsenal fresh in the minds of Tottenham fans and the impending clash with table toppers Manchester City at the Lane, we have a look at how they can conquer the Premier League leaders.
Manuel Pellegrini has never lost a match to Tottenham while managing in England.
“They are close, but still out”, he added. His debut campaign was defined by a spell of 18 wins in 20 games throughout the winter months, which was bookended by impressive wins over Spurs.
Summer signing Son Heung-min took more pressure off the 22-year-old by netting the only goal in last week’s 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace and, all of a sudden, their season looks markedly brighter than it did a fortnight ago.
Tottenham host Manchester City this weekend in the Premier League.
Harry Kane is yet to find the net for Spurs this season in any competition. However the Foxes’ opponents so far have also found scoring relatively straightforward, with one shot in every 7.4 finding its way past Kasper Schmeichel, so this could be the game that sees Arsenal’s persistence finally pay off.
Bizarrely, that match seemed to be the one that shattered City’s belief barrier. According to the UK-licensed TonyBet sportsbook, that is quite likely: a Spurs’ win is at 61/20, while Man City is a favorite at 9/10.
Ninth and first in the Premier League, respectively, both have been through a mixed preceding seven days.
A win on Saturday would do wonders for the visitors.
City returned to winning ways on Tuesday, with an emphatic 4-1 pounding of struggling Sunderland, who are yet to register a victory in the Premier League this season. Mason scored the victor in Stadium of light while Dele Alli scored against leicester City.
Some tactical tweaks, new players and upturns in energy have contributed to Man City’s return to form, but arguably the most important factor has been Raheem Sterling’s indirect influence; he is yet to flourish as creator, but has served as a useful distraction.
David Silva has provided the most number of assists(4) in the Premier League this season. Sergio Aguero scored for the first time since his opening goal against Chelsea in August, albeit from the penalty spot.
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The crumb of comfort here, though, is that the striker loves a game against Tottenham. This is bad news for a misfiring Tottenham attack that has needed an average of just under 20 shots to score each league goal this season: the third worst in the top flight.
