Game Week 14 Predictions: Manchester City to win

Manchester City aims for a win against Tottenham to keep up with Arsenal at the top.

Erling Haaland up against Heung Min Son, another opportunity for both players to prove their worth in a big game, this should interest the neutrals. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 

Manchester City vs. Tottenham

Etihad Stadium

5:30pm

The champions need to win here to keep up with the Gunners at the top of the table; only a win will suffice after watching Arsenal beat Wolves at the Emirates on Saturday.

The Cityzens settled for a 1-1 draw at home against Liverpool last weekend. Manchester City had the game in their hands for a sustained period before Trent Alexander Arnold snuck one under the arms of Ederson in the City goal.

Tottenham went from leading the table after ten games to losing three games on the bounce. Ange Postecoglou is adamant that his playing style will not change regardless of the absence of key players. How far can he go with this?

Tottenham lost 4-1 at home to Chelsea, with Christian Romero and Destiny Udogie getting their marching orders. Spurs lost the duo of James Maddison and Micky Van de Ven to injuries on the same night, and things haven’t been the same since.

The loss to the Wolves felt like a painful one because they led for more than 80% of the game, and, in fact, they have led in all three games they have lost on the bounce. The reverse at Aston Villa last weekend suggests they can go all the way, but they need defensive discipline.

Manchester City will take no prisoners on Sunday. Tottenham’s highline will face the stiffest test yet, with the champions set to exploit the space left behind by the visitors. You must be interested in how Spurs plan to manage the movement of Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez; it will be fun to see.

Erling Haaland will feast in this game. Vicario in the Tottenham goal will have a lot to do; Romero serves his final game ban; whoever is selected to play in the defence for Spurs must be mentally aware of movements within and around the Tottenham area; it’s going to be a mentally draining game.

Heung Min Son will hope to finally get the ball in the net without seeing flags up. The South Korean scored three times against Aston Villa, but none of the goals got on the scoreboard as he was offside on every occasion.

Pape Mata Sarr is injured; Rodrigo Bentancur is too; but Yves Bissouma is available for selection after he picked five yellow cards. Watch out for how Pep Guardiola sets up his midfield and the extra defender he throws into the mix.

Verdict: City to win.