Tottenham Hotspur will be hosting Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 19:00 UTC for Round 34 of the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur Form
Tottenham Hotspur narrowly avoided a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat as they faced Burnley. Despite initially trailing after Jacob Bruun Larsen's early goal, Spurs quickly equalized through Pedro Porro and then secured victory with a goal from Micky van de Ven, their standout player of the season. The win not only condemned Burnley to relegation but also kept Tottenham's slim Champions League hopes alive, pending the result of Liverpool's match against Aston Villa. Although a top-four finish is not the primary aim for manager Postecoglou in his debut season, Spurs have shown resilience throughout the campaign, having salvaged 25 points from losing positions, the second-highest in the league after Liverpool. However, their recent trend of conceding first in matches is a concern, especially as they prepare to face Manchester City, who recently overtook Arsenal at the top of the table.
Manchester City Form
Josko Gvardiol showcased his newfound scoring prowess by netting twice for Manchester City in their 4-0 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet, with Alvarez calmly converting a penalty, albeit after Gvardiol passed up the chance for a historic hat-trick as a defender. City's win, their seventh in a row in the Premier League, saw them move two points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table, although Arsenal reclaimed the top spot with a narrow win over Manchester United. City will need another victory on Tuesday to stay in control of their title hopes. However, they face a challenge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they have never won eight consecutive Premier League matches by at least two goals. Despite City's recent dominance, they have struggled against Tottenham, having won only one of their last five league encounters and never won a Premier League match at Spurs' new stadium. Nonetheless, some Tottenham fans might be willing to sacrifice their unbeaten record against City if it means preventing Arsenal from celebrating a title victory.
Head to Head
During Guardiola's time as manager, Manchester City has suffered six defeats against Tottenham in the top-flight, more than against any other opponent. However, they did find success at Tottenham's ground in January when Aké scored a late winner, securing a 1-0 victory in the FA Cup fifth round. In a previous league encounter at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the season, the two teams played out an entertaining 3-3 draw in Manchester in December.
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham striker Richarlison was unexpectedly left out of the Brazil squad for the 2024 Copa America due to a calf injury, confirmed by national team coach Dorival Junior and reiterated by Tottenham manager Postecoglou. This injury is serious enough to also sideline him for Spurs' remaining Premier League matches, joining a growing list of injured players including Timo Werner, Ben Davies, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon, Fraser Forster, and Destiny Udogie. Following some disappointing performances by Emerson Royal, Postecoglou briefly experimented with Oliver Skipp at left-back against Burnley, but considering Skipp's limited playing time and the tight schedule, Emerson might return to the lineup. Postecoglou is hesitant to deploy Van de Ven in wide positions due to his past injury concerns.
Manchester City
At Craven Cottage, only 25% of the game had elapsed before Guardiola was forced to substitute Nathan Ake due to an unspecified injury, visibly discomforting the Dutch defender. Whether Ake's injury will affect his availability for the upcoming match remains uncertain, but if he does miss out, he should be the only absentee for the champions. Jack Grealish, who missed the previous match due to illness, is expected to return. Fortunately for Guardiola, he can compensate for Ake's potential absence by recalling Kyle Walker and moving either Manuel Akanji or the returning John Stones to a central defensive position. Additionally, Guardiola may capitalize on Tottenham's defensive vulnerabilities by reintroducing the skillful Jeremy Doku.
Predicted Lineup
Tottenham Hotspur possible lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Emerson; Bissouma, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son
Manchester City possible lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Doku, Haaland, Foden
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City Prediction:
It's almost a given that both teams will score in Tottenham's Premier League home games, but there's likely to be plenty of action in and around the Tottenham box as they continue to struggle defensively. With ongoing issues at left-back and a lack of clean sheets at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since October, Spurs are expected to finally lose their unbeaten home record against the champions. However, those who dislike Arsenal won't be too concerned about Tottenham's potential defeat.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester City