Man City vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction as Riyad Mahrez completes comeback
Mahrez #Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City staged a stunning fightback to reignite their title hopes with a 4-2 win over Tottenham.
The Premier League champions were rocked when Spurs struck twice through Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal in the closing moments of the first half after Ederson errors at the Etihad Stadium.
Yet faced with the prospect of trailing leaders Arsenal by eight points and having played a game more, Pep Guardiola’s side roused themselves after the break.
Julian Alvarez pulled one back and Erling Haaland, with his first goal in four games, restored parity before the influential Mahrez secured victory with a double.
The turnaround prevented City sinking to a third successive defeat in all competitions and will probably have left Arsenal bemoaning their rivals’ inability to land another blow on the champions.
Relive all the action as Manchester City defeated Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium:
Man City vs Tottenham
Manchester City shock Tottenham and reel in Arsenal with sensational second-half comeback
FT – Manchester City complete remarkable comeback win over Tottenham (MCI 4-2 TOT)
90’ GOAL! – Mahrez sews up the points for City (MCI 4-2 TOT)
64’ GOAL! – Mahrez completes City’s comeback to put them in front (MCI 3-2 TOT)
54’ GOAL! – Haaland heads home the equaliser for City (MCI 2-2 TOT)
51’ GOAL! – Alvarez claws one back for City just after the break (MCI 1-2 TOT)
45+2’ GOAL! – Emerson Royal heads home a rebound to double Spurs’ lead (MCI 0-2 TOT)
45’ GOAL! – Kulusevski opens the scoring for Spurs (MCI 0-1 TOT)
42’ CHANCE! – Haaland heads Rodri’s cross over the bar (MCI 0-0 TOT)
39’ SAVE! – Lloris keeps out Lewis’ shot from range (MCI 0-0 TOT)
21’ BLOCKED – Dier charges down Alvarez’s effort (MCI 0-0 TOT)
15’ SHOT! – Kane’s first sight at goal hits the side-netting but he’s offside (MCI 0-0 TOT)
Manchester City FC 4 – 2 Tottenham Hotspur FC
Manchester City shock Tottenham and reel in Arsenal with sensational second-half comeback
22:15 , Michael Jones
Story continues
The comeback to start hauling Arsenal back? The top of the table does look that much better for Manchester City, because Pep Guardiola’s side looked like champions again. This was one of those vintage responses that repeat title winners produce, and was so common on the other side of Manchester for so long, to prevent a vintage and common Tottenham Hotspur victory in this fixture.
The fact this rousing 4-2 win actually fell into its usual pattern, with Antonio Conte exploiting Guardiola’s weaknesses for his team to go 2-0 up, this time only served to draw out City’s strengths. The Spurs manager might reasonably point to how he can’t keep doing this indefinitely, especially as this Abu Dhabi project could afford to keep Kevin De Bruyne on the bench. City didn’t even need him as they responded to Tottenham’s one-two just before half-time with a one-two-three just after it. Whatever Guardiola said at half-time, it meant his team won this game just as quickly as they’d lost it. It was quite the show of power, right down to Erling Haaland of course scoring again.
Riyad Mahrez was the ultimate match-winner, though, setting up the Norwegian for the equaliser then scoring the goal that finally put City ahead and then the one that clinched it.
City shock Spurs and reel in Arsenal with sensational comeback
Riyad Mahrez stars as Man City stage stunning second-half recovery to beat Spurs
22:10 , Michael Jones
Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City staged a stunning fightback to reignite their title hopes with a 4-2 win over Tottenham.
The Premier League champions were rocked when Spurs struck twice through Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal in the closing moments of the first half after Ederson errors at the Etihad Stadium.
Yet faced with the prospect of trailing leaders Arsenal by eight points and having played a game more, Pep Guardiola’s side roused themselves after the break.
Julian Alvarez pulled one back and Erling Haaland, with his first goal in four games, restored parity before the influential Mahrez secured victory with a double.
Riyad Mahrez stars as Man City stage stunning second-half recovery to beat Spurs
FT Man City 4-2 Tottenham
22:07 , Michael Jones
Manchester City have won their last two Premier League games in which they’ve been two goals behind at half-time. They last did it vs Crystal Palace in August.
Tottenham meanwhile have lost a Premier League match in which they led by two goals at half-time for the first time since April 2009, when they were beaten 5-2 by Manchester United.
