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English football’s own version of los galacticos, Manchester City, head to London tonight to face a Tottenham Hotspur side yet to register their first points for the season. We’ll have live scores and a blog from the commencement at 10.30pm AEST.
Roberto Mancini’s City have started the season in convincing fashion, racking up consecutive wins against Swansea and Bolton.
They have displaying an attacking verve that couldn’t be further away from the dour approach that punctuated last season’s campaign.
The incisive David Silva has underpinned City’s attack, while Sergio Kun Aguero has settled immediately and Edin Dzeko has begun to show why Mancini shelled out £27 million for the former Wolfsburg talisman.
All of this is well and good when they are dispatching Swansea and Bolton, who certainly won’t be challenging for European spots in May next year.
Spurs present a far more formidable opponent, although a stuttering start to the season gives one the slightest inclination things aren’t quite right at White Hart Lane.
The North London club have doggedly tried to cling onto Croatian midfielder Luka Modric from Chelsea’s overtures and Harry Redknapp has been uncharacteristically quiet over the summer in both the media and the transfer market.
His attempts to land a big-name striker have failed, although a compromise was reached this week when Emmanuel Adebayor was signed on a season-long loan from, incidentally, Manchester City.
Admittedly the riots on High Road, literally a stones throw from White Hart Lane, were out of Tottenham’s control.
And they were never going to win at Old Trafford, where they have not won since 1989.
But this is a side desperate to regain their place among European football’s elite in the UEFA Champions League and they’ll be mindful of not losing touch with the top four, particularly given Liverpool’s strong start to the season.
They’ll be heartened by the fact that they have not lost at home to City in a league fixture since 2003, and apart from Adebayor, who is ineligible as part of the terms of the loan, come into this one at full strength.
Following a protracted game of cat-and-mouse Mancini finally snared Samir Nasri from Arsenal during the week, and the Frenchman looks set to start in place of James Milner.
The key to this one will be in the middle of the park, and whether Tottenham are able to find away to stifle Nasri and Silva.
Modric will partner Tom Huddlestone in the centre of the park for Spurs, and as the first-choice combination will provide plenty from a distributive point of view.
But if they fail to complete their defensive duties it is going to be a long day the office for Tottenham’s back four.
Both sides are stacked with talent across the park and this shapes as a quality game of football.
It is the early game tonight and is the perfect way to wind up the weekend. Join us from 10.30pm for live scores and a blog.
Lineups (Probable)
Tottenham
24. Friedel 28. Walker 20. Dawson 4. Kaboul 32. Assou-Ekotto 7. Lennon 6. Huddlestone 14. Modric 3. Bale 11. Van der Vaart 18. Defoe
Manchester City
1. Hart 2. Richards 4. Kompany 6. Lescott 13. Kolarov 18. Barry 42. Toure Y 19. Nasri 21. Silva 16. Aguero 10. Dzeko
Kick Off: 10.30pm AEST
Venue: White Hart Lane
Referee: Phil Dowd
Last Time: Tottenham 0 Manchester City 0
Betting: Tottenham $2.75, Draw $3.30, Manchester City $2.35
TV: Fox Sports 2, (10.30pm AEST, live)
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