Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood will be shaking like a leaf right now. And if he isn’t, then he should be. The north London side host Manchester City this evening in a game that could see City go top of the Premier League, and they will be all guns blazing from the off. But when up against such strong opposition, what do you do to stifle them? Here is my take.

Firstly I would look for a weak link in the side, which in this case I feel is Martin Demichelis. The Argentine is a player who looks to stay tight to strikers and rush into tackles, and it’s cost him a couple of times already this season. If I was Sherwood, I would be telling my strikers to target the 33-year-old.

Secondly I would play to my strengths, which with Spurs is the flanks in my opinion. With Danny Rose and Christian Eriksen down the left and Kyle Walker and Aaron Lennon down the right, I think Spurs should be looking to exploit the wide areas and get a City’s full-backs.

Lastly I would sacrifice a striker and pack the midfield. The centre of the pitch will be dominated by Yaya Toure and his accomplice Fernandinho, but to restrict them I would deploy a midfield trio. Perhaps Mousa Dembele, Nabil Bentaleb and Sandro, or maybe even Paulinho ahead of the latter.

It will be a tough ask, but I think Spurs could get something out of it if they play their cards right.