Tom McGarry's tips for Sunday's clash at the Etihad Stadium include a win for the champions with goals at both ends.
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Manchester City saw their run of 15 consecutive home Premier League victories end when they drew 1-1 with Liverpool last week and they will want to bounce back in style when they host Tottenham on Sunday.
Previous pacesetters Spurs slipped out of the top four when they lost 2-1 at home to Aston Villa last week, but they have been a bogey team for Pep Guardiola’s side, who have won just two of their last eight league games against the north London outfit.
Tottenham tend to adopt a gung-ho approach under their new manager Ange Postecoglou and that should make for an entertaining meeting at the Etihad on Sunday.
Manchester City v Tottenham best bets
Manchester City and both teams to score @ 7/5
Erling Haaland to score two or more goals @ 9/4
City should claim a goal-filled win
Manchester City are so used to winning that they will view last week’s draw with Jurgen Klopp’s side as a poor result and Guardiola will want to see more from his team after they allowed RB Leipzig to gain a two-goal lead before they beat the Germans 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The City boss will also be mindful that his team have lost three of their last four league matches against Tottenham, although injuries and suspensions have dealt the north Londoners a difficult hand.
Postecoglou is again unable to call upon his best two defenders, the banned Cristian Romero and the crocked Micky van de Ven, and his aggressive style of have-a-go football could easily play into the champions’ hands.
So Spurs will again have to be patched up at the back and they need to return to winning ways after leading in each of their last three games, all of which ended in defeat.
All the ingredients are there for City to win with both teams scoring. The home side have conceded in six of their last eight games on their own patch, while Tottenham work these days on the theory that the best form of defence is attack.
However, the visitors do not seem to possess the defensive quality to keep the Citizens at bay.
Expect Haaland to fill his boots
Tottenham’s defensive issues are great news for City’s Erling Haaland, who could be expected to score more than once on Sunday.
The Norwegian goal machine has notched at least a brace in six club matches this season and he could give the Spurs makeshift back line all sorts of problems.
The visitors will not only have to deal with Haaland’s power but they may also struggle to repel the service that comes in from the flanks, as City look to exploit the high line that Tottenham are likely to adopt.
That would mean Haaland is presented with a host of opportunities and the former Borussia Dortmund striker does not usually need a second invitation to take them.
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