Best and worst case scenarios for Tottenham on their visit to Manchester City

Tottenham Hotspur’s first Premier League match after the international break sees them visit Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, November 23rd, at 17:30 UK time.

The Lilywhites headed into the ongoing break having been beaten at home by Ipswich Town, while the Citizens suffered defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou has already had Pep Guardiola’s number once this season as he ended City’s Carabao Cup campaign. Nonetheless, the Premier League is a different ballgame altogether and with both sides encountering similar forms thereafter, here is a look at the best and worst case scenarios for Spurs at the Etihad.

Best-case scenario

Tottenham Hotspur are on a run of two successive defeats having been beaten by Galatasaray in the Europa League and Ipswich Town in the Premier League ahead of the international break. Their main concern is the absence of two key central defenders, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, though Ange Postecoglou will hope that the duo is fit in time for next weekend.

Spurs will have to win the midfield battle if they are to progress and Dejan Kulusevski’s work-rate will be incredibly vital in the engine room. The Swede will be responsible for most good things the team does as his recent form has seen Postecoglou place a lot of faith in him. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur might miss out due to suspension so Pape Mata Sarr will have to put his best foot forward.

Tottenham seem to find their feet offensively against City more often than not. They will need Son Heung-min to transition his international form at club level. He scored his 50th goal for South Korea recently. Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke have played superbly together, so they also will have to fire the goods and make the most of their chances to help Spurs win next Saturday.

A successful result in Manchester City will significantly bolster Tottenham’s top four hopes.

Worst-case scenario

A beleaguered Manchester City side that has lost four matches on the trot in all competitions could make Tottenham Hotspur face its wrath next weekend. Just like Tottenham are able to pull off a surprise result, they are more than capable of being absolutely hammered by Manchester City if they don’t put in the hard yards without the ball and are wasteful in the final third.

City’s injury problems have not alleviated just yet, though offensively, Pep Guardiola will use the ongoing fortnight to find a solution. After a lacklustre run of performances, Erling Haaland will also be out to prove a point next weekend, so it will be an interesting watch to see how the home side’s attacking department squares up against a Tottenham side, which at one point held the Premier League’s second best defensive record this season.

In midfield, the likes of Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic have all that it takes to bypass Spurs easily and with that in mind, Postecoglou’s side will need to stay compact and make the tactical fouls which Guardiola despises very passionately. In hindsight, winning the mental battle and getting on their opponent’s nerves will be just as important as showing up physically.

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Conclusion

The upcoming Premier League game between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur is by far one of the most unpredictable game between the two sides in recent years despite the unexpected twists and turns the fixture has provided lately. While Spurs can be Spursy, City’s record of four defeats in a row does not leave much to be written home about them either.

Eventually, it will turn out to be a battle of mental fortitude and without putting too fine a point on it, Ange Postecoglou could come out worse off from the war. A vindictive Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City might even smash three or four past Tottenham, whose situation will compound with a streak of three matches without victory next weekend.