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)
RIP Enke
Guest
Seems like a competition between the two London clubs. ManU 8 - Arsenal 2.
Chad Bennett
Editor
FULL TIME – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 5 Robbie Slater is currently fawning over City and making the comparison with Barcelona and on today's peformance, it is somewhat hard to disagree (based on today - NOT comparing City to Barca). Dzeko obviously must receive the MotM honours for a stunning performance, yet Nasri must also be mentioned, as close to a dream debut as possible, and Silva and Aguero were influential as well. Manchester City are a dangerous unit, and now must definitely be considered a threat to their cross-town rivals for the Premiership.
Chad Bennett
Editor
92′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 5 GOOOOOAL!!!! Who said this one was done. GOAL OF THE DAY!!! Dzeko picks up the ball out wide, plays in a one-two with Barry, and first time effortlessly puts it into the top left hand corner. An absolute blinder!!! That's FOUR for Dzeko this afternoon. Unbelievable.
Chad Bennett
Editor
Completely agree, first 25 minutes could have gone either way, Crouch scores that header (which he should have) and it is 1-1, game on. Cheers for the comments!!
Chad Bennett
Editor
89′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 Strong defending right until the very end there by City, Lescott coming strongly to meet a header, and is fouled. Good sign there for Manciini.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Good call tonight Chad, it's been a really good game to watch, Spurs didn't do too much wrong, City just so sharp.
Chad Bennett
Editor
87' – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 In scenes reminiscent of last time Spurs were jammed 4-1 on their own patch (last year's Carling Cup tie against Arsenal), Spurs fans are steadily flowing toward the exits en masse, leaving television viewers with a great view of the blue seats as the stadium empties while the game continues.
Chad Bennett
Editor
85′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 All intensity is gone from this one. City string together about 35-40 passes together there.
Chad Bennett
Editor
83′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 Broken Record Day: Yes, Nasri again finds Dzeko again. Only this time, a sprawling Friedel is able to prevent Dzeko from notching his fourth of the afternoon.
Chad Bennett
Editor
81'– Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 The scorer for Tottenham, Kaboul, can certainly hold his head up high. A dashing run forward results in the ball being crossed to Crouch, who commits a blatantly obvious foul. He certainly cannot hold his head up high.
Chad Bennett
Editor
78' – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 Samir Nasri channels his inner-Michael Laudrup as he loops one over the top into the box to Silva, who is well covered by Kaboul and can only get an off-balance shot away.
Chad Bennett
Editor
77′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 It's 11 v 10 now and City are now slowing this one down. Some rhythmic passing patterns through the middle of the park. Right now, the possiblities are endless for this City team.
Chad Bennett
Editor
75′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 SUBSTITUTION: Aguero is replaced by Savic, and in a farcicial situation, is brandished with a yellow for entering the field of play before Aguero had left the pitch. I mean, really. Balotelli must be fuming about Savic being brought on before him, as would Tevez, last year's leading scorer.
Chad Bennett
Editor
72′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 Defoe nearly gets another shot on. Sadly, for Spurs, Rafael Van der Vaart has just walked off with a hamstring. With Modric, Kranjcar and Lennon already substituted, Tottenham will play the final 18 minutes with 10 men.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Are Spurs down to 10 men?
Chad Bennett
Editor
Yeah it was a great header - my comment didn't really do it justice.
Chad Bennett
Editor
70′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 Defoe finds space in between to City defenders and smashes a swirling shot that Hart does well to get behind. That certainly would have made things interesting.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Good period for Spurs which continues, well done for not dropping their heads with such a scoreline. Defoe's shot was like a rocket, and Kaboul's header was as strong as you going to get from a corner, absolutely planted it.
Chad Bennett
Editor
68′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 Definite black mark on the City defence there. But just reward from Tottenham, in a way - they probably haven't been bad enough to be humiliated on their own patch like this.
Chad Bennett
Editor
67′ – Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester City 4 GOAL!!! Corner comes in after a dipping shot from Defoe was tipped over the bar. From the ensuing corner, Younes Kaboul nods in, unchallenged.