Next: Spurs (Away)

[AG7]

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
White Hart Lane, Tottenham, London

Wednesday 29 January 2014
Kickoff: 1945 GMT

Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: S Ledger & M Perry
Fourth Official: Jonathan Moss

TV Coverage in UK: BT Sports 1 HD (Sky 413) and BT Sports 1 (Sky 426)
Coverage starts at 1900 GMT

----

Long gone are the days when we were reminded of our away day woes ... long gone are are the days when we were still trying to gel under a new manager ... and long gone are the days we'd have taken 4 points off our next two games and be very happy ... (ok, ok, some here may still take that) but now a days we are talked about 110 goals scored already and how many in the next game ... talk is of 19 games unbeaten in all competitions, 11 unbeaten in the league, 7 straight wins in the league ... but question today is, can we make it 20 (unbeaten in all), 12 (unbeaten in the league) and 8 straight league wins here?

But let's not get carried away too much here ... this is realistically only the second toughest test Away for us. The first was Chelsea and yes, blame Hart for not having anything to show for it, but even without that we weren't coming away with all three points but only a draw. This game somehow reminds me of our earlier trip to Southampton ... they were around where Spurs are now, they were playing pretty good (as Spurs are these days), and gave us a pretty good game ... I have a feeling we'll see something similar to that game, and coming away with all 3 points will be huge for our title race ...


The Opposition

There are however differences between Saints then and Spurs now ... While Saints had lost last two games before playing us, Spurs have rejuvenated under Tim Sherwood since the departure of AVB. They are still unbeaten in the league under him (if I am not mistaken, off the top of my head) ... Had AVB still been in charge, the ghosts of the 6-0 beating they took at Etihad would have been hovering over them but that has changed. What else has changed is Adebayor is now back in their set-up, and not just back, he's leading them and is back in goals too ... and as gods of football would have it, is dead on to score against us here at some point. I just hope they don't score first and are always chasing the game, which will suit us just fine.

Not sure how brave Sherwood will be against us and still play 4-4-2 or try and get us on the counter? If he matches our formation (and we all know, we're dead on to field a 4-4-2 from the off), it'll be an open game and expect another one of those 5-1s from us ... but if we are not careful enough at the back, and they score the first or god forbid two goals first, they won't be as easy to break down later in the game like Watford.

I see goals in this one at both ends ... and it will truly be a who-can-score-more-than-the-other competition.


Team Selection

Strongest XI out for this one ... the next game ain't till Monday (albeit against Chelsea) but still Monday is better than Saturday, as Spurs have to worry about playing an away game (at Hull) two and a half days later.

Although things didn't go according to plan in the last game as I am sure Pelligrini didn't mean for all of Aguero, Yaya, Dzeko and Navas to play out all 90 minutes in that one, but as it turns out, they all had to, and even Komps and Zaba had to come and do quite a bit of running around ... oh well at least Silva and Ferdy got a good rest.

So expecting the usual back 5, and in the midfield the usual 2, and the creative guys, well the usual 2 (Milner was having groin trouble, so unless he is completely fit and Navas is totally knackered, still see Navas ahead of Milner over on right) ... and then up top, Negredo is probably still healing his shoulder and should rest on and be ready for Chelsea instead of this one, so again the usual 2 there as well ... so here's our usual 4-4-2 for this week then:


Starting XI Prediction

Hart
Zaba - Komps - Demi - Kola
Navas - Ferdy - Yaya - Silva
Dzeko - Aguero


Score Prediction

Spurs 2 - 5 City

Aguero to keep his good form going and score a brace before he's subbed for Jovetic, Dzeko to play out the full 90 and get a brace of his own and show us how he played two years ago there, and one would come from the likes of Navas' pace, or Silva's trickery or a Yaya special ... won't be surprised at all if this ends up 3-7 or crazier ...


Other Games

This is the gameweek where the top of the table topples ... don't expect Chelsea to lose out as they are at home to West Ham (but then not to worry, we'll sort them out ourselves next game) but all others have potential point dropping games. Arsenal play Saints away a day earlier and then there is that little derby affair with Everton visiting Anfield. Now Saints are self-combusting and may not be able to take anything off Arsenal and Liverpool being at home again and in good form might keep the top 4 positions intact and exactly how they are now ... but what's wrong in hoping, right? So here's hoping Ole gets something at Old Trafford (even if a draw), Mata gets injured for long term (so really puts cold water on all their feel-good weekend they've had over there) and all will be topped off if Newcastle beats Norwich away and deposits the Rags back to 8th in the table as well ...

EDIT: PS. Really looking forward to what's going on over at Spurs' forums, given the 6-0 hiding we gave them last time ... CuteMancs?

