Painful defeats for Manchester City and Tottenham in the derby last weekend make this a big clash. Spurs fell into crisis mode after another loss to their local rivals, while City struggled to keep pace with Arsenal at the top of the table.
Tottenham suffered a painful defeat last weekend, which established a familiar pattern – started badly, conceded an error, rallied to nothing. This pattern is the same as their defeats to Arsenal, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Liverpool in the past.
This defeat left Spurs supporters unsure where to direct their anger. The established players lost through no fault of their own, with captain Hugo Lloris the main culprit. Antonio Conte's managerial methods also did not pan out, and the owners failed to lead from the front.
The loss of one of the teams in this crucial match can have a big impact. However, for now, Tottenham must try to improve on the pattern they have been in lately.
The latest Manchester City vs Tottenham odds are available on LiveScore Betting
Manchester City vs Tottenham (Thursday, 20:00)
Team news
Antonio Conte reckons that forwards Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison will be back in contention against Arsenal at the weekend, while Rodrigo Bentancur has the chance to recover from the adductor injury that has kept him out of action since the World Cup.
Ruben Dias and John Stones are also in contention for their hamstring and fitness issues, while Kevin De Bruyne is also available. Lucas Moura is the only one absent from Conte.
Statistics
Tottenham have made City a fearsome side of late, beating them both indoors and out last season and losing just once in their last six matches.
Conte's troops also eliminated The Citizens from the 2018-19 Champions League.
However, Spurs have had little success against the top sides this season, as they have picked up just one point from six matches against the traditional top six and Newcastle.
They also conceded eight goals and scored just one goal in the first half of those six games.
City themselves are not as ruthless as last season and are still looking for consistency away from home. However, at home, they have scored 31 goals in nine league games, averaging almost 3.5 goals per game.
The match against Manchester United in October, which they won 6-3, was testament to this. The Citizens have also always excelled in the first half of their six home matches.
Predictions
Starting with bad luck and poor performance, Tottenham's game looks in crisis. This is evident in the field action, as well as in the dugout and meeting levels.
Tottenham fans have started to despair after watching them concede the opener in their six meetings with the top six and Newcastle.
This makes the Manchester City/Manchester City half-time/full-time double a reasonable option for Combination Bookmakers.
Nonetheless, the Spurs have quite a good record against City and this could give them hope for a surprise win. Moreover, they have scored eight goals in their five trips to the Etihad Stadium.
Therefore, Tottenham has a good chance of winning the game.
