da dobrowin： In a weekend of few genuinely outstanding fixtures, Spurs hosting Manchester City on Sunday at 2:15 stands head and shoulders above its rivals. Heading into the seventh round of matches of the new Premier League season, the Lilywhites and the Citizens remain the only undefeated sides in the division, with Pep Guardiola’s men still boasting a 100% record, while Mauricio Pochettino’s troops have only dropped points on two occasions – against Merseyside duo Everton and Liverpool.
da spicy bet： The Sunday kick-off allows both managers a little extra time to prepare their players after tricky European trips to CSKA Moscow and Celtic, and it’s likely that they will have used these precious hours to ensure key men are rested up and ready for the clash in north London.
Man City are, arguably, the favourites for this game, but Spurs will be no pushovers, and this is the XI we think ‘Poch’ should plump for to get the better of Guardiola…
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
No real discussion here, as long as he remains fit through to kick-off, Lloris will start at White Hart Lane. The Frenchman’s ‘sweeper keeper’ style will be vital, with the pace of Man City’s attack a genuine threat against Pochettino’s high line.
Defence – Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose
The midweek trip to Russia saw one change at the back for Spurs in the form of Kieran Trippier in for Walker, but we think the latter will be back in the XI on Sunday. The central defensive pairing of Alderweireld and Vertonghen should be kept intact with the threat of Sergio Aguero looming large. On the left-hand side, Rose may return, with the Englishman having been pictured in training with his team-mates in the run-up to this top of the table clash.
Midfield – Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Dele Alli, Heung-min Son, Erik Lamela
While Pochettino usually favours a 4-2-3-1 set-up, the real battle over this 90 minutes is likely to be conducted in the centre of the pitch, with the team able to get a foothold on the ball and control possession likely to come out on top. In this sense, it seems logical that Spurs will drop Alli a little deeper to join Wanyama and Dier, with the latter having returned to training. Son will surely retain his place for this one given his electric form of late, while Lamela has become one of the first names on Pochettino’s team-sheet over the course of the past 12 months.
Attack – Vincent Janssen
With Harry Kane only a couple of weeks into his lengthy injury absence, Janssen will once again be leading the line. The Dutchman hasn’t transferred the form he showed in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar across to England just yet, but a lack of options and the need to play the 22-year-old into form means that Pochettino is unlikely to overlook him.