FT Man City 4-2 Tottenham
22:04 , Michael Jones
Manchester City have now avoided defeat in each of the last five Premier League matches in which they have fallen 2+ goals behind (won three, drew two).
It’s the longest such run by any side in the competition’s history.
FT Man City 4-2 Tottenham
22:01 , Michael Jones
There were just two minutes and eight seconds between Tottenham’s first and second goals this evening, and then two minutes and nine seconds between Man City’s first and second goals in reply.
FT Man City 4-2 Tottenham
21:58 , Michael Jones
Erling Haaland has scored 22 Premier League goals this season, the most a player has scored in a campaign in the competition under Pep Guardiola.
Only Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o & Robert Lewandowski have scored more in a single top-flight season under the Spaniard.
FT Man City 4-2 Tottenham
21:55 , Michael Jones
Riyad Mahrez is Manchester City’s hero tonight. His second half performance was fantastic and helped to blow Spurs away.
(REUTERS)
Full-time: Man City 4-2 Tottenham
21:52 , Michael Jones
90+4 mins: Manchester City come from two goals down to sweep Tottenham aside in a barnstorming 45 minutes at the Etihad stadium.
Riyad Mahrez was the catalyst for City’s comeback. He set up two goals to bring them level before bagging a brace himself to secure all three points.
Pep Guardiola’s men move to within five points of Arsenal with this victory but it’s another defeat for Antonio Conte’s Spurs who continue to struggle.
GOAL! Man City 4-2 Tottenham (Mahrez, 90’)⚽️
21:49 , Michael Jones
90 mins: Riyad Mahrez is by far the man of the match here. Ederson boots the ball long and Clement Lenglet miscontrols the ball knocking it into the path of Mahrez.
He darts into the box and lifts it calmly over Hugo Lloris to secure the points for City.
Mahrez has two goals and two assists in this match now. An incredible second half performance from the winger.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:47 , Michael Jones
89 mins: Nearly! Harry Kane is played into space on the right side of the pitch and lifts a cross into the box for his old mate Son Heung-min.
It’s a decent pass but Ederson gets off his line quickly and plucks the ball out of the air.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:46 , Michael Jones
86 mins: Jack Grealish is nudged in the back by Cristian Romero and goes to ground looking for a free kick. The referee lets play go on and Spurs sweep up the pitch.
The cross comes over to Hojbjerg but his cutback is intercepted and City scramble it clear.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:42 , Michael Jones
83 mins: There’s a case for Man City to be awarded a penalty after Richarlison seemingly brings the ball down with his arm inside his own box.
There’s a VAR check but nothing comes from it.
Kyle Walker replaces Rico Lewis.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:38 , Michael Jones
79 mins: Clement Lenglet and Richarlison are introduced for Tottenham to replace Emerson Royal and Ben Davies. It’s an attacking move from Antonio Conte who must believe that his team can salvage at least a point here.
Bernardo Silva replaces Ilkay Gundogan for Man City.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:34 , Michael Jones
76 mins: This is Rodrigo Bentancur’s first game back from injury and Antonio Conte takes no chances with him. He brings the midfielder off with 15 minutes or so to go and replaces him with Yves Bissouma.
Can Tottenham get an equaliser to set up a blockbuster finish?
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:30 , Michael Jones
73 mins: Oh close! Rodrigo Bentancur wins a free kick for Spurs that Son Heung-min curls into the box. Harry Kane breaks away from Ilkay Gundogan and looks to bring the ball under control.
It bounces up and strikes his arm though and the referee blows the whistle for handball.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:28 , Michael Jones
70 mins: Antonio Conte is the first manager to look to the bench with Ivan Perisic getting hooked in place of Ryan Sessegnon. It’s not been a good night for Perisic whose mistake lead to the third City goal just after he missed a great chance to put Spurs in front.
Man City 3-2 Tottenham
21:26 , Michael Jones
67 mins: Manchester City will make sure that they see the game out now. The best way they can do that is to score again and give themselves the biggest lead possible.
Tottenham have been rocked but there’s enough quality in their line-up to get back in this game.
GOAL! Man City 3-2 Tottenham (Mahrez, 64’)⚽️
21:23 , Michael Jones
64 mins: Manchester City complete the comeback! Jack Grealish works the ball across the pitch and finds Riyad Mahrez. Ivan Perisic commits to a tackle but misses the ball allowing Mahrez to carry the ball into the box.