[Original Dub]

This fixture always worries me a little bit in that I never know what to expect.

Any kind of win obviously, with an important 3 points up for grabs. I'm definitely more confident of a win on Monday, but 6 points between the two would send out a huge message to the other title contenders.

[AG7]

Just posted this in the previews thread ... but thought would paste it here as well, since more chances of being seen here:

I guess the 'previews' have been replaced by my 'Next' threads ... ?? So if anyone here has the urge all of a sudden to do one (like Chelsea next or the Barca game I am guessing will have quite a few itching to go) ... then pls. feel free to do a Next thread, just let me know beforehand so I don't waste time doing for that game ...

[Mark Garrett]

Is Milner still injured does anyone know or is he back available for this?

If he is available to play, I would play him instead of Navas.

[Saul Goodman]

sounds like a number of key players for Spurs are returning so they could close to full strength.


id like to see:

Hart
Zaba Vinnie Lescott Kolarov
Fern Yaya
Milner Silva Jovetic
Dzeko


with Aguero getting 30-45 in the 2nd half

[MilnersJaw]

Is Milner still injured does anyone know or is he back available for this?

If he is available to play, I would play him instead of Navas.

Even if he wasn't injured, I wouldn't expect him to start.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Don't worry guys, we've just been told this game is 'not one of our 3 difficult games'. Stroll in the park.



In all seriousness, Spurs have recently hit some form and Adebayor will be really motivated. Potential for a high scoring game imo. Can see this one going either way but hopefully we can put in a strong performance and sneak the 3 points.
Shame Nasri's out, he always plays well against them.

[sheblue]

sounds like a number of key players for Spurs are returning so they could close to full strength.


id like to see:

Hart
Zaba Vinnie Lescott Kolarov
Fern Yaya
Milner Silva Jovetic
Dzeko


with Aguero getting 30-45 in the 2nd half

Cant see jovetic starting this one, on the bench yes but not from the start. I would think Aguero is nailed on to start.

This will be a real tough one, be really delighted with three points.

[City64]

The next 2 PL games starting with Spurs away then Chelski at home are fucking enormous in our quest to win the title ! 2 victories in those games will see us well on our way to that aim , a win and a draw is ok imho .

[South Stand Balti]

Thanks for the intro. It's a proper good read. I would go with the intro team too though I wonder if MP may bring Clichy in.

[nottsblue]

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
White Hart Lane, Tottenham, London

Wednesday 29 January 2014
Kickoff: 1945 GMT

Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: S Ledger & M Perry
Fourth Official: Jonathan Moss

TV Coverage in UK: BT Sports 1 HD (Sky 413) and BT Sports 1 (Sky 426)
Coverage starts at 1900 GMT

----

Long gone are the days when we were reminded of our away day woes ... long gone are are the days when we were still trying to gel under a new manager ... and long gone are the days we'd have taken 4 points off our next two games and be very happy ... (ok, ok, some here may still take that) but now a days we are talked about 110 goals scored already and how many in the next game ... talk is of 19 games unbeaten in all competitions, 11 unbeaten in the league, 7 straight wins in the league ... but question today is, can we make it 20 (unbeaten in all), 12 (unbeaten in the league) and 8 straight league wins here?

But let's not get carried away too much here ... this is realistically only the second toughest test Away for us. The first was Chelsea and yes, blame Hart for not having anything to show for it, but even without that we weren't coming away with all three points but only a draw. This game somehow reminds me of our earlier trip to Southampton ... they were around where Spurs are now, they were playing pretty good (as Spurs are these days), and gave us a pretty good game ... I have a feeling we'll see something similar to that game, and coming away with all 3 points will be huge for our title race ...

The Opposition

There are however differences between Saints then and Spurs now ... While Saints had lost last two games before playing us, Spurs have rejuvenated under Tim Sherwood since the departure of AVB. They are still unbeaten in the league under him (if I am not mistaken, off the top of my head) ... Had AVB still been in charge, the ghosts of the 6-0 beating they took at Etihad would have been hovering over them but that has changed. What else has changed is Adebayor is now back in their set-up, and not just back, he's leading them and is back in goals too ... and as gods of football would have it, is dead on to score against us here at some point. I just hope they don't score first and are always chasing the game, which will suit us just fine.

Not sure how brave Sherwood will be against us and still play 4-4-2 or try and get us on the counter? If he matches our formation (and we all know, we're dead on to field a 4-4-2 from the off), it'll be an open game and expect another one of those 5-1s from us ... but if we are not careful enough at the back, and they score the first or god forbid two goals first, they won't be as easy to break down later in the game like Watford.

