Pep Guardiola highlights unique problem ahead of Premier League clash vs Tottenham Hotspur
In his pre-match conference (h/t Manchester Evening News), Pep Guardiola has stated that Tottenham Hotspur and their poor run of form could be a worrying factor for his team. The Manchester City boss also highlighted the quality that Spurs possess upfront
The Lilywhites have been struggling in recent weeks having slumped to defeats against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, and Chelsea in their last three Premier League fixtures. The only reprieve for Antonio Conte’s men has been a 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion during this period in the FA Cup.
The Italian manager has tried to instil his brand of attacking football but is soon beginning to realise the enormity of the task before him at Hotspur Way. The North Londoners failed to land several of their priority transfer targets in January and that may be a significant factor in their poor form at the moment.
The club has managed to send several players like Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, and Bryan Gil on loan while letting go of Dele Alli on a permanent transfer to Everton which has significantly reduced the option available to the Italian manager. The Lilywhites saved some face by bringing in the young Juventus duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski.
Keeping all these developments in mind, the club has struggled to put in favourable results on the board. Despite their terrible run of results, Guardiola believes that Spurs could be dangerous due to their form.
In his presser (h/t Manchester Evening News), the Spanish manager highlighted several key aspects such as changing the manager mid-season as well as the kind of quality that they produce in the final third of the pitch:
“This is a problem [for us]. The fact that they’ve lost three times means they’ll be more difficult. It is difficult for top teams to lose four times in a row. They’ve a lot of quality up front, the process they do. Changing manager in middle of the season is not easy, they need time and football does not give time.”
That being said, these comments could be a psychological trick by the German manager considering that the odds would heavily be in favour of the Citizens in the lead-up to the match. Nonetheless, the former Barcelona manager does make some valid points as any top club like Spurs would be extra motivated for a victory after a scathing run of defeats.
With all of these struggles right now, Spurs do have some good news as Eric Dier has made his way back into the squad after being out due to injury. The experience of the 28-year-old could be a welcoming factor considering the lack of composure and maturity that we have shown at the back in recent games.
The fans would finally be hoping for a favourable result after the dismal performances that the North London side have put up in recent weeks. A victory against current league leaders may just prove to be the kind of boost that Conte’s men require at the moment.
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Whilst Spurs did manage to defeat the Citizens early on in the season, it seems like ancient history at the moment and the Lilwyhites would have a humongous task ahead of them if they are to come away with anything from this fixture.