He opens up his body and drills one towards the near post, beating Hugo Lloris after a short deflection and sending City ahead.
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
21:21 , Michael Jones
63 mins: Spurs have kicked back into life now. Harry Kane sends the ball inside to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who switches the play out to Dejan Kulusevski on the right.
Kulusevski fizzes a pass across the penalty area and picks out Kane who takes a touch then drills his effort wide of the back post!
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
21:19 , Michael Jones
60 mins: Chance! Spurs should be back in front!
Dejan Kulusevski gets in behind on the right hand side and drives into the penalty area. He cuts the ball back across the middle of the box to pick out Ivan Perisic who drills a low effort at goal only to be denied by Rico Lewis’ last ditch block!
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
21:16 , Michael Jones
57 mins: This has been a blistering start to the second half from Manchester City. Mahrez has another shot from range fly just wide of the near post and there’s a collective sigh of letdown anticipation from the home crowd.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg gives his teammates a good telling off before the ball gets back in play. Spurs have been sleeping since the second half kicked off.
GOAL! Man City 2-2 Tottenham (Haaland, 54’)⚽️
21:13 , Michael Jones
54 mins: It’s that man again! Erling Haaland finishes off a lovely move from Manchester City. Riyad Mahrez brings the ball forward again before cutting it back to Rodri.
Rodri chips the ball into the box where Mahrez meets it with a header across the six-yard box and Haaland does the rest to turn it home.
City are level again.
GOAL! Man City 1-2 Tottenham (Alvarez, 51’)⚽️
21:11 , Michael Jones
51 mins: Just what Man City needed! Riyad Mahrez weaves down the right wing and carries the ball to the byline before flicking it into the penalty area.
Jack Grealish leaps towards the ball as Hugo Lloris comes out to punch it. Neither man gets control of it and it drops kindly to Julian Alvarez who smokes it home to give City a lifeline.
Man City 0-2 Tottenham
21:08 , Michael Jones
48 mins: Bentancur has been a huge factor in Tottenham’s success tonight. He’s the key link between defence and attack and, more often than not, the instigator in driving Spurs up the pitch.
He goes on another fine run before sending the ball out to Dejan Kulusevski on the right. Kulusevski tries to return the pass as Bentancur continues his run but he overcooks it and Nathan Ake tidies up.
Second half: Man City 0-2 Tottenham
21:03 , Michael Jones
Manchester City get the match back underway. Tottenham came out early and look ready to go for the next 45 minutes. It seems as though Pep Guardiola is starting the second half with the same personnel as the first.
Kevin De Bruyne remains on the bench as Erling Haaland gets the game back underway.
HT Man City 0-2 Tottenham
21:01 , Michael Jones
Such has been the success that Pep Guardiola has brought to Manchester City that at two goals down to Tottenham and second in the Premier League table they team is booed off the pitch at half-time by the home fans.
HT Man City 0-2 Tottenham
20:57 , Michael Jones
Manchester City have only won one of 54 previous Premier League games in which they have trailed by 2+ goals at half-time (two draws, 51 defeats).
That win, however, was the most recent occasion, when they beat Crystal Palace 4-2 in August.
HT Man City 0-2 Tottenham
20:53 , Michael Jones
Dejan Kulusevski opened the scoring for Tottenham before Emerson Royal added a second just on the stroke of half-time. City are staring down the barrel of consecutive Premier League defeats.
Can Spurs go on to win from here?
(REUTERS)
(PA)
Half-time: Man City 0-2 Tottenham
20:49 , Michael Jones
45+2 mins: A pretty tepid half burst into life in the closing minutes as Tottenham latched onto mistakes from Manchester City to score twice and gives themselves a cushion going into the break.
Pep Guardiola now his decisions to make. Does he look to the bench to try and rescue this game?
GOAL! Man City 0-2 Tottenham (Royal, 45+2)⚽️
20:48 , Michael Jones
45+2 mins: Right at the end of the first half, Tottenham double their lead.
Harry Kane weaves his way up the pitch with tha ball and continues his run into the box. He shoots from a tight angle but is denied by Ederson who palms the ball away.
It comes to Emerson Royal who is perfectly on hand to nod the ball home!
GOAL! Man City 0-1 Tottenham (Kulusevski, 45’)⚽️
20:46 , Michael Jones
45 mins: Mistake from Ederson! He tries to play out from the back and sends the ball to Rodri who is pounced on immediately by the pressing Rodrigo Bentancur.
