Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in action returning to Premier League action following the final international break of the year, Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur in a blockbuster affair on Saturday evening at 17:30 (BST).
A win is vital for City, heading into this affair off the back of four consecutive defeats in all competitions. In their last match, Pep Guardiola’s side fell apart in a second-half collapse against Brighton & Hove Albion, throwing away a 1-0 lead that they earned in the first half, losing 2-1 at the AMEX Stadium.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have been having their own issues of late, as the pressure begins to ramp up on Ange Postecoglou after their flat performance against Ipswich Town saw them defeated 2-1 at home, earning the Tractor Boys their first win of the season.As Manchester City have been one of the most dominant forces to be reckoned with in the history of English football, winning the last four Premier League titles in a row, it comes with very little surprise that they lead the bookie’s odds to win this matchup, considered as overwhelming favourites.
However, before the international break, City experienced their worst patch of form ever witnessed under Guardiola, losing four times in a row across three competitions against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting, and Brighton. This shocking spell of form has led to them crashing out of the League Cup and falling five points behind Liverpool in the title race, meaning that this weekend’s matchup is a must-win.
The most shocking part is that the Citizens have looked wide open through the midfield, conceding a staggering 26 big chances across the four losses, averaging six and a half big chances conceded per game. There are varying factors affecting this, including the injury to Ballon d’Or winning holding midfielder, Rodri, who Guardiola has struggled to replace, injuries to a number of key defenders across the backline, and a lack of intensity at times in transitions.
Though, as previously mentioned, Postecoglou is also dealing with his own set of issues, languishing in 10th position in the table having dropped six points to Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace, whose only wins this season have come against Spurs. A lack of consistency has massively cost the Australian’s side at times this campaign, losing five and winning six.
Due to the nature of their style, Tottenham can turn teams over on their day, as their intensity and flair can rip teams apart, but in other games, they seem to hold a lot of meaningless possession on the edge of the opposition box, conceding dangerous chances in transitions.
However, despite this, due to the condensed nature of the table, Tottenham only sit three points off Chelsea in third place, and a win here could propel them up the table if results go in their favour. They are also the most threatening team offensively in the Premier League, having scored the most goals this season out of any side in the division on 23.