Premier League: City Need a Title Pick-Me-Up

Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester City are hurting. Hurting from four successive defeats, hurting from a series of injuries to key players, hurting from the ongoing legal battle they are in with Premier League authorities.

Of course, this may be the first time in 18 years that they have lost four straight games, and that happened in 2006 when the Sheikh Mansour era was still over two years away from beginning – but some perspective is required.

The expectation around the club is entirely different nowadays, shaped by the wealth of the Abu Dhabi billionaire which has funded a decade of Premier League dominance.

As Spurs arrive in town, they will be optimistic of delivering a pick-me-up.

 

Talking Points 

After all, they are the champions, have been champions five times in the past six years and are not content there.

Following the final international break of 2024, perhaps Spurs – who so thrillingly drew at the Etihad almost a year ago – should be fearful of a City backlash or perhaps they are hopeful they can inflict a further wound on Pep Guardiola’s men while they are down.

One thing is for sure, the players will have their mind firmly on the action rather than the outcome of Friday’s league meeting when proposed changes to sponsorship rules – which City claim are unlawful – come under the spotlight once more.

Personnel wise, Guardiola, who has just signed a one-year contract extension with the club, will hope that his players return unscathed from international duty, such as Ruben Dias, John Stones, Phil Foden and, for the first time this season, Kevin De Bruyne.

How City have missed the talismanic Belgian.

While they are being surprisingly inconsistent, Spurs have been consistently inconsistent for some years. One minute they are winning 3-0 at Old Trafford, the next they are losing a two-goal lead at Brighton.

A fine example of the inconsistency which so frustrates their fans and manager Ange Postecoglou, now in his second year in charge, was evident last time out as they were beaten 2-1 at home by newly promoted Ipswich Town.

It was the Tractor Boys’ first league victory of the season and a result which the Aussie boss said should be put down to him.

Yet in taking the focus away from his players, which presumably was his aim, he was actually being extremely harsh on himself.

The Australian now has to cope without Rodrigo Bentancur for seven games following jokey comments about he made teammate, Son Heung-min, which have been met with a heavy hand by the footballing authorities.

It makes the North Londoners’ task of creating Premier League 2024 highlights in the champions’ backyard a tougher ask.

 

History

With 68 City victories and 67 Spurs successes, this must be the closest matchup between any of the top sides in English football history.

There have also been 37 draws and, of course, one of those was the six-goal thriller in this fixture last season.

A game which swung one way then the other before a 90^th minute equaliser from Dejan Kulusevski – all this after Son scored at both ends inside the opening nine minutes of the contest.

Foden and Jack Grealish twice put City in front only to be pegged back by Giovani Lo Celso and then the in-form Swede.

City edged closer to the title in May with a 2-0 win in North London, thanks to an Erling Haaland double, and also ended their hoodoo at Spurs’ new stadium with a late Nathan Ake winner in the FA Cup fourth round in January.

Spurs defeated a largely second-string City in the last 16 of the League Cup a few weeks ago, courtesy of first half goals from Timo Werner and Pape Sarr.

Their only victory at City in the past eight years came in February 2022 when Harry Kane scored a 95^th-minute winner.

January 1909 was their first ever game, an FA Cup first round tie at Hyde Road in Manchester won 4-3 by the visitors.

For the record, the Spurs scorers that day were William Minter (two), Thomas Morris (penalty), and Robert Steel.

Arguably the best game I have reported on in recent years involved these clubs in 2019 in the Champions League quarter-finals – an epic encounter with which words struggled to do justice, so barely credible were the events which unfolded.

 

Betting Tip

City are always favourites at home, and that is the case again with the SBOTOP Premier League 2024 betting odds which have them on offer both 1X2 @ 1.45 and Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 2.08.

Spurs, meanwhile, are priced 1X2 @ 5.20 and Asian Handicap +1.00 @ 2.13.

The draw is available @ 4.51 and a repeat of last season’s six-goal thriller will earn you a very attractive payday @ 44.00.

Goalless draws between these two are rare and that is reflected in the difference between Total Goal 0-1 @ 5.20, 2-3 @ 2.26, 4-6 @ 2.22 and Over 3.50 @ 2.04.

For all the reasons outlined above, I must go for City.

   

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