The ball squirts out to Dejan Kulusevski who takes a touch then curls his effort wide of the goalkeeper before slotting it into the far corner!
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:43 , Michael Jones
42 mins: Close! You’d have backed Erling Haaland to score this! Rodri dinks the ball into the box from just outside the penalty area and perfectly picks out the Norwegian forward.
Haaland leaps towards the ball but lifts it over the crossbar with his headed effort.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:42 , Michael Jones
39 mins: Save! Rico Lewis is the man who almost provides the breakthrough for Manchester City.
He comes up the pitch, receives the ball and fires a low drive from 25 yards straight at goal. A deflection forces Hugo Lloris into a sprawling save to his left and the Spurs goalkeeper keeps it out.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:37 , Michael Jones
36 mins: Dejan Kuluaevski darts into the box from the right wing after Tottenham win the ball high up the pitch. Kulusevski leaves the ball to Harry Kane who shifts it to the right and shoots but sees his effort blocked.
Tottenham win a corner though. Can they make use of it?
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:35 , Michael Jones
33 mins: It’s been far from the most enthralling Premier League match of the season. Neither team has had a shot on target yet with City only managing four shots and Spurs just the one.
Still, there’s plenty of time for things to liven up.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:32 , Michael Jones
30 mins: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg goes in the book too. He’s looking to drive the ball up the pitch but gets tackled by a perfectly timed tackle from Rico Lewis.
Hojbjerg then follows through and stands on Lewis’ legs as he’s sprawled on the floor with the referee determining that his actions were intentional.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:26 , Michael Jones
27 mins: Close! Another corner for Man City gets cleared up as far as Son Heung-min but the forward takes his time bringing the ball under control.
By the time he’s ready to kick into a counter-attack Jack Grealish has sprinted back and receives a loud round of applause after completing a sliding tackle to dispossess the South Korean.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:23 , Michael Jones
24 mins: Manuel Akanji brings the ball into midfield before getting clipped by Cristian Romero. The referee pulls out a yellow card but it was a soft tackle and the booking is more for an accummulation of fouls from the visiting team.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:21 , Michael Jones
21 mins: Blocked! Jack Grealish wins Man City a corner that sees Riyad Mahrez’s delivery headed away. Ilkay Gundogan recovers the ball and gives it to Grealish who pulls a pass back to Julian Alvarez.
Alvarez shoots but his effort is charged down by Eric Dier and Spurs clear their lines.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:19 , Michael Jones
18 mins: Penalty shout! Ilkay Gundogan collects the ball in the middle of Tottenham’s half. He spins towards goal and flicks one over the top for Erling Haaland.
Haaland gets in a tangle with Cristian Romero and goes down inside the box but the referee isn’t interested in City’s appeals for a penalty and neither is VAR.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:17 , Michael Jones
15 mins: Chance! Tottenham slowly work their way up the pitch before Rodrigo Bentancur receives the ball and slips one into the box for Harry Kane.
Kane gets to the ball and blasts a shot at goal, rattling it into the side-netting before the offside falg goes up against him.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:12 , Michael Jones
12 mins: City’s back-to-back corners come to nothing but they win a free kick just outside the penalty area after a late tackle from Ben Davies who takes out Julian Alvarez.
Riyad Mahrez takes a shot from the dead ball but hits the wall.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:10 , Michael Jones
9 mins: Lovely from Man City again. Lewis finds Gundogan in the middle of the pitch and he threads another cutting pass through to Alvarez.
Alvarez drives up the pitch and attempts a cross but his path is blocked behind for a corner.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:07 , Michael Jones
6 mins: Rodrigo Bentancur gives this Tottenham side a great deal more confidence in the middle of the pitch. He’s good on the ball and defensively solid.
The midfielder curls the ball over to Ivan Perisic on the left wing and the full-back drives down the line. He looks the take the ball past Rico Lewis but the youngster lunges in and knocks it out for a throw in.
Good tackle.
Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:03 , Michael Jones
3 mins: Nearly! City invite Spurs to press them but move the ball which pace and ease, transitioning it from the backline into midfield before firing a hopeful ball up towards Julian Alvarez.
Ben Davies is aware of Alvarez’s run though and squeezes ahead of the striker to intercept the ball before it reaches him.
Kick off: Man City 0-0 Tottenham
20:01 , Michael Jones
Tottenham get the match underway and work the ball up the pitch where it’s won in the air by Manchester City. The home side send it back to Ederson and look to build their first attack from the back.
