The plot for the Premier League title has thickened and now all eyes are on Tottenham Hotspur taking on Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday from 12:30 AM IST.
Pep Guardiola’s men will know that anything less than a win will give Arsenal a massive advantage heading into the final day of the season while Ange Postecoglu’s forces will be keen to make one final push for the final UEFA Champions League spot.
Funnily enough though, Spurs has been the bogey club for Guardiola lately – the Lillywhites have been beaten only once in their last 5 top-flight meetings and the Cityzens are yet to win a game at the new Spurs stadium in the league.
That record will be of encouragement to the Spurs faithful too, who find their club currently in the 5th spot on the table with 63 points from 36 games, 4 points off Aston Villa in the league standings. They will be desperately hoping other results go their way and Son and co. deliver the goods in their remaining league games of the season.
Manchester City is at their imperious best again – as they look to capsize Arsenal from atop the table by beating Spurs. A win would almost guarantee them their 4th consecutive Premier League title, something no club has ever done in EPL history.
The Cityzens last dropped points against Arsenal on the 31st of March and are yet to lose since – picking up 21 points from 7 games and could set a record of winning 8 league games on the bounce with more than 2 goals if they clinch yet another decisive victory in London.
With the FA Cup final against Manchester United on the horizon as well, there is no doubt that Guardiola will want to end the season with a double having previously been busted out of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid.
Current Form
Both teams come into the titular clash with wins in the bag. Spurs defeated Burnley 2-1 at home, ending a 4-match losing streak. Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven found the back of the net for the Londoners, while Jacob Bruun Larsen scored for Burnley.
However, because of their poor form of late, Spurs need a favour from either Liverpool or Crystal Palace to claw back the 4th place from Villa. The home side has now conceded the first goal in their last 5 games, which does not bode well for their chances against the Cityzens who, as always, have stepped the pedal on the gas at the business end of the season.
Manchester City is currently unbeaten in 20 games in the Premier League, with their latest victim being Fulham whom they steamrolled 4-0 away from home. Josko Gvardiol, FWA Player of the Year Phil Foden, and Julian Alvarez all got in on the act as they made the Cottagers chase shadows during the entire game.
Head to Head Record
The two sides have faced each other 170 times, with the record being almost equal as the hosts have 66 wins to their name while the Cityzens have 67 wins.
The last time the two sides faced each other was in the FA Cup back in January, where Nathan Ake’s 88th-minute winner ensured City picked their first win away at Spurs since October 2018.
In the league, the two teams played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the season which saw Heung Min Son score for both sides. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Giovani Le Celso, and Dejan Kulusevski were the other names on the scoresheet.
Team News
Richarlison’s injury leaves a big hole up front for Spurs
The home side has a long injury list with forward Richarlison being the latest addition to it as the Brazilian was omitted from the 2024 Copa America squad and will also have to skip the final couple of games of the season for his side.
Timo Werner, Ben Davies, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon, Fraser Forster, and Destiny Udogie are also already unavailable due to existing injuries.
Guardiola had to pull out defender Nathan Ake at Craven Cottage as the Dutchman was in visible discomfort, so it is likely he will not be available for selection. Jack Grealish should return to action following an illness that kept him out against Fulham.
Predicted Starting XIs
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Oliver Skipp; Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison; Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Heung min Son
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Josep Gvardiol; Rodri, Mateo Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden; Erling Haaland
Prediction
On one hand, Spurs have rescued 25 points from losing positions in the league so far, which makes their tally the second highest after Liverpool. However, both teams have found the back of the net in the last 14 games at Spurs’ home ground, a trend which most certainly will continue on Tuesday evening in London.
One does expect the Cityzens to come clutch again though, as has been the case so many times in the last 10 years. The title race has turned out to be a delicate dance of fate this season, as Arsenal’s fates now rest in the hands of their eternal rivals Spurs.
For Guardiola’s men, a win will take them to the top of the table with a 2-point lead over the Gunners, which means a win against West Ham United on Matchday 38 would guarantee them the title. A draw could be sufficient too, assuming Arsenal drop points against Everton.