Hello, football fans! Today we will be covering the Tottenham vs Manchester City game. It is the last and the intriguing game of the week so we do expect to see a lot of action and drama. Also, we expect all of you to get involved and share your opinion about the game! It will be fun, interactive and rewarding!
To kick this off, I will give 15 SCR for a person who guesses the correct score of the game before the match in the comments section! If multiple people guess the correct score, I will send 15 SCR in equal parts to every winner.
To summarise, I will be posting live updates and opinions about the match right here in this blog post. Contributions will be provided by myself, @talesfrmthecrypt, jon.bonomo and @philnewton. Also, you will find us in the comments section, interacting with people and rewarding good comments!
So, let's get started!
Pre-Match Predictions
Manchester City look like they are in their best form again which can only mean problems to any team in the world. Also, with KDB's return, Pep Guardiola has the best squad available again. That is scary. On the other side of the pitch, Tottenham look out of ideas and kind of frustrating. They keep winning against weaker opponents but things change against the top teams. Prediction: Spurs 2 - 4 City
For all they’ve accomplished over the last few years, Spurs have never really been considered much of a threat to the big clubs. They’ve got a chance to show they mean business here, but they’ll have to be at their best to get anything out of this game against a high-flying Manchester City. I expect Spurs to score but for City to be too much from them over the 90 minutes. Prediction: Spurs 1 - 3 City
As a Spurs fan, there has not been much to celebrate so far this season. No signings, no new stadium and no real statement of intent from the squad in their 9 games to date. A win against City could really kick-start the season but given their outstanding performance during the week and our poor results against them last season, I can only see this match going one way. Prediction: Spurs 1 - 3 City
Spurs are coming off a frustrating draw in Champions League and will have 2 matches in 3 days to contend with, forcing Poch to consider dramatic rotation in his lineups. City will have several of their big player returning, meaning City should travel to London with a full powered squad. Spurs uninspiring mid-week draw and City’s stellar recent form tips the scales in City’s favor. Betting on goals in this matchup. Prediction: Spurs 2 - 3 City
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Team News
KDB will start the game on the bench as he is probably not yet ready to play 90 minutes. Instead, Guardiola is giving Mahrez another chance which is quite surprising to me.
As for Tottenham, both Alli and Eriksen are on the bench. That means they are not fit to play the whole game and Spurs will have to trust Sissoko and Lamela instead. That is not good at all.
GOAL!
Tottenham 0 - 1 Manchester City
Scored: Mahrez (6)
Trippier played terrible defense, Sterling got inside the penalty area, passed the ball to open Mahrez who did not miss this time!
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UPDATE - 10 MINUTES
As expected, the game has been open from the start but this does not favour Spurs with the quality City have throughout their team. A dreadful piece of defending by Trippier was rightfully punished and City look like they can open up Spurs with ease. Spurs need to find some composure on the ball before City put this to bed early.
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UPDATE - 20 MINUTES
Spur’s defending is as ugly as the pitch. Their heads still stuck in the Netherlands, while it took them over 10 minutes to actually get started. Too bad because City started like a lit match. Sterling enjoying himself on the left flank. A quick goal at 6’ and Pep’s side couldn’t have started off any better.
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UPDATE - 30 MINUTES
Spurs are just finding a way to beat City's high press in the last 10mins which is getting them a chance to run at the opposition defense. Unfortunately, the home team's composure hasn't been up to the standards required. if they can find that bit of quality then there is a way back into this game for them.
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UPDATE - 40 MINUTES
Spurs are their own worst enemies at the moment. They’re having more joy on the ball but have no quality in the final third. Harry Kane’s heavy touch ruined a great chance to put them level and Lamella is constantly losing the ball at key points to stifle attacks. Better from Spurs but they need to score soon because City will come back into this game soon enough.
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UPDATES - HALFTIME
A first half within which the attacking play is somehow messier than the state of the pitch. Both teams have had chances to score since the first goal but there’s a distinct lack of cohesion in the final thirds. City are far from their best but they’re bound to wake up at some point. Spurs need to take their chances and Kane will be feeling annoyed that he spurned his opportunity.
That first half was very exciting to watch but let's be honest - the quality of the players on the pitch is no better than the pitch itself. Mendy looks like he bet on Tottenham to score in the first half but little did he know that Kane, Lamela and Sissoko bet for Tottenham to finish the first half with 0 goals. I can see more goals coming in this game and Tottenham actually have a chance to come back to this game if they convert their chances.
The next goal is going to be crucial here. I can't see Spurs coming back from 2-0 down and if anything it could get very messy for them if they do concede next. The old White Hart Lane was a dump of a stadium but it always had an amazing atmosphere for mid-week matches. It's a real shame that Spurs haven't been able to produce their stadium on time and you feel that it could cost them on multiple fronts, including results on the pitch.
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UPDATE - 55 MINUTES
Halftime talks look as if they had little to no effect. Neither team seem like themselves. A few half-chances form set pieces for Spurs, and City continue to ask questions of Lloris in goal. So far this match hasn’t offered us much in the form of takeaways other than both teams are playing like poorly.
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UPDATE - 65 MINUTES
Who's going to stand up and grab this game by the scruff of the neck? Time for Spurs to bring on Alli and Eriksen for Lamela and Moura. There is at least a point here for Spurs if they can take advantage of the lax play by Man City. City's 2 fullbacks have been dreadful tonight. I'd like to see Spurs work the ball to one of their fullbacks and then load the opposite back post. There's an opportunity to bully Mendy or Walker.
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UPDATE - 75 MINUTES
Spurs now looking the more likelier of the two to score the next goal but the quality just isn’t there at the moment. You get the feeling that they need to remain patient here as City are now playing for soft fouls. The next goal would be massive. City score, it’s over. Spurs score, they could go on to win it.
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UPDATE - 85 MINUTES
Spurs should have ripped up all the grass and just played in a big mud pit. Maybe then they would have found themselves a bit more able to challenge City. The Lamela’s botched attempt encapsulates Spur’s final third performance perfectly. In 85 minutes all they could muster was a single shot on target. You won’t challenge City with a performance like that. Not a chance.
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BONUS THOUGHT
City might play a lot of beautiful football but they are pretty good at the dark arts too! Running down the clock on substitutions, giving away cheap free kicks, falling over looking for them in return. Anything to slow the game down. Harry Winks has been a breath of fresh air, his first thought is to move the ball forward at pace. We could have done with that all evening!
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UPDATE - FULLTIME
Manchester City won the game but they played terrible. Tottenham had their chances but were awful at the final third. The quality of the pitch reflects how the players played. Horrific. I loved Dele Alli and Winks, though. They brought a lot of energy to Tottenham's game after coming in. As for City, they got their 3 points away against Tottenham so I guess Pep won't care about their poor performance too much. I am concerned about Mendy, though. He sometimes looks like an unmotivated kid without any talent.
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