Man City vs Tottenham
19:57 , Michael Jones
Here come the teams.
Hugo Lloris and Ilkay Gundogan lead out their respective clubs. There’s a lot at stake tonight with the pressure on Manchester City who need to win to keep up the pace with Arsenal.
This one is almost a free hit for Spurs. They’re not expected to win tonight but it’ll be a massive result if they do. Kick off is up next.
Will Haaland score tonight?
19:54 , Michael Jones
Erling Haaland has gone consecutive Premier League appearances without a goal for the first time – he last went three league games without finding the back of the net between March and April last season for Borussia Dortmund.
(REUTERS)
Antonio Conte left questioning long-term future after losing three close friends
19:51 , Michael Jones
Antonio Conte is proud of his hard work and commitment to football management but admits losing three close friends has left him questioning his long-term future.
Gian Piero Ventrone, the club’s fitness coach, died in October before Conte’s friend and former Lazio defender Sinisa Mihajlovic died in December.
That was then followed by the death of Conte’s former Juventus and Italy team-mate Gianluca Vialli earlier this month. At 53, Conte is the same age as Mihajlovic was at his time of death, while Vialli was just five years his senior.
Asked ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League trip to Manchester City how he was feeling after such a difficult time, the Italian replied: “For sure, this season is a difficult season from a personal aspect.”
Antonio Conte left questioning long-term future after losing three close friends
Can Kane break the records?
19:45 , Michael Jones
Harry Kane needs one more goal to equal Jimmy Greaves club record of 266 in all competitions.
Kane is two short of becoming just the third player to reach the milestone of 200 Premier League goals, emulating both Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney.
(Action Images via Reuters)
Grealish on fire for City
19:42 , Michael Jones
Jack Grealish is in great form for Manchester City having scored one goal and made three assists in his four league appearances since the World Cup.
Will he cause more problems when he starts tonight?
(AP)
Guardiola vs Conte
19:39 , Michael Jones
Pep Guardiola has lost three of his previous five meetings against Antonio Conte in all competitions, making him the only manager he has faced five times or more to have better than a 50% win record against him.
(Action Images via Reuters)
Pep Guardiola has another puzzle to solve as Man City face Tottenham
19:36 , Michael Jones
If some managers see football as a battle, Pep Guardiola appears to deem it more of a puzzle. It is less about outfighting than outthinking his opponents. The game appeals to the intellectual in him, the challenge of putting all the pieces in the correct places at the right time. His critics may argue he complicates matters needlessly, altering the equation by adding Jack Grealish or Erling Haaland to a successful formula.
Deep into his seventh season at Manchester City, Guardiola’s longevity can be explained by the resources at his disposal. Yet he claims that “people understand that in the last five or six years we are the seventh team in net spend in this country and the 12th or 13th in Europe”.
Such claims may invite scepticism, but an explanation for his continued presence in Manchester lies in the stimulation the Premier League provides. Guardiola probably did not expect his former assistant Mikel Arteta to have an eight-point lead at the summit now, but in recent years the division has provided perhaps the greatest collection of coaching talent any domestic league has ever had.
Pep Guardiola has another puzzle to solve as Man City face Tottenham
Lack of clean sheets for City
19:33 , Michael Jones
Man City have kept just three clean sheets in their last 11 outings in all competitions with all three coming against Chelsea. Their tally of three league defeats this campaign has already equalled their total from last season.
Slow starters
19:30 , Michael Jones
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham side have one first-half goal in their last 14 games in all competitions, including none in each of their last six away.
They have conceded two or more goals in 11 Premier League fixtures this season with only Bournemouth have a worse record
How does Pep Guardiola make the numbers add up for Man City and Erling Haaland?
19:27 , Michael Jones
At a fraught point in the Manchester derby, Pep Guardiola felt he had to get something off his mind. The Catalan called Erling Haaland over and intensively gave the Manchester City forward a series of instructions.
As he listened, the Norwegian didn’t look anywhere near as enthused about any of this as his manager. Haaland stood there with his hands on his hips. That might have been down to his generally impassive appearance, but it came as part of a very passive performance.
Haaland was barely involved in the game, with only 19 touches, and two shots. Even Jack Grealish beat him to a header for a goal that could have been his, effectively removing the forward from what he is supposed to be there for.