I see goals in this one at both ends ... and it will truly be a who-can-score-more-than-the-other competition.

Team Selection

Strongest XI out for this one ... the next game ain't till Monday (albeit against Chelsea) but still Monday is better than Saturday, as Spurs have to worry about playing an away game (at Hull) two and a half days later.

Although things didn't go according to plan in the last game as I am sure Pelligrini didn't mean for all of Aguero, Yaya, Dzeko and Navas to play out all 90 minutes in that one, but as it turns out, they all had to, and even Komps and Zaba had to come and do quite a bit of running around ... oh well at least Silva and Ferdy got a good rest.

So expecting the usual back 5, and in the midfield the usual 2, and the creative guys, well the usual 2 (Milner was having groin trouble, so unless he is completely fit and Navas is totally knackered, still see Navas ahead of Milner over on right) ... and then up top, Negredo is probably still healing his shoulder and should rest on and be ready for Chelsea instead of this one, so again the usual 2 there as well ... so here's our usual 4-4-2 for this week then:

Starting XI Prediction

Hart
Zaba - Komps - Demi - Kola
Navas - Ferdy - Yaya - Silva
Dzeko - Aguero

Score Prediction

Spurs 2 - 5 City

Aguero to keep his good form going and score a brace before he's subbed for Jovetic, Dzeko to play out the full 90 and get a brace of his own and show us how he played two years ago there, and one would come from the likes of Navas' pace, or Silva's trickery or a Yaya special ... won't be surprised at all if this ends up 3-7 or crazier ...

Other Games

This is the gameweek where the top of the table topples ... don't expect Chelsea to lose out as they are at home to West Ham (but then not to worry, we'll sort them out ourselves next game) but all others have potential point dropping games. Arsenal play Saints away a day earlier and then there is that little derby affair with Everton visiting Anfield. Now Saints are self-combusting and may not be able to take anything off Arsenal and Liverpool being at home again and in good form might keep the top 4 positions intact and exactly how they are now ... but what's wrong in hoping, right? So here's hoping Ole gets something at Old Trafford (even if a draw), Mata gets injured for long term (so really puts cold water on all their feel-good weekend they've had over there) and all will be topped off if Newcastle beats Norwich away and deposits the Rags back to 8th in the table as well ...

EDIT: PS. Really looking forward to what's going on over at Spurs' forums, given the 6-0 hiding we gave them last time ... CuteMancs?

Good work. Agree with team selection as well. Bit more circumspect I feel, 1-3

[halnone]

I have a bad feeling about this one.

[Tesl]

Adebayor will surely score at least once. But Sherwood will probably set them up to be aggressive going forward, so hopefully they will give us space to take them apart. I'd be really disappointed with anything less than a win in this game. Won't be easy though.

[Mike J]

Will be a properly tough game this one. Hard place to go is WHL. Adebayor is flying, and no doubt he'll put in a shift against us.

Prediction 2-2

[Slim]

2-5, FUCK SPURS AND THEIR OVERRATED CASTOFFS!

[BobbyJ1956]

It's games like this when champions make a first-class statement. City did it at WHL at the end of the' '67-68 season and then again early on in 2011-12. Last year's second-rate performance was part of the second place finish. City 4-1 tomorrow.

[Herb]

IMO Sherwood will be buoyed up by his success though protective of his short but good record and very nervous as to the outcome of this game - especially given that we've ripped them apart in recent meetings to their acute embarrassment.
He'll be focused very much on his future managerial prospects - he can probably picture himself going up before the spurs board and setting out his record as a comparison to AVB's so, on that basis, I suspect that he'd be delighted with a narrow 2-1 win and even see a hard fought 2-1 loss as a minor moral victory in setting his case for a much improved spurs under his tenure.

Because of the above, I fully expect spurs to be set up more defensively than we're used to as Sherwood will desperately want to keep us out and hopefully sting us on the break. I see Ade up front as a lone striker with their midfield given instruction to hurl themselves forward in support as the game demands.
If we can contain Ade by cutting off his supply from midfield then he'll get frustrated and start to drop back and they'll run out of steam.
We need to be at our shiny best but are statistical favourites by a fair margin so should (fingers crossed) peel 3 points out of Sherwood's grasping fingers subject, of course, to reasonable refereeing and a modicum of good luck.

Come on you Blues!

[gillie]

Milner and Garcia both out injured but Negredo is fit and in the squad.

[Sideshow Bob]

Milner and Garcia both out injured but Negredo is fit and in the squad.

appears we're a bit thin in the middle, but I've been saying since early season that demichelis should be used like wenger uses flamini.

[Breks]

Good chance for Rodwell to prove his worth.