As I look ahead to this game, I feel 1% confident and 99% worried. A win here and Champions League football is coming to City next season; a loss, and the nails are bitten ahead of the final league fixtures. City stand six 6 points clear of Tottenham at the moment, so a point may do it due to City's superior goal-difference, but Tottenham know what they can do, and they know how good their recent record against Manchester City is. So to get it out of the way - I'm going to pass comment on Tottenham first!
Tottenham, as much as I hate them, are undoubtedly a fantastic team. They boast attacking talents such as Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale, Steven Pienaar and Aaron Lennon; if that fails they have Tom Huddlestone to spray 60 yard passes to Peter Crouch, and they have one of Brazil's finest young pospects in Sandro. But at the back is a different story...
... Gomes, the Spurs goalkeeper, stands top of the Mistakes that Have Cost Your Team a Goal table, with a total of 6 mistakes, only beating West Ham's Robert Green by 1 mistake. Most recently, Gomes turned from hero to zero twice. He pulled off a string of fine saves to deny Didier Drogba a goal for Chelsea, and his saves contributed to what could have been an excellent first half that had seen Sandro fire Tottenham infront with an excellent shot past Petr Cech. But a long shot from Frank Lampard squirmed underneath Gomes and rolled towards the goal. Gomes managed to stop the ball from rolling completely over the line, but the linesman and referee didn't see it that way. The goal was given, Chelsea had equalised, and Chelsea went on to win the game 2-1.
Then on Saturday, Gomes was in action again. A penalty was given to Tottenham's opponents Blackpool, and Charlie Adam stepped up to take it. He fired a rasping shot low to Gomes' left, but the big man struck out a hand and tipped it around the post for a corner! What a save! Gomes the hero again? The corner is whipped in, and Gomes paces out of his goal to claim it. But he fumbles it! The ball breaks to Gary Taylor-Fletcher inside the Tottenham penalty area, with the defence in complete dissaray. The worried Gomes can't stand to see another one of his mistakes cost Tottenham another goal. The huge goalkeeper thrusts all of his weight, height and hand into the back and side of Taylor-Fletcher, who does go down easily... PENALTY! Oh no! Oh, Gomes, you big baffoon! Charlie Adam steps up and makes no mistake this time, sending Gomes the wrong way and slotting home. Tottenham did pull a goal back through Jermaine Defoe, and claimed a point, but Gomes stood in his goal knowing that his mistakes may have cost his team a Champions League place.
Now on to the rest of Tottenham...
Tottenham's form has been patchy of late to say the least. 1 win in 9 has seen them slip 6 points behind their opponents on Tuesday, Manchester City, and it has given Liverpool the opportunity to catch up and make their claim for European football next season. Draws against Wigan, Wolves, Blackpool and West Brom - all teams in the bottom half - and losses to Blackpool and Chelsea have all come in a very disappointing 8 weeks for Tottenham.
But their record at the City of Manchester Stadium is exceptional. In 9 games there, Tottenham have only lost once to Manchester City - and that was a 2-1 defeat, when Nedum Onuoha popped up in the area to head home and get the three points for the Blues. But last season, Tottenham defeated Manchester City to secure Champions League football ahead of them. But City will want to avenge the loss for sure.
Manchester City...
Manchester City's recent form has been better than Tottenham's, but it has been worryingly inconsistent. 4 wins from their last 9 games has seen them creep away from 5th place and towards 4th. But they've lost 4 games too. Admittedly, those losses have all come away from home at Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Everton, but it doesn't make good reading for City fans.
City's home record this season has been brilliant. 11 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses in the Premier League has been a huge contributor to their league position, and despite Tottenham's good record at Eastlands, they will be wary of the fortress inn the making.
To the prediction...
Since I've started this blog, I have been spot on with where the points have gone, BUT with my prediction here, I hope I'm totally wrong.
Mancester City 1-2 Tottenham.
Tottenham are due a win, and after failing to pick up maximum points against 6 bottom half teams, you'd feel that, rather typically, their next win will come in one of their trickiest fixtures. Spurs will know what they can do to Manchester City, and with the possibilty of a relaxed attitude from Manchester City due to them being so far ahead, they could take advantage. And Lennon against Kolarov? Oh dear.
Lineups...
..............................Hart..............................
Zabaleta.....Kompany...Lescott......Kolarov
..................De Jong......Barry....................
.....Silva..............Yaya Touré..............Johnson.
.........................Balotelli.............................
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..............................Gomes..............................
Kaboul.........Gallas..........Dawson...........Rose
.............................Sandro...............................
.....Lennon.......van der Vaart.......Modric.........
..................Crouch........Defoe........................
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