How does Guardiola make the numbers add up for Man City and Haaland?
Spurs struggling on the road
19:24 , Michael Jones
Tottenham are looking to win consecutive away league games for the first time this season. Spurs have lost all four of their Premier League matches this campaign against teams currently above them in the table.
Will City lose again?
19:21 , Michael Jones
Manchester City could go three successive home league games without a win for just the second time under Pep Guardiola, previously doing so in 2016.
Guardiola’s side last lost two Premier League matches in a row in December 2018.
Pep Guardiola takes blame for Man City’s misfiring attack
19:18 , Michael Jones
Pep Guardiola has accepted the blame for Manchester City’s recent downturn in form and the break in supply to Erling Haaland up front.
The champions have fallen eight points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League after winning just one of their last three games in the competition.
That sequence includes last Saturday’s frustrating and controversial derby loss to Manchester United while City also slumped to an unexpected Carabao Cup quarter-final loss at Southampton a week ago. City mustered just one shot on target across the games against Southampton and United while Haaland, scorer of 27 goals already this season, has not found the net in his last three outings.
Pep Guardiola takes blame for Man City’s misfiring attack
Man City vs Tottenham
19:15 , Michael Jones
Manchester City have lost four of their last five Premier League fixtures against Tottenham, as many defeats as in the previous 19 meetings.
Spurs, along with Chelsea, have earned an unsurpassed 27 victories against Manchester City in the Premier League and they could become the first team to win three consecutive league matches against a side managed by Pep Guardiola.
Man City vs Tottenham team changes
19:09 , Michael Jones
Pep Guardiola makes five changes to the Manchester City team that slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last time out.
At the back, Rico Lewis and John Stones come in to replace Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker whilst Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish replace Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. Up top Julian Alvarez partners Erling Haaland with Phil Foden missing out.
Antonio Conte meanwhile swaps out players from the loss to Arsenal. Emerson Royal, Ben Davies and Ivan Perisic slot into the defence replacing Matt Doherty, Clement Lenglet and Ryan Sessegnon.
Elsewhere Rodrigo Bentancur replaces Pape Sarr to partner Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in midfield.
Man City vs Tottenham line-ups
19:00 , Michael Jones
Man City XI: Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodri, Gundogan, Grealish, Mahrez, Alvarez, Haaland
Tottenham XI: Lloris, Royal, Romero, Dier, Davies, Perisic, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Kulusevski, Son, Kane
Pep Guardiola on chasing Arsenal
18:55 , Michael Jones
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, explained that the competitiveness at the top of the Premier League table always makes it a difficult competition to win but that he relishes the challenge.
“Every year it has been like that,” he said. “When I came here, and we were in the top four I congratulated ourselves and the team and the people said ‘this guy is false’.
“It’s normal, you have to qualify for the Champions League every season. Always it is difficult. It is about training to try to make the consistency in our games. This is what we have to do.
“I’d prefer to be eight points in front, but I like to handle these situations. I love it. I am stressed when I don’t have the solutions, but always I have the feeling that I know the reason why it doesn’t work.”
Conte on Haaland
18:50 , Michael Jones
Antonio Conte was asked about how he has planned to deal with the threat of Manchester City forward Erling Haaland tonight after the Norwegian netted 21 Premier League goals since joining the club in the summer.
“We are talking about a young player but at the same time, I think his status is an important status.” said the Spurs boss,
“He is showing to be a really strong player, he has scored over 20 goals – it’s incredible in your first season in the Premier League to score in this way.
“Yes, we have to pay attention (to him), but we have to pay attention to all of Manchester City’s players because we are talking, I repeat, about a really good team.”
Antonio Conte says football managers taking all media responsibilities is ‘bad habit’
18:45 , Michael Jones
Antonio Conte has questioned the lack of interaction between senior figures at Premier League football clubs and the media which he believes leaves managers under pressure to speak on different issues.
The Tottenham Hotspur head coach is coming under increasing scrutiny following a string of poor performances which culminated in a 2-0 home defeat to north London rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Speaking at his press conference to preview the next game against Manchester City, Conte repeatedly claimed he was answering similar questions he has fielded previously.
Conte on facing Man City
18:40 , Michael Jones
Totteham boss, Antonio Conte, spoke about taking on Manchester City tonight and how it feels to face ‘one of the best teams in the world’.
“You know very well that we are facing, in my opinion, the best team in this moment and one of the best teams in the world,” said Conte.
