Manchester City will be back on English soil this weekend, after a thumping 5-0 victory over the reigning Portuguese champions Sporting CP at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the first leg of the round of 16 fixtures of the UEFA Champions League campaign.
The defending PL champions will be facing the likes of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspurs at the Etihad stadium. The Spurs are going to face a stern test if they plan to walk away with any points from Manchester, given the sizzling form of the Cityzens.
However, Tottenham has been one of the two sides to defeat Manchester City, this season. Heung Min Son’s 55th-minute goal was enough for the Spurs to take all the 3 points on the opening day of this season at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Manchester City are firm favourites going into this league fixture based on current form on matchday 26 of this edition of the Premier League. With that said, the result may come down to some crucial performances from both sides. So, let’s discuss about the 5 players to watch out for in Manchester City vs Tottenham.
Here we go!
1) RIYAD MAHREZ
The Algerian is enjoying a rich vein of form in Manchester colours, this season, scoring 15 goals and 5 assists in 20 appearances across all competitions.
Mahrez has been a devastating customer to deal on the right offensive flank, causing mayhem in the opposition’s defence more often than not. The 30-year-old has been the top scorer for Manchester City and is looking good for aplenty.
The Algerian could be a predator in the attacking third and it would be a huge ask to negate the Mahrez threat if the Spurs defenders won’t find their feet in the opening minutes.
Mahrez has complemented the likes of Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling perfectly in the final third with the star trio scoring 23 goals in total in this edition of the Premier League. Conte has his plan cut out and has to prevent Mahrez from possessing the ball for long intervals which could see his side beaten quite comprehensively in the end.