“We are talking about a team that is full of top players and for this reason we have to perform, to over-perform, to try to get a good result.
“Last season the result was good but you know very well, when you play against City, you have to concede possession of the ball for a long part of the game and in the part that you have the ball, you have to try to hurt them. We are working very hard to do it.”
Pep Guardiola on value of having strength in depth
18:35 , Michael Jones
Pep Guardiola says that having a strong and fully fit squad is vital for success on the pitch as competition for places brings out the best in individual performances.
“It’s good to have a fully fit squad,” said the Manchester City boss, “Now they have to compete (among) themselves for the benefit of the team and find the best solution.
“We know each other quite well – many years already. Myself, staff, and players. I know them perfectly when they are performing well and doing well.
“We admit that in a tough game against United, we behaved more than well. We didn’t win but that happens. The performance and the way we played against Leeds and Chelsea, we are not far away but we are a team.
“I learned in my time as a manager, as a player as well – but especially as a manager – that I am not alone in this world. Our opponents can sometimes do good things, too. If you give credit to them it doesn’t mean you are bad.
“When another one is better you have to admit it and this is the target you have to achieve. This is not a problem.
“When a team loses a game it’s like everything is not good. This is not the case, there are other teams that are good too, and we have to accept it.”
Antonio Conte hoping for benefit of routinely planning the Premier League’s hardest game
18:30 , Michael Jones
For the first time in a few weeks, Antonio Conte has been able to work with some clarity at Tottenham Hotspur.
That isn’t down to any easing of issues, that the Italian has himself significantly contributed to. It is instead that this trip to Manchester City is a rare game unencumbered by greater complications, other than those Conte constantly dwells on.
He knows Spurs can’t financially compete with the champions, regardless of how ambitious they get, due to the Abu Dhabi ownership. He also knows that disparity further influences a fixture that will always be primarily dictated by Pep Guardiola’s philosophy, which means are completely justified in playing a countering approach.
That has been an issue for Spurs of late, provoking debate, but not here. It removes any doubt for this game. It is one reason why they have such a good record against Guardiola’s City, with some of their best recent results coming at otherwise fraught periods.
Conte hoping for benefit of routinely planning the league’s hardest game
Man City vs Tottenham prediction
18:25 , Michael Jones
Tottenham look in disarray at the minute and while Man City have been stuttering in recent matches, the magnitude of the game and the necessity of a result should focus their minds.
City to win and Erling Haaland to get back on track.
Man City 3-1 Spurs.
Man City vs Tottenham predicted line-ups
18:20 , Michael Jones
Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Stones, Cancelo; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish
Tottenham XI: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
What’s the early team news?
18:15 , Michael Jones
Pep Guardiola declared that John Stones and Ruben Dias are both in contention to start at centre-back after recovering from injuries, although the length of Dias’ absence means he may be more likely to come off the bench. Kevin De Bruyne also missed training this week but Guardiola confirmed that was merely due to a personal issue and doesn’t affect his availability.
Phil Foden has been struggling for form since the World Cup, so Jack Grealish may be preferred to flank Erling Haaland from the off, with Riyad Mahrez seemingly best placed to start on the other side.
Rodrigo Bentancur hasn’t played since the World Cup due to a groin injury but will be straight back into the Tottenham starting XI if fit, while Dejan Kulusevski made his return against Arsenal and looked bright, so is also in line to start. Harry Kane needs just two goals to bring up 200 in the Premier League and to leapfrog Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all-time top scorer.
How to watch Man City vs Tottenham
18:10 , Michael Jones
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Thursday 19 January.
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports HDR with coverage starting at 7pm BST. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
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Man City vs Tottenham
17:58 , Michael Jones
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League action that sees Manchester City take on Tottenham in a clash with ramifications for the top of the table.
City currently trails league leaders Arsenal by eight points and will need to string together a run of victories if they hope to regain the title. Pep Guardiola’s men lost 2-1 to Manchester United last time out and a consecutive defeat to Spurs could cost them dearly in the title race.
Tottenham meanwhile are in desperate need of a win. They’ve won just once since the Premier League returned following the World Cup and put in a lacklustre performance last time out against Arsenal who defeated them 2-0. Defeating the current champions away from home would send a wave a confidence through the squad which could reignite Spurs’ season.
We’ll have all the build-up, team news and updates from the Etihad Stadium as the evening goes on so